Flour Modern Pasta Bar opens today at Polaris Fashion Place, in the former Brass Tap space on the south wall of the mall, and I think it has one of the most interesting menus we’ve seen in a while!

Flour is the brainchild of Yash Kishinchand, whose family runs the excellent Rooh in the Short North. Yash grew up here in Columbus and attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa where he graduated top of his class and earned a full scholarship to go to the CIA in Hyde Park, New York. There he studied food business and hospitality before heading to Chicago (where there is another Rooh location). He helped found the Indian-inspired cafe Sawadesi in Chicago before being lured back home to help reformat Rooh and move on to his own project: Flour!

The space has been transformed into colorful colors, with brightly patterned wallpaper, cake tins on the walls. Yash said he wanted to paint the ceiling pink, but the rest of the family refused.

Flour’s menu is set as a $28 prix fixe, with customers choosing dough, salads and pasta for their meal. There’s also a collection of countries, but otherwise it’s pretty focused.

The same goes for the cocktail menu. They have a full bar and can make any classic, but the signatures are carefully designed and priced at $12. Being able to experience an interesting dinner plus cocktail for $40 per person is pretty good these days!

That’s it Meet me on Matchawhich combines Watershed Distillery’s Four Peel gin, matcha, elderflower liqueur, lime and orange. It precisely balances the grassiness of the matcha with the citrus notes.

Everyone has an espresso martini these days, and Flour’s answer to the trend is Coffee Tiramisu Martinibuilt around Watershed vodka, cold brew, dark chocolate liqueur and cold mascarpone foam. It’s very tasty.

It’s hard to see, but it’s behind him Pasta Water Martinia spicy affair using olive oil-washed vodka, vermouth blanc, sherry, MSG and – yes – pasta water. The starch in the pasta water helps thicken the drink a bit, which goes with the more savory and salty elements.

The dough section of the menu includes a pair of, well, fried doughnuts. They are great appetizers for your meal. The first is covered with truffle honey and pecorino.

And the second functions herb and garlic oil.

Then it’s on to salads, where again you have two choices. That’s it house baby gem.

And then the main feature: the pasta dishes! There are eight pasta dishes, all with creative international inspiration. There’s the Mexican-inspired I Love Elote, French Onion and Cheese, N’djua Noodles.

It’s in the picture here Paint gnocchi with ricottatopped with blistered cherry tomato sauce and Gruyere Alfredo, all drizzled with nut-free basil pesto.

The Butter Chicken Alla Vodka sure to be a hit. It uses Rooh’s red pepper and cashew mahani sauce as a base.

You can also add a handful of sides, like this very generous plate caramelized figs with prosciutto and burrata.

Or even a plate of fried potatoes. “You have to have fries,” Yash said.

And the desserts are not to be missed! Yash said his sister, who designed the decor for the restaurant, loves tiramisu and tres leches, so they created a dessert that combines the two. It’s as decadent as you can imagine.

The space has a central bar and a mix of tables, with lots of natural light.

Starting off, Flour is open for dinner seven days a week!

Flour Modern pasta bar
1540 Polaris Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43420
(614) 396-9100
Website: flourcolumbus.com
IG: @flourcolumbus