Being Indian at heart, we rarely let a celebration pass without something sweet making its way to the table. Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khannais no different. He opened his New York restaurant, Bungalow, in 2024, and as the establishment marks 900 days, the chef has found a rather delicious way to celebrate the milestone. Giving the occasion a distinctly Indian touch, he turned to one of his signature creations, Rose malai kulfi, and gave it a lip-smacking makeover inspired by one of Indian cinema's most iconic songs, AR Rahman's Roja.
Vikas shared a reel featuring the striking dessert, which he named ‘Roja', dedicating the creation to Rahman's celebrated work. The dish features a rose-like dessert generously topped with rose syrup, with pistachios and delicate rose bark tucked along its sides, adding both texture and visual appeal. We could also spot rose petals in the video. Prepared using a custom-designed rose mould, the dessert came in a shade of red, looking so beautiful and decadent that it was hard not to crave a bite.
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The creation also bears a resemblance to Vikas's much-loved malai kulfi, which draws inspiration from the popular kulfa once sold outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
In the caption, he wrote, “Today, we completed 900 days of Bungalow. It is an incredibly emotional milestone for our entire team and for every guest who has become part of this journey. For 900 days, Bungalow has continued to sell out within seconds, with our waitlist reaching more than 10,000 guests on some nights.”
But beyond the numbers, he said, "What fills my heart with the greatest pride is witnessing the rise of Indian cuisine and culture in the Western world."
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“At the very beginning of this journey, I dedicated a dish to @arrahman. I called it ROJA. Today, 900 days later, I'm recreating ROJA in his honour, presented in our handcrafted gold bowl. Some dishes are born from recipes. Some are born from memories. And some are born from the people whose brilliance inspires generations,” he added.
"900 days of Bungalow. 900 days of celebrating India," he concluded by sharing that his creation, ROJA, will always be his tribute to AR Rahman, a maestro whose genius has made India proud.