David Myers unveils Delhi menu

Delhi’s latest restaurant story is not just “a chef launched a menu.” It’s really about how high-end dining in the city is changing. David Myers — the Michelin-starred chef behind ADRIFT Kaya at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity — has rolled out a Tokyo-inspired tasting menu tied to the restaurant’s fourth anniversary, and the whole thing is built like a travel diary in edible form. The bigger point is that Delhi diners are being sold not just dishes now, but a point of view — one chef, one city, one mood, one format. (msn.com) That’s what makes this menu launch more interesting than a routine seasonal refresh. (openthemagazine.com) ### What actually changed? ADRIFT Kaya already existed — it opened in Delhi in 2022 — but Myers has now used the fourth-anniversary moment to sharpen the restaurant’s identity with a more explicit Tokyo-inspired tasting experience. Coverage around the launch describes a five-course format and a dual dining setup that leans harder into izakaya culture, temaki hand rolls, robata cooking, and a more theatrical service style. ### Why Tokyo, specifically? Myers has been tied to Japanese food for years, and ADRIFT Kaya has always sold itself as a modern Japanese izakaya. But this new push makes Tokyo less of a vague influence and more of a frame for the entire meal. (openthemagazine.com) The menu is being presented as a distilled version of his travels — not strict Japanese orthodoxy, but a polished, global-chef reading of Tokyo dining culture translated for Delhi. ### What’s on the menu? The details matter because they show the restaurant’s angle. Reports point to temaki rolls, robata vegetables, sushi and sashimi elements, matcha-led desserts, and a cocktail program that references routes and places beyond Japan. (msn.com) One piece even calls out “tuna theatre” and “Silk Route cocktails,” which tells you this is meant to feel performative, not merely authentic. Basically, the meal is designed as an experience with pacing and spectacle built in. ### Why does the format matter so much? Because format is where premium dining is headed. A tasting menu lets a chef control sequence, mood, and surprise in a way an à la carte menu can’t. (openthemagazine.com) Temaki works especially well here — it’s interactive, quick, and informal, but still premium if the ingredients are right. Think of it as the fine-dining version of making the room feel alive rather than hushed. ### Is this really about Delhi? Yes — maybe more than it first appears. Aerocity has become a natural landing zone for globally branded hospitality, business travelers, and destination dining. A restaurant like ADRIFT Kaya can borrow Tokyo language, use an internationally known chef, and still target a Delhi audience that now expects chef signatures, imported formats, and Instagram-friendly presentation in the same package. (openthemagazine.com) ### So is Myers in Delhi full-time? Not exactly. That’s part of the story too. Myers flies in, shapes the concept, and anchors the brand, while the restaurant operates locally inside a luxury hotel ecosystem. (msn.com) Turns out that kind of culinary mobility is now normal at the top end — the star chef is both a person and a global design system. ### What does this say about Indian dining now? It says the market has matured. A few years ago, a “Japanese restaurant in Delhi” could get by on novelty alone. Now the pitch has to be sharper — seasonal menus, chef narratives, interactive formats, and a specific cultural lens. The competition is no longer just cuisine versus cuisine. (openthemagazine.com) It’s experience versus experience. ### Bottom line Myers’ new ADRIFT Kaya menu matters because it captures where luxury dining is going in Delhi — toward globally mobile chefs, tightly authored menus, and restaurants that sell atmosphere as carefully as food. It’s Tokyo by way of Aerocity, but the real story is Delhi learning to demand that level of staging. (indulgexpress.com) (openthemagazine.com) (luxuryfacts.com)