Chef
Himanshu Saini
Executive Chef, Trèsind Studio
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Known for
- Innovative modern Indian fine dining at Trèsind Studio Dubai
- First Indian restaurant to earn three Michelin stars
i. Biography
Indian cooking in a contemporary dining room depends on more than quotation and polish. At Trèsind Studio in Dubai, the modern gastronomy developed by Himanshu Saini works by re-reading known references: tightening them, clarifying them, and placing them in a register suited to the room without cutting them loose from tradition. The work uses memory, technique, and regional produce as working materials, not decoration.
The Trajectory
A modern language for the subcontinent’s cooking was part of the early formation: Himanshu Saini worked under Manish Mehrotra at Indian Accent in New Delhi before carrying that momentum to Trèsind in Dubai, where he opened the restaurant from 2014. That sequence places the work inside a generation of chefs treating the cuisine with both proximity and working distance: respectful of its pull, but willing to test composition, plating, pacing, and service format. Dubai gave that method a particular pressure. In a city built from movement, appetite, and overlapping food memories, the vocabulary of modern dining introduced at Trèsind could be narrowed and sharpened at Trèsind Studio. The role now is executive chef of Trèsind Studio, where the format is more concentrated, deliberate, and immersive.
The Work Today
Fine-dining polish is present at Trèsind Studio, but the more useful reading is technical: ingredients are shifted into new textures, regional ideas are intensified without being stripped down, and familiar references are made legible in contemporary form. Himanshu Saini’s work there is less about departure than adjustment—how far a reference can move while still carrying its source. The Northern Plains and Himalayan Mountains section includes king oyster noodles with black fungus XO sauce and shoyu of morel mushrooms. The naming sets geography as a frame for the dish: plains and mountains, fungus and morel, depth and restraint. The plate uses a contemporary vocabulary, while its logic remains tied to habits of reading place, season, and memory through food. Reframing Indian cuisine in Dubai is part of the restaurant’s stated work, and humble local ingredients from organic and sustainable UAE farmers are part of that method. The result is a useful tension: rooted in imagination, Dubai-based in setting, and shaped by ingredients with UAE immediacy. Modern technique here functions as a lens for precision, not as surface treatment.
Signature
Signature dishes include On the ‘Rising India’ tasting menu. The form matters: the signature is not presented as a single fixed plate, but as a menu built around movement and range. In Himanshu Saini’s hands, the claim is that Indian gastronomy can be elegant, exploratory, and still grounded in its own references.
The Record
Estrella Damm 0.0% Chefs' Choice Award is among Himanshu's honors. In trade terms, the recognition marks a chef refining a modern Indian register in Dubai through a restaurant that gives that work its clearest form.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Himanshu
What does Himanshu Saini currently do?
Himanshu Saini is executive chef of Trèsind Studio.
Where did Himanshu Saini work before?
Earlier in their career, Himanshu Saini worked at Indian Accent and Trèsind.
What recognition has Himanshu Saini received?
Estrella Damm 0.0% Chefs' Choice Award.
