Have you visited Acha’ar Bar? If so, it’s because you know it’s a place to enjoy natural Indian wine and pickles. The creators of the successful The Fish & Chips Shop, Antonia’s Burger and Baby Jalebi come to Acha’ar Bar. In the adventure of the Catalan-Pakistani brothers Alam, Mani and Majhid. In addition to his brother-in-law Bilal Khan is the Indian canteen focused on pickles in natural wines.
Origin of Acha’ar Bar
Acha’ar Bar has an ancient history in India, dating back many centuries. In this bar various dishes are prepared using a variety of ingredients such as carrots, lemons, mangoes, chilies and a variety of spices such as turmeric, fenugreek and cumin. It should be noted that each region of India has an original version of Acha’ar, which reflects a variety of flavors and preservation techniques.
Acha’ar Bar is not just a cantina
It is not only a canteen, since it is also possible to have a snack in the evening and to have dinner. Indian chef Karmjit Singh is in charge of this. But why pickles? The answer is because it is a technique for preserving fruits, fish or vegetables. In addition to including meat with citrus, mustard oil in the north and spice oil and sesame oil in the south. Of course, sesame is often used throughout the subcontinent as it is used to make curry. Pickled, is Acha’ar, which, in Urdu, Panjabi, Hindi and Persian, means “pickled”. In the case of Adrià de Mingo, the right-hand man of the trio of restaurateurs and head waiter, he recommends tasting the green mango pickle. It corresponds to a wild journey of bold and vibrant flavors, a mountain of acidity and spiciness, a roller coaster of sweetness, which ends in the taste pupils that end in an ecstatic state. Adrià Mingo highlights the following: “the goal is to fill everything with glass jars full of different ‘acha’ar'”.
Perfect pairings
For those of you who don’t know it you will love to try wine pairing with Acha’ar, it is quite an art. Here are some examples:
- Mango Acha’ar with Sauvignon Blanc: the sweet and sour taste of the pickled mango maintains a wonderful balance with the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc.
- Carrot Acha’ar with chardonnay: it has a crunchy texture and a light, sweet flavor from the pickled carrot, which is enhanced by a creamy chardonnay.
Aside from the pickles there are two menus, a lunch and evening menu, each with options well known throughout the city, within these are: ‘fritters, Indians, samosas, ‘butter chicken’and others not so obvious such as ‘pani puri’ as stuffed with potato, chickpeas, cranberries and fried balls , all served with yogurt and mint sauce and tamarind water, ‘mash dal’ which are white lentils that are cooked with ‘ghee’, Indian clarified butter and ‘vada’ as is potato patty. As for dessert, you can enjoy mango lassi or chai ice cream. Mani also warns that the aim is to have constant changes of food and drink.
Natural wines
Natural wines are Adrià Mingo’s favorite, and he also points out that those paired with Asian gastronomies are magical. In order to prove it, he has signed Italian sommelier Irene Cavalli. For Cavelli, this is not easy to achieve, as there are more than a hundred references available with a constant rotation, ten of which are offered by the glass. She adds: “The turnover of bottles is such that we don’t even consider printing the wine list.
Promoting Indian culture
The Acha’ar Bar not only provides quality cuisine, but also promotes rich Indian culture and traditions. These are places where people learn traditional pickling techniques, the history behind each recipe and the importance of local ingredients. Also, this place caters to every need and palate that wants to taste a new culinary experience. An Acha’ar Bar has something to offer. It is a place where cultures meet, flavors mingle, and stories are told, all in a cozy and sophisticated atmosphere. As you can see, Acha’ar Bar represents a place of celebration and culinary richness of India, where the versatility of wine is highlighted. It is a destination not to be missed for those who love to explore new flavors and enjoy a unique dining experience.
