Our Heavenly Meal @ MASALA LIBRARY BY Jigs Kalra

Place : Masala Library by Jigs Kalra

Location – BKC , opposite Sofitel Hotel , Mumbai

30th January 2017

I don’t know what new am I going to say which hasn’t been said before in praise of Masala Library. The legendary place needs no introduction. When I got the invite from Masala Library by Jigs Kalra , I couldn’t contain my excitement. Had ogled at other foodie’s reviews and tempting pictures of ML’s food. This time it was my turn to flaunt it a little. The invite was for Degustation Menu which progresses in 9 courses.

For those who aren’t aware of Masala Library, this restaurant is a trend setter by none other than the Masterchef & Master Mind Mr. Jigs Kalra. The man behind great success of Great Brands such as ITC , Oberoi & The Park for their Indian Cuisine with an experience of over five decades. Masala Library , offers an amalgamation of rich Indian Cuisine with an international twist using Molecular Gastronomy.

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Being located in #BKC caters to a lot of International clientele. Ambiance at ML is very contemporary. Service brilliant and very sauve.

Here’s our food journey at Masala Library. ( We opted for a Vegetarian Menu )

Amuse Bouche This was Thandai trapped inside a bubble showcasing what you’re in for , when it comes to Molecular Gastronomy. The moment your mouth touches it , Plop ! the bubble bursts and your palate relishes on the lovely thandai.

Course 1 – SOUP

Steamed Patrani Brocconcini –

The Lemon Coriander broth that had Brocconcini Cheese wrapped in Patrani Chutney. The flavours were soo vibrant. It was like an art to see those colours in front of us. Edamame Pods were given along with it that were peppered.

We had our drinks while we progressed through the appetizers.

I enjoyed by Burnt Curry Leaf Martini ( Virgin ) while my sister had Ginger Bread Mojito ( Virgin ) That day being a dry day , we had to opt for non alcoholic drinks. Flavours of Burnt Curry Leaf were absolute bang on while Ginger Bread Mojito won our hearts with its sweetness coming from nothing else but simply ginger bread. We were awestruck with the fact that no sweetener was used in this drink at all. They also served their version of Bun Maska with the drinks.

Course 2 – SALAD

Fresh Chenna Bhalla Chaat A dahi vada / bhalla variant but there it had a crunch of Fried Okra sticks. It also had some unique elements such as radish that you usually don’t find in a chaat. Sweetness from the Anaar daana ( Pomegranate ) and date. Tanginess of yoghurt and crunch of Okra and Sev made it a great salad come chaat.

APPETIZERS

Dahi ke Kebab – A wonder that is ! Kebabs made up of soft ,ridiculously soft curd. Crisp outside and soft inside giving a true meaning to the term – Melt in the mouth. It was served with smoked pepper and mint chutney along with some microgreens.

Pesto Kebab – This was a hara bhara Kebab with a twist. It also had a Parmesan papad sitting atop. Spicy!

Masala Shrooms –

I love mushrooms. These were a great combination of assorted mushrooms – Shitake , Oyster , Portobello & Button. These were pan fried and served with reduced truffle sauce. The dill crust sprinkled over it was a lovely element. A heaven for mushroom lovers.

For cleansing the palate between appetizers and mains , they had frozen Mishti Doi Sticks.

MAINS

Alor Dom – A Dum Aloo preparation Bengali Style with a Mustard Gravy that artistically surrounds the Dum Aloo at the center of the plate. Bengali , cause it is tossed in the Bengali 5 spice which is called Panchporan Masala. Another interesting element of this dish is Jhal Muri ( Bhel ) atop the Dum Aloo. This Jhal Muri has been turned into Jhal Muri Salad with Micro Herbs.

We had naan and parathas to accompany this dish however we were good to go even without those.

Tadka Artichoke Hearts –

All Firangi Veggies such as Artichoke , Asparagus , Zucchini with Korma style Indian preparation is something to look forward to. The jus or squash is Banarasi style. Another unique dish.

Along with mains, there were Margheritta Stuffed Naan. Trust me this needs to be one of their highlighted dishes. Its very underrated. Olive oil and cheese inside this makes it such a warm dish.

There was Dal Makhani , which was in its simpliest and ‘Desi’est form.

Tadka Dahi Raita – Your regular boondi raita with a Tadka of Mustard , Curry leaves and turmeric.

DESSERTS –

The desserts at ML are to die for and I’m not exaggerating.

Both the desserts presented to us were absolutely gorgeous. We didn’t know where to start. The sever suggested we started with what was called a Ras Malai Tres Leches.

This gorgeous dessert had three layers of Ras Malai that was stuffed with Apple Cream. Around it was saffron milk with almond and Pista shavings. Cherry on top was the caramelized glaze and the tuile. *Crunch*

Then we started off with Jalebi Caviar. One bite and we realized why we were asked to end our meal with this. Super super rich. A beautiful shell inside which afloat Jalebi Caviar swimming through the Rabdi And Saffron Foam. We had no words from the first bite of it and we quietly finished it till its last bite till we could eat no more.

For a mouth freshener or Mukhwas they have created something that pleases the eyes and senses. Paan Cotton Candy. Again we were like kids by just a mere sight of it.

While we finished our meals with our stomachs full , our hearts were content too. I had heard a lot from my friends about their reservations being full for at least 2-3 months. Now I know why that is so. The food at ML is artistically created and it needs all the love & attention from the foodie who’s going to savor it.

Don’t we all agree with this quote “there is no sincere love than the love of food “

VERDICT

Taste – 5 /5

Ambiance – 4.5 /5

Service – 5 /5

Value for money – NA ( This was an invite )

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#Fusionfood #Moleculargastronomy #FoodScience #JigsKalra #LuxuryDining #Mumbai #MasalaLibrary #IndianFood #BKC