An unexpected dish was placed on the table: parmesan jalebi with saffron aioli, a savory take on the zulbia, a Middle Eastern dessert that became jalebi in India. This delightfully innovative appetizer was served at Farro, a new restaurant in Pune that opened in January.
Farro, a group of ancient wheat species—einkorn, emmer, or spelt—inspired the restaurant’s name. The sixty-seater establishment explores the evolving journey of wheat across civilizations, countries and sub-regions of India. The kitchen is helmed by 30-year-old chef Vardaan Marwah, who has creatively reinterpreted Mediterranean, Levantine and Middle Eastern flavors in a modern Indian context. He holds a patisserie degree from the International Institute of Culinary Arts (IICA) in New Delhi, worked at the two Michelin-starred Gaggan in Bangkok, and was the executive pastry chef at Rooh in New Delhi. “The restaurant is deeply personal because everything I learned from my mother, my mentors chefs Suvir Saran and Sujan Sarkar, and my travels has come together in the food at Farro, and that’s what makes it unique,” Marwah says.
As a young chef, Marwah understands the significance of interacting with diners and seizes every opportunity to share the stories behind his dishes. His driving force is the pursuit of nuanced flavors. He believes that a hot pan on high flame and a quick cook do not allow the gentle release of flavors, “which is what gave our ancient dishes a nuance that’s impossible to replicate. For instance, we have a Pashtun Kebab, inspired by the Chapli Kebab, but cooked in a wood-fired oven and served with pillowy bread, and a Kerala-inspired Kuttanad Seabass, paired with a velvety raw mango sauce and puffed rice.”
The two dishes that Marwah takes immense pride in are Farro’s Rajma Cannoli and Thirty Layer Truffle Latke. The former is his Mediterranean spin on the classic Punjabi home-style dish he grew up with. The crisp baked cannoli shell, stuffed with slow-cooked Kashmiri rajma, is served on a bed of labneh and pesto. The umami-rich potato latke is a laminated, twice-cooked spectacle, inspired by the viral 15-hour potato by English chef Poppy O’Toole. Potatoes are thinly sliced, layered together, baked, then compressed and chilled overnight. The next day, blocks of the layered potatoes are cut out and deep-fried, resulting in a crispy exterior and a melt-in-the-mouth interior. Marwah incorporates parmesan within the potato layers and confits them in butter. The final product is drizzled with parmesan and garnished with a sliver of fresh truffle. It’s such a hot seller that a chef from his team is dedicated solely to its preparation.
Another standout dish is the Buff Manti. Manti, a lamb or beef dumpling with iterations across the Balkans, Turkey, and Armenia, receives a Bihari makeover at Farro. It’s chargrilled, akin to litti chokha. The dumpling dough is reminiscent of delicate roomali roti, while the meat filling is piquant. The dish is served with a rasam-based broth, bursting with flavors, and the toum and carrots add freshness.
“Indian influences shine through dishes like the Pashtun Kebab. Then there’s rice pudding, a staple across the country. It gets a unique twist when we cook it with Kerala vanilla and present it with layered strawberry textures. It’s inspired by my mother’s rice kheer, making it both nostalgic and innovative,” shares Marwah.
Farro’s cocktail program is simply titled XI. The 11 drinks, mirroring the food menu, draw inspiration from great ancient civilizations such as Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Harappan, Chinese, and Roman. The India-inspired Sone Ki Chidiya is a concoction of coconut gin, kokum, tamarind, mango, sweet lime, and saffron. The Empress of The Red Pavilion features hibiscus-infused reposado tequila, strawberry, goji berry, black currant, thyme, and tonic.
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Marwah partnered with restaurateur Aman Talreja, 33, who wants to “move beyond the usual pizza, pasta, sushi, and dim sum menus that dominate Pune.” A mechanical engineer who pivoted to the restaurant industry 13 years ago, Talreja oversees Farro under his parent company, Sip & Savour Co. Talreja believes Pune is a challenging market. While two services a night are necessary for business, they cannot rush diners who are enjoying their meals while accommodating other reservations.
Pune’s dining scene is unique to the city. A decade ago, it was known for its laid-back cafés, and fine dining was limited. Today, the city has transformed with craft cocktail bars, degustation experiences, and contemporary regional cuisine hotspots like Cobbler & Crew, Aragma, and We Idliwale. One of the most experimental chefs is Gayatri Desai, who owns the fermentary, test kitchen, and restaurant Ground Up. Farro occupies the experimental premium dining space, an area that is slowly finding its niche in the city.
Sayoni Bhaduri is a lifestyle journalist based in Mumbai.
