Off the eaten path

Some of India's best meals aren't served under chandeliers, they're plated in the wild — in our deserts, mountains and forests. See how locals plate modern meals with a side of history. They're quietly shaking up the food scene

- Reem Khokhar

Those who profess a love for food like to brag about the lengths they'll go to for a memorable meal.

That little 12-seater Mumbai restaurant everyone's been trying to get into for months. That chic Indian-Japanese place in Delhi that will be the next big thing. The Michelin-level popup in Bengaluru that cost ₹60,000 a seat. The secret offal menu that only in-the-know diners get at that bistro in Goa...

Some lengths are literal. Indian diners have been travelling to far-flung locations, sometimes making an overnight trip, just to have a good meal. Naar, Prateek Sadhu's award-winning restaurant in Kasauli, 60km from Chandigarh, is probably the best known. But little gems are thriving as far away as Arunachal Pradesh and the India-Pakistan border. They're a world away from the rushed, trendy kitchens of the big city. And they're uniquely challenging to run. Here's where to book your next food pilgrimage.

Damu's Heritage Dine

Chug Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

Nearest city: Itanagar, 317km away

₹1,500 for an eight-course meal

Public transportation isn’t easy to come by in Arunachal Pradesh. But a taxi from Dirang town, eight kilometres away, will bring you to a village of mud and stone settlements in the lush Chug Valley. At Damu’s, set amid paddy and corn fields, there's only one thing on the menu: An eight-course meal, spotlighting the food of the Monpa, a community from the state’s Tawang and West Kameng districts.

Look out for phurshing gombu. The charcoal-roasted ragi or cornflour tartlet, infused with yak butter and a kind of resin, is epic. The ingredient is made using highly allergic sap from the Chinese lacquer tree. Only one man in the village is skilled in extracting it without breaking into hives. How's that for a rare treat?