Third Ward’s Saffron Debuts New Menu
Modern Indian restaurant refreshes food and drink offerings with dozens of new items.
New menu items at Saffron. Photo taken March 25, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Holi, a Hindu festival celebrating colors, love and the arrival of spring, took place on Monday, March 25 — a fitting date for Saffron to debut its updated menu.
The slate of more than 40 new offerings not only includes plenty of rich colors — saffron, beets, curry — but also a feast of textures, with eye-catching presentations ranging from billows of dry ice to gravity-defying kulfi pops.
Fatima Kumar, who co-owns the modern Indian restaurant with her husband, Hanish, said it’s been difficult to stick with the same menu when inspiration is flowing in earnest. In the year since their previous menu refresh, the couple have traveled to Singapore, Dubai and numerous other destinations, returning each time with new ideas for the restaurant at 223 N. Water St.
Throughout the past months, the couple, together with Saffron’s head chef, Abhishek Patil, channeled that cache of inspiration into a lineup of innovative dishes.
Standouts on the new menu include the Lamb Laal Maas Tart, a small plate featuring delicate pastry shells filled with spicy shredded lamb and topped with caviar. The Chicken Katsu Bao, lightly sweet steamed buns filled with crispy chicken, spicy aioli and crisp slices of red onion, is also a must-try. Another starter, Jackfruit Cornetto, provides an inventive alternative to meat, incorporating spicy mashed jackfruit with sour cream and a pop of Korean chili.
Entrees run the gamut from deeply comforting stews enriched with coconut milk to light and tender lotus and paneer dumplings with spinach sauce. Proteins including chicken, lamb, prawns, octopus, salmon and goat are slow-cooked with spices or roasted in the tandoor, with key additions such as curry leaves, cranberry chutney and boondi (fried chickpea flour) adding texture and flavor.
The Kumar’s global inspiration is evident throughout the menu, as seen in fusion-forward dishes like the Cajun-spiced Kale & Avocado Chaat and fish tacos topped with Sriracha aioli.
The restaurant also introduced two new desserts, one of which stood out for its impressive presentation. Foggy Assorted Kulfis, an array of pistachio, rose, mango and cardamom-flavored ice cream pops, are suspended from gold wires, like fruit from a tree. The dessert is plated with dry ice at the base, which creates a foggy effect while keeping the pops cold.
Heads turned throughout the dining room as servers toted the pops to each table, creating a chain ordering effect — much the same as a plate of sizzling fajitas at a Mexican restaurant.
A number of new drinks are present on the refreshed menu. The kiwi-infused Foggy Lava Lamp, cooled with dry ice, is just as nice to look at as it is to drink. There’s also a Smoked Cherry Manhattan, Golden Coffee with fresh espresso, vodka and oat milk, and several others. Four new non-alcoholic cocktails are also available, along with wine and beer from United Brewing and Pilot Project’s Azadi Brewing.
Despite the new menu, the restaurant remains the same as ever, with its warm lighting, comfortable seating and attentive service. Going forward, fan-favorite dishes including the popular saffron butter chicken will remain on the menu alongside the new additions.
A full menu is available to view online.
Saffron is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Kumars recently expanded the restaurant with a second location, which held its grand opening last December in New Jersey.
Photos
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
