Kadak Is A Modern Map Of India On A Plate

On an unusually rainy afternoon in Mumbai (is monsoon ever planning to leave us this year?), I hopped into an auto from Andheri and, ten minutes later, arrived at ICONIQA Hotels at Mumbai International Airport. Stepping inside felt like stepping out of the city’s density, a brief pause from humidity, honking, and the usual airport-adjacent bustle. ICONIQA, pitched to me as an ‘unhotel’, promises a mini vacation before your actual one begins. Even if you’re in the city for just a day, staying in feels like a luxury worth indulging.

What immediately caught my attention, though, was their progressive pan-Indian restaurant, Kadak. The moment you walk in, there’s an instant sense of identity, the kind that tells you this restaurant could easily stand tall outside the hotel too. Still, I held my judgment. Mumbai has no shortage of beautifully designed restaurants with underwhelming menus, and my last few experiences had left me with a sour taste. But as the meal and drinks unfolded, course by course, my reservations began to dissolve.

Kadak’s interiors are a visual conversation between tradition and technology. AI-reimagined Warli art playfully interacts with Mona Lisa-inspired motifs, while antique tiffins and fluted cement panels bring texture and balance to the space. From the cosy café to the intimate private nooks and the open-air terrace garden, each corner feels carefully curated, and not just for your Instagram. Dining in The Diner offers the best sense of Kadak’s spirit, lively yet relaxed, with a subtle hum of warmth in the air. The service matches the mood: attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely enthusiastic about the menu’s storytelling.

Flavourful Bites

Helmed by Executive Chef Ritabrata Biswas, Kadak’s menu reflects the chef’s deep connection to India’s culinary heritage. “Kadak is a reflection of my journey, an ode to the nostalgia of familiar flavours, and a celebration of India’s layered culinary heritage,” he shares.

The food lives up to that vision. On the menu, one can find dishes like Lobster Rasam that has a rich tomato broth, and dosai crisps, perfect for the light chill in the air (as much as Mumbai allows), the classic Raj Kachori with a sprouts salad, a Salmon Tarter Papdi Tostada, Field Mushrooms sprinkled with Truffle Dust, a Lucknowi ode to Mexico in the form of Ulta Tawa Tacos, Lemon Ginger Prawn kebabs, and mains like Ratatouille Khurchan.

When asked what modern and progressive means to the chef, he says, “To me, ‘modern and progressive’ isn’t about deconstructing Indian food for novelty. It’s about rediscovering it and keeping tradition and innovation on the same table.”

As for my meal, the Black Chickpea Rasam was a standout: flavourful, warm, and full of quiet complexity. It felt like a warm hug on a rainy day, and given the Chef's affinity for creating rasams that don't stay in he line, I was delightedly impressed. Biswas even describes it as his most personal dish: “It carries entire chapters of memory… a reminder that simplicity, when done with honesty, can be the most profound form of sophistication,” he ends.

The Hass Avocado Chaat delivers the tang and spice that every chaat lover seeks, while the Ram Ladoo Daikon Chimichurri evokes the comforting flavours of Delhi’s streets. The Coriander Pesto Kebabs bring a subtle freshness that surprises at first but grows on the palate. For mains, the Edamame Malai Paneer paired with Black Olive Naan feels both inventive and comforting, a perfect marriage of texture and taste. And the Reconstructed Serradura offered a light, elegant finale to a meal full of layered experiences.

The Drinks Program

The bar at Kadak deserves its own audience. A celebration of homegrown Indian spirits, it features small-batch gins and artisanal whiskies transformed into clever, story-driven cocktails. Each drink feels crafted with the same balance of nostalgia and innovation that defines the kitchen, a fitting complement to the restaurant’s bold, rooted vision. From the cocktails, the Mapusa Highball has Amaranth leaf soda and fermented coconut kombucha, whereas the Irasam surprises you with a cherry tomato pickle brine and vegan foam. The bar menu also has classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Negroni, Margarita, and Cosmopolitan, among others. 

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict

Kadak is a destination in every sense, not just for travellers passing through, but for anyone seeking a thoughtful, flavour-forward dining experience in Mumbai. It’s an inspired blend of heritage and imagination, art and appetite. With its elegant interiors, attentive service, and a menu that maps India through memory and modernity, Kadak captures exactly what progressive Indian dining should feel like today: familiar, surprising, and deeply satisfying.

Address: ICONIQA Hotels, Mumbai International Airport, Andheri East
Open for: Lunch & Dinner