Plus Nine One brings duck seekh kebab to Delhi

For a long time, Indian food that strayed away (even slightly) from the familiar curries and breads was quickly labelled ‘inventive’ or ‘progressive’, as though it needed a disclaimer. In 2026, that language feels tired. With recently launched restaurants like Manish Mehrotra’s Nisaba, it is clear that Indian cuisine has already moved forward.

Take Plus Nine One by Ishita Yashvi, a communications professional turned F&B entrepreneur, who named her new place after the country’s telephone code. Tucked inside Delhi’s Kailash Colony, the casual dining restaurant reflects what an Indian diner’s plate looks like today—curious, confident, and comfortable bringing different influences together. Yashvi started her journey in the food industry over five years ago with Figure Eight Foods, launching takeaway-first concepts such as Nawab ke Kebab and BroMomo, both of which have since evolved into dine-in formats. She also runs Figure Eight Catering, with Anahita Dhondy as one of the chef partners in the firm’s fold. 

Yashvi is clear-eyed about the market. Delhi, she admits, remains more conservative in its food choices than Mumbai or Bengaluru. Plus Nine One caters to this by taking a thoughtful middle path, one anchored in familiar Indian flavours but nudged forward through international techniques. All this is achieved under three chefs whose individual strengths shape the menu.

Chef Alexander Gedo, trained in modern American and classic French cooking, has worked at Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York and Baieta in Paris, and this one marks his first project in India. Chef Himanshu Meena brings a sensibility shaped by experience across India, the US, and the Cayman Islands, including time at three-Michelin-star Boury in Belgium. Completing the trio is chef Zoheb Qureshi, a third-generation custodian of the Qureshi legacy, trained for over a decade under Gulam Qureshi at ITC Hotels and formerly head chef of Dum Pukht at ITC Maratha, Mumbai, who’s rooted in Awadhi cooking.

The menu moves easily between bar bites, sharing plates, mains, and desserts, but what’s most compelling is how it introduces meats like quail, duck, and octopus without making a fuss about them. Take the Bird Seekh—a delicate mince of quail, duck and chicken, almost melt-in-the-mouth, lifted by cranberry chutney and a sharp green apple pickle.

Technique does a lot of the heavy lifting at Plus Nine One. The crispy confit hasselback potatoes may look straightforward, but they’re confited over nearly a day and a half to get that balance of texture and flavour. Crisp on the outside, soft within, they’re finished with sour cream and a dusting of masala.

The tostadas are pure fun. Baked instead of fried, they crunch like a mathri and are topped with tomato achaar and an avocado bhel that makes them dangerously easy to snack on.

The sharing plates strike a careful balance between comfort and curiosity. On one hand, Plus Nine One leans into Delhi’s love for jhol momos with its Bengal jhol velouté and a hit of togarashi. On the other hand, there’s a raw bar anchored by crudo, carpaccio, and a tiger prawn tartare.

Beef carpaccio, traditionally served as raw slices of buffalo meat, has never quite found its footing in the city. Here, it’s pickled, tossed with dela achaar and layered with gooseberries and sirke wala pyaaz, making it far more inviting for local palates. The tartare, on the other hand, begins as a classic French preparation, but the flavours take a decisively Indian turn. The sauce—built on onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, coriander, and citrus—is reworked into an agua chile, while puffed bajra adds crunch, giving the dish the playful familiarity of an elevated bhel puri. 

The menu also slips in a bheja fry, a dish more commonly found in streets of Mumbai and Hyderabad than Delhi. Cooked with a warm mix of spices, it’s silken and comforting and made even better alongside soft, pillowy brioche pav. Other small plates include Belgian pork belly, tandoori chicken, butter garlic prawns, and a ghee roast served with either sweet potato or mutton.

The mains continue this cross-cultural conversation. The Mahi-Mahi Alleppey pairs coconut-mango Alleppey curry and calamari with fragrant gobindobhog rice, making for a deeply satisfying dish. The ossobuco nihari is one I’d return for on another visit. The team explains that while it retains the gelatinous richness of a classic nihari, the cut itself is Italian. The ossobuco and the nihari are cooked separately before they are brought together on the plate, allowing both traditions to hold their own.

Desserts are light. The chenna cheesecake with house-made gondhoraj lemon ice cream is gently sweet and lifted by citrus. The Masala Chai plays on the comfort of chai and khari, layering masala chai crèmeux with saffron custard and a crumbly French butter khari. House-made ice creams and sorbets round things out: the jaggery-and-sesame version reminds you of gajak, while the avocado sorbet deliberately sidesteps the idea of dessert as indulgence.

While the bar licence is awaited (expected sometime in February), the non-alcoholic menu deserves attention. The Country Code, a clarified drink with notes of fresh orange and tulsi, is refreshing without being sweet, while the picantes spotlight fruit-forward heat, with mango or pineapple taking centre stage.

The 64-cover restaurant keeps things minimal, warmed by wooden tones and softened with greenery. Terracotta tiles recall the easy sprawl of old homes, while the walls are decked with photo frames of the chefs in action. Like the food it brings to the table, stepping here instantly feels like home, but just dialled up a notch higher. 

Cost for two: ₹3,000 + taxes

Address: 2nd floor, Kailash Colony Market, HS-7, Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi - 110048

Timings: 12 pm to 1 am

Reservations: Call +91 92171 63400