Venue

At Beluga Wine Bar & Restuarant, Opel takes a two-tiered approach to dining. “It’s all in the name,” he’ll tell you. “And in me.”

Where sleek dining meets effervescent bar is perhaps a good description for Beluga, and for Opel’s character, whose talent and charisma can not be contained in either one or the other.

“I wanted a place where people could really experience my degustation, hence the name Beluga; sleek, moody and refined. But I’m not a stuffy person. I like a dash of life and character in my food!”

Drawing upon the characteristics of his menu, Opel redefines dining at Beluga by juxtaposing two distinct styles – a touch of French sophistication with a pinch of Indian convivial flair.

“In India, food is about sharing. It’s about energy, excitement and interaction, and this is something, on top of elegance, that I want very much for diners to experience.”

Filling the glass-lined space, long, communal tables sit side-by-side intimate-style settings, each separate, yet involved, but both privy to the action in the open kitchen, a hark to Opel’s childhood in Bangladesh.

But when it comes to the food, it’s all about the diner, where large groups or cozy couples can choose food to be shared or a journey through degustation heaven.