Chef Jason McKinney’s Modern American Supper at the Leela

Raen The Chef’s Studio at Leela Hyderabad is hosting the Hyderabad leg of Chef Jason McKinney’s Elizabeth India Tour for two evenings on February 20 and 21 from 7pm to 11pm. The seven-course tasting menu introduces diners to a modern interpretation of American cuisine, shaped by fine dining discipline and family nostalgia, and woven with subtle Indian accents.

India was not part of a long strategic initiative. It happened quickly. “It’s pretty crazy. We didn’t have anything organized until 45 days ago. And now we’re booked for almost the entire year,” Jason says. She met Prasad, who directed The Hedonist, by chance while working in Bangkok. “He told me about this program where he brought together chefs from all over India. I said, wow, I’d love to do that.” Within weeks, dates were locked in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune, with India becoming the first leg of the 2026 World Supper Club tour.

For Jason, starting in India was intentional. “The hardest thing for me is going to a country I don’t know and trying to host a dinner,” he says. Collaboration facilitated this leap. “Having someone like The Hedonist who has done this before was a game changer.” The relationship with The Leela also carried weight. “When they heard I was doing something at Leela they immediately said, yes, definitely.”

Patrons wondering what modern American cuisine means beyond fast food will find that Jason’s answer relies on memory and elegance. His time at the French Laundry remains central to his philosophy. “When you grow up in America, the food you eat is the food your mother would cook. That’s the reference point,” he explains. “What I want to do is eat the things I grew up eating and turn them into fine dining dishes.” The aim is to offer both exploration and familiarity. “If you’ve never had it before, it’s an introduction. If there are familiar flavors, it brings back that nostalgia.”

This approach defines the seven-course menu at Leela.

The meal opens with Cheese It, inspired by his childhood favorite cracker, transformed into a refined morsel of cheddar cheese and parmesan Mornay. This is followed by a truffle cappuccino, a dish born out of necessity at a time when the first truffle business was becoming difficult. “Our first order was for four kilos of truffles. We didn’t sell any of them,” he recalls. Hosting dinners led to the creation of the truffle cappuccino and white truffle mascarpone ice cream, both of which have become signatures.

And for my dining companion, the chicken and waffles come as a fun single bite of smoked chicken liver mousse, maple brown butter, and pickled onion relish. While embracing the fine dining structure, it also nods to comfort foods. The French Laundry has escabeche, influenced by the years he spent processing seafood. “There is no water in the brine. It’s all vinegar, all sugar,” he says of the saffron and fennel mixture that gives the fish its bright color and tangy appearance.

A deeply personal course reimagines his mother’s chicken noodle soup. The broth is simmered for two days, finished with homemade miso, and poured over tortellini filled with carrots, scallions, and roasted chicken. Vegetarians get a version of mushroom dashi prepared with the same patience and care.

It appears in the form of California tacos. “Californian cuisine is almost as important as Mediterranean cuisine,” says Jason, describing it as a blend of cultures and influences. The Hyderabad version features a chilli-sesame tempura base, while vegetarians are served whole roasted garden cauliflower or eggplant coated with spices and texture.

In the main course, grilled lamb with peppers is paired with Anna pomme puree and asparagus, reflecting its classic base. Dessert includes a hazelnut and chocolate Basque cheesecake inspired by her love of peanut butter chocolate candy, followed by her mother’s favorite, finishing with baked Alaskan Thai tea. “My mother has never traveled outside of America. So there’s something ironic about doing this outside of America,” he says. Naming the tour and the restaurant he will soon open after Elizabeth shows his respect for her and the recipes she passed down.

The years he spent at the French Laundry continue to guide his mastery in the kitchen. He remembers a time when the carrots arrived a little smaller than usual and the cooks started cutting them up. Chef Keller told him, “We built this farm here, and the gardeners put the carrots in the ground. They’re already the best carrots you’ll ever find.” The lesson was simple: Respect the material.

At the Leela pop-up, this philosophy remains intact, although it gently adapts to local tastes. “We tried to be a little spicier on some things,” he says, thanking the Hyderabad team for helping fine-tune the spice.

This two-night show is more than just a dinner. This is a preview of Elizabeth, the testing ground for recipes that blend heirloom dishes with global technique. “This first dinner will allow us to develop recipes and continue to get better and better,” says Jason. “I hope from now on, until the restaurant opens, you will come and tell me how the situation developed.”

Elizabeth starts away from home in Hyderabad but is firmly rooted there.