Take a peek at the sophisticated tasting menu at Agni, one of the best restaurants in town

I used to seek out tasting menu restaurants, but generally shy away from them nowadays as their multi-course, preset meals require such a daunting investment of money, stomach space and time. Nevertheless, when blazing-hot star chef Avishar Barua in March launched Agni — a tasting menu spot in the Brewery District named after the blazing-hot Hindu god of fire — I was revved-up to check it out.

Fast forward to nearly three hours of creative and delicious dishes enjoyed with fantastic service and inspired wine pairings, and one of the most fun nights I’ve had lately, and me planning my next splurge meal at sophisticated yet casual Agni.

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If you’ve missed the boat on chef Barua, you can still hop aboard. Some background: In only about eight months, this former chef at Service Bar and “Top Chef” competitor has opened excellent Joya’s Cafe, launched more-ambitious Agni, and actually “Beat Bobby Flay'' on that same-named Food Network show. There’s one thing Barua hasn’t done yet, though: Make whatever energy drink he’s apparently invented available to the public.

Then again, Agni’s this-is-going-to-be-a-big-night energy is infectious. Occupying the quirky contours of the former Ambrose and Eve space, modest-sized Agni’s brickwork, polished wood, dark tones and upbeat R&B soundtrack (at least on my visit) are the backdrop for plants, knick-knacks, photograph-displaying mobiles and amusing, fire-alluding artworks. The best of the latter is hidden in a bathroom — an anime-style, mythic mural depicting food, flames, a Barua family picnic, Avishar cooking and two-headed god Agni himself.

The “six-course” meal costs $125, but it’s really about a dozen dishes — several kissed by Agni’s name-giving, open-fire grill and Indian influences — presented with entertaining tableside explanations.

Pedal-to-the-metal diners like me can add wine pairings (the seven pours, and their $74 cost, can be split by two) of often refreshingly acidic selections thought up and described by Agni’s secret weapon, sommelier Jared Krauss.

Obviously, dining here is expensive. But the joyous experience evokes an unforgettable and fabulous dinner party hosted by smart and interesting people.

Dishes showcased textures as well flavors and leaned Asian, but cultural cross-pollinations were prevalent. So, a grilled shrimp “taco” named for a mustard-spiced curry dish (shorshe chingri) had Service Bar-reprised “miso cabbage,” Argentine-style pickled eggplant, plus an enticingly nubby and bendy paratha “tortilla.” The characteristically multifaceted, multicultural taco was wonderful.

That was my third official course from Agni’s recently retooled menu. Preceding the entire meal were these opening salvo, bonus snacks enjoyed with the uncommon treat of a Pinot Meunier Champagne from Domaine Egly-Ouriet: a rewardingly brittle panpuri whose earthiness was countered by its zippy DIY liquid; one remarkable, three-days-to-make gigantic french fry, which shattered into creaminess between my teeth, presented with sauces like an addictive tobiko-mayo; soft, grill-darkened sourdough rolls, pimento cheese and fiery tomato jam.

The meal’s front-loaded chile heat, which lessened as things progressed, also fired-up official course number one: a light and lively merger between Italian crudo and a Vietnamese-style salad (spelled “xa lat”) with raw hamachi, rice vermicelli, fish sauce, shrimp chips and curiously stiff melon-balled cucumbers. Rocking spicy, tart, salty, sweet, soft, crunchy and funky notes, this was a blast.

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So was the egg chaat, a hefty highlight enhanced by Schloss Gobelsburg’s mineral-y and refined 2019 single-vineyard Kamptal gruner veltliner. Funnily described as “an upside-down, deep-fried salad situation,“ the crowd-pleasing chaat was essentially crisp, local-produce pakoras (spinach, arugula, asparagus) flattered by creamy, sweet and pickled accents plus nigella and pomegranate seeds and a Japanese-style-poached “onsen” egg.

A Sichuan-style dumpling — satiny wrapper, succulent beef-cheek filling — submerged in sweetened and chuggable chile-oil with chai spices and smoked bok choy followed the shrimp taco. Accompanying the dumpling: a killer lamb rib whose fall-off-the-bone, 48-spiced, decadent meat had a captivatingly crisp exterior. This ode to a Chinese takeout course came with Chinese-style mustard, spicy cucumber discs and a 2021 pinot noir-gewurztraminer blend from Vignoble du Reveur.

Dry-aged Rohan duck, a Barua speciality at Service Bar, arrived with a suitably brawny partner — 2019 Gour de Chaule Gigondas — in mighty little guises: crisp-edged, pastrami-adjacent slices with a vibrant ginger-scallion oil; rich if somewhat gummy rice; and a scene-stealing croquette with a Mexican mole-evoking sauce.

Following an effective passion fruit sorbet “intermezzo” and a butterscotch-chai pudding/ marshmallow gelato dessert offering multiple components, textures and delights enjoyed with sips of honey-noted Chateau de Rolland Sauternes, the meal concluded with chef Barua delivering his “$10,000 Buckeye.”

“Good things come in threes,” Barua said about the night’s third sweet, a “PBJ”-meets-buckeye-candy treat that won him $10,000 on “Top Chef.”

Delirious from the whole terrific feast, I imagined Barua might secretly also be alluding to an upcoming third restaurant. If and when Barua does open another eatery, I’ll  be revved-up to check it out.

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Agni

Where: 716 S. High St., Brewery District

Contact: dineatagni.com

Hours: 5-11 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays

Price range: $125 tasting menu

Ambience: handsome, modest-sized, dark-toned, sophisticated but breezy restaurant with polished wood, vintage brick, playful accents, a little patio, kitchen seating and fantastic service

Children's menu: no

Reservations: required

Accessible: yes

Liquor license: full bar

Quick click: Offering a creative $125 tasting menu, terrific wines, stylish cocktails and excellent service, this worth-the-splurge new restaurant from star chef Avishar Barua is among the best in town.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Avishar Barua's Agni boasts delicious tasting menu, terrific service