Master Chef India 2016 - Masala Bay, Taj Lands End.

It was a normal afternoon a few years back when I had decided to start food blogging as a hobby. I had been a blogger for many years but food was a new niche for me. I remember myself as always being intrigued by good food and being turned on by food trends. If there was a new flavor of ice cream, I had to try it. New dish on the menu, had to try it. The passion was still unrefined and very suppressed. I remember watching Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana and "Yan can cook" in the early 90s but that was all the gastronome background that I had.

As time progressed, I was enamored by MasterChef Australia and how they really took gastronomy to its zenith. I took baby steps into the food blogging universe by writing short Zomato reviews. Masterchef India was at this stage becoming bigger and bigger from where it started at Season 1 and both Masterchefs(Australia and India) filled me up with inspiration to the point where I could no longer contain it within me. I had to write out my feelings and my raw passion had finally refined into food blogging in the great cauldron of time.

Chef Vikas Khanna, Zorwar Kalra and Chef Kunal Kapur along with the head chefs at Taj

The nostalgia and these memories played in my head as I was included in a list of seven bloggers invited by Zomato, Star Plus India and most importantly Masterchef India for the exclusive premiere of Masterchef India 5. It allowed me to share the same table with culinary giants like Chef Vikas Khanna, Chef Kunal Kapur and superstar restaurateur Zorawar Kalra.

Within the premises of a special section inside Masala Bay at Taj Lands End, we were treated to the first episode of Masterchef season 5 a few hours before it was actually shown to the world. It is kind of thrilling to be a part of a premiere. Chef Amninder Sandhu of Masala Bay served us with a lavish North Indian fare comprising of Jhinga Kebabs, Galouti Kebabs, Butter Chicken , Dal Makhani, a Mutton Curry which was made using a family recipe and of course the desserts. She won the praise of not only the bloggers but also the Masterchef judges and one can be sure that the judges know their food well.

Masterchef season 5, Taj's amazing food and to be in the presence of stalwarts like Chef Vikas, Chef Kunal and Zorawar Kalra is a rare honor even for the best of food critics, bloggers and journalists. The euphoria was overwhelming. All this was brought together by the efforts of Zomato India and Star Plus India. Food Bloggers have come a long way into the industry which was once dominated by food journalists who viewed bloggers as easy to please outsiders.

This is partly due to Zomato which has transformed the food blogging scene completely. From a little known niche to a full blown industry. Zomato has been instrumental in transcending the food blogging scene beyond what one could imagine a few years ago. And Masterchef has been the ultimate source of inspiration for gastronomes in this side of the world. Ask any food blogger worth their salt about their favorite people and you will always hear answers like Vikas Khanna, Sanjeev Kapoor, Gary Mehigan - all Masterchef judges.

Masterchef Season 5 is a bit different from its previous installments. Its well paced, engaging, less on the decibel and more on the cooking. It brings Indian amateur cooks from all across the world this time for a Battle Royale like none other. Cooking is not just a hobby, it is a form of art that can be honed and channeled into something truly spectacular. Culinary masterpieces please more than one senses. The eyes, the nose and finally the tongue. Masterchef 2016 has just started. So who will win? Who will be India's next Masterchef? No one knows yet. Tune into Masterchef season 5 on Star Plus on weekend evenings. Lots of masala and lots of thrill, sometimes sweet and sometimes sour - This is an experience like none other.

The NRAI Food services Report 2016

The National Restaurant Association of India released its Bi-yearly report on September 19, 2016. Presided by NRAI President and the CEO of the Impresario group, Riyaaz Amlani – the report discussed the food services market, trends, gains and the challenges encountered by the Hospitality sector.

Attended by some of the biggest names in the Indian food corporate world, leading journalists and even a few well known Instagrammers and bloggers - this event not only released the Bi yearly report to the world but also discussed some of the issues listed within the report.

The panel members discussed the growth of the hospitality sector in the past few years. Being several times larger than Bollywood, Railways and Star Hotels - the organized restaurant sector is poised to attain greater heights in the years to come. The sector contributes greatly to national employment and the centre’s taxes but still faces major roadblocks that slow its growth and hinder it from reaching its full potential. Without the obstacles and in a possible alliance with the Government its obvious that the restaurants will get more business, contribute more taxes and even help the Tourism sector. A win-win situation for all stake holders involved.

The report is a treasure trove of data regarding the trends in the hospitality sector. It discusses several brands as case studies and lists in depth data relating to different classes of restaurants. It discusses the benefits and contributions of each type as well as the roadblocks faced by each.

Mr. Amlani points out that many of the top restaurants of 2014 are no longer operational in 2016. He explains that it is not due to the lack of business but mostly due to the red tape and excessive property rates. India is often said to be a third world nation with commercial estate priced at first world rates. This makes it a tricky equation for restaurants as they have to juggle between excessive first world rents and managing to serve a quality menu that fits the pocket of their third world clientele. Several comparisons are made to countries where the local governments work in unison with the restaurant sector.

Well known roadblocks that hinder restaurant business like the License Raj, lack of unity between the Government and the Restaurants, Regulation regarding food trucks, Rooftop restaurants, Longer business timings are discussed as well. The panel directly engages the event’s Chief guest and the honorable Minister of Tourism, Mr. Jaykumar Rawal with their grievances. The honorable minister assured the panel that the Government is already looking into many of the issues and that one may see results soon enough.

As a food Blogger, I look forward to the development of the industry I am related with. Not just the government but even the Hospitality sector has work to do. It must employ the new age digital tools and social media to promote its growth. The future is online after all. The age of Newspaper Ads, TV Commercials, Flyers and hoardings has been replaced by the age of Blogs, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. The restaurants can directly engage prospective audience (Both domestic and international) with interesting content online. Restaurants need to work in concert with bloggers and social media influencers. While this has already started in the recent few years, it is just the beginning and still lacks refinement. 

-The author attended the event in which the Bi yearly report was released and several brief discussions regarding the report's primal issues were held.-

Pizza Express - Powai, Mumbai.

We climbed down into the abyss, walked our course and easily climbed back on the other side. It was so easy compared to our ordeal before. We had found the place to be larger, deeper and spookier in the dark. Firsty fashioned a torch out of a piece of wood we broke from an old book rack. However, we faced a new challenge as we emerged from the structure. The island's remaining cowards who had no courage to explore the mansion on their own had surrounded us.

PizzaExpress(without the space) needs no introduction. Its a casual dining pizza chain located virtually all across the globe. The brand is quite a big player in Mumbai itself where they have four outlets in four different food districts.

The first thing that I noticed upon my entry was its dual styled ambiance - bird cutouts on one side and bird shaped lights on the other. PizzaExpress restaurants use a different theme in every outlet. Since this outlet was located in Powai, they used a lake and birds motif. One side appeared like a casual dining Pizzeria while the other side felt like a fine dine.

Ginger Fresca was a Ginger flavored fizzy drink that was cold, refreshing and quite comforting to the throat. Its flavor was dominated by Ginger ale with a hint of mint. A great choice if you are tired of the same old Mojitos and soft drinks.

Gamberetti Piccante was a healthy prawn based dish made in a spicy passata sauce. This passata is said to be sourced from the famed Greci family in Italy. The flavor was mildly spicy and savory. The Tomato passata dominated the flavor while the spinach and Italian herbs provided taste depth to the dish. The rustic home food flavor and the flamboyant red color concerted well together and made it quite a great choice for an appetizer.

Island Rogue : You may have beaten Cuvo but he was nothing more than a low level barnacle. I am the great Pirate Lord Roni and you will hand over the chest that you found inside that building to me.

Captain : Fancy title kiddo. Was the great Pirate Lord too scared to enter the dangerous structure himself? Sorry buddy, finders keepers.

Roni : Enough! My men have surrounded you. You stand no chance.

Captain(chuckles) : My, my we have quite the situation then.

Etna Pizza is named after the famous Sicilian volcano. Its texture appeared rough due to less cheese and its color was dominated by dry cured ham and sausages giving it an appearance like an active volcano. I thought the pizza appeared artistic. It was almost as if someone baked it in a Prisma Oven ha. The flavor was meaty, savory and the rough texture extended to the flavor as well. Its a great pizza to have if you enjoy good meat but if you are a cheese addict then there are other choices on the menu. The Jalapenos compliment the ham well.

First Mate : Stop messing around mate, just blow them.

Captain : Aww shucks, I was having fun ya know.

Roni : I wait no more. Get them Boys. 

Captain : Ever been in the middle of a storm Great Pirate Lord :)?  (Opens Chest of Storms while pointing it at Roni's gang)

Roni : Oh Lord...NOO.
(A strong hurricane blows Roni and all of his men away)

First Mate : Wow they blew further than a pro Golfers Tee shot.

PizzaExpress' Cheesecake is the classical and the near perfect rendition of the Baked Philadelphia cheesecake. The flavor is amazing and its definitely one of the best cheesecakes in India. The only thing not traditional about it is that PizzaExpress uses McVitties Digestive biscuit crumbs instead of Graham crackers for the base. The latter tend to be more brittle.

Raspberry Cheesecake Gelato is a recent addition to the PizzaExpress menu. Its a decent emulation of a cheesecake flavored ice cream. Unlike the versions found in major ice cream outlets in town, this Gelato truly tastes like a liquid cheesecake with a tarty raspberry flavor. While I did enjoy the Cheesecake above, I must admit that this was the better of the two desserts.

PizzaExpress serves great pizza though I do feel its pricing is on the higher side. However, they use imported ingredients for a truly Italian pizza experience so that affects things. 

The service was excellent. My server knew every detail of every pizza on the menu, the places from where the ingredients were sourced and answered everything I threw at him. His conduct was very professional. This is the kind of service one desires at any place.

I love Pizzas, its one of me favorite things in the food world. And I love going to PizzaExpress whenever I can. Its a shame that there isn't a PE outlet in my neighborhood otherwise I would probably be giving them business at least once a week. But yes, if you live in Mumbai and if you love Pizzas - Do visit Pizza Express.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"

Captain : We got this chest but still don't have a clue to the next spot.

Navigator : The chests inscription's resemble our map greatly. Could it be?

Nina : Nya :3

Captain : (Places the map on the chest) Wow the inscription is a near identical copy except for this bulge here.

Navigator : That bulge happens to be Faraway island. The worst place in all seas. If I had to hide a legendary artifact. It would be there.

Captain : Makes sense. I have a good feeling about the worst place on the sea. Set course to Faraway Island.
"

Map Co-Ordinates
PizzaExpress,
G14, A Wing,
Ventura Hiranandani Business Park,
Powai, Mumbai.


-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant. My review however remains objective.-

Callebaut Chocolate Academy - Andheri East, Mumbai.

In 1911, Octaf Callebaut began working on his first chocolate recipe. This was the humble beginning of Callebaut. More than a century later, Callebaut is known to produce some of the world's finest Belgian chocolate. They supply high quality Couverture chocolate to the world's best bakers, pastry chefs and starred Hotels. As of now, a lot of chocolate desserts that one sees on TV shows like masterchef, in buffet platters in big hotels and premium bakeries across town is made from Callebaut Chocolate.

I have seen amazing things being made by some of my favorite chefs like the "Queen of Chocolate" Kirsten Tibballs out of delicious Callebaut Couverture chocolate. So when I got an opportunity to visit Callebaut's academy which endows chefs with the art of making fine chocolate and desserts, I was overjoyed. To see creation of the best things in the world right in front of my eyes was an opportunity that I would never pass.

Callebaut Chocolate comes from Cocoa sourced from some of the best spots in the world. From Java, Sao Thome, Ecuador, Arriba and Madagascar. There are many different blends available. Callebaut chocolate is a must in any pastry Chef's inventory.

The Callebaut academy at Andheri east near Courtyard Marriott is one of 19 state of the art hoirmet chocolate schools located across the world. The Gourmet chocolate masters at Callebaut teach students the art of using the finest Belgian chocolate obtained from whole roasted cocoa. It is the place to be, should a person or a business desire to break into the Indian sweet tooth market where people are getting addicted to creations made out of gourmet chocolate. As Indians, we are getting tired of the palm oil based compound chocolate which is both inferior and unhealthy. Almost all off the shelf chocolates in the market are compound chocolates.

Dhruv Bhatia (Centre) with Denis Convert(VP for Gourmet Asia Pacific for Barry Callebaut - Right) and Mikael Neglen (President for Chocolate Asia Pacific for Barry Callebaut)

"Dark Chocolate is showing an upward trend in India." says Dhruv Bhatia, MD of Barry Callebaut India. He explains how Callebaut aims to bring good chocolate closer to customer and to encourage a culture of great chocolate with gourmet chefs and Chocolate artisans alike. Callebaut's ambassadors like Chef Manikandan and Chef Tibballs have shown what wonderful creations can be crafted from Callbaut's couverture chocolate. In fact, we were given a sweet demonstration by Chef Manikandan at this very event.

From pastries, truffles, artisinal chocolates to Drinking chocolate. Once you eat a product made out of Callebaut you cannot revert back to inferior chocolate. PS : The hot Chocolate(fountain) in the picture is the best that I have had in the world..

The Callebaut Academy offers three courses. The first course is for newcomers and amateur chefs which covers basic techniques and making simple creations like truffles. The second course is for well practiced home cooks or trained chefs and deals with harder creations like Pralines and Bonbons. The final course is for experts to enhance their expertise even further. All handy tools if one plans to open a chocolate or a pastry brand. And the academy offers the best equipment to train with.

Callebaut has been in India for ten years and will only grow in the years to come. So if you have an interest in baking and pastries, connect with Callebaut for the best baking chocolate and enroll in the academy if you want to make desserts like a master. Home chefs or cafe owners, Small restaurants or Five stars - Callebaut Chocolate is the best way to pamper and spoil your customers.

Co-Ordinates
Callebaut Chocolate Academy
802-804, 8th Floor, A Wing, 215 Atrium
Next to Courtyard Marriott.
Andheri (East), Mumbai.



Note : I was invited to the opening of the Callebaut Chocolate Academy and cover the events.

Now for something different. Viacom18 VOOT - Its happening

This is something different from my regular food and travel posts. It actually comes in the domain of technology and entertainment but hey The Captain is busy braving storms and attackers on his way to his next mark. So he will take a break from his log in this session.

I remember in the nineties when I used to see MTV on my big bulky CRT Television screen. Then Nickelodeon on a less bulky CRT. As the years passed, the screens became smaller, thinner and lighter. CRTs became LCDs and LCDs finally became handhelds. Viacom one of Worlds largest media conglomerates joined hands with India's Network18 to form Viacom18. This network handles the airing of popular channels like Nickelodeon, MTV, Colors etc in India.

Last week, Viacome18 launched VOOT which is an app based Video on demand service. Imagine having MTV and Nick with all of their popular shows like Pokemon, Roadies, Motu Patlu, Chota Bheem on your handsets with the ability to choose whichever episode you like. If that isn't all, Viacom18 would also be airing some unique VOOT only content like Soadies, Badman (With Gulshan Grover) etc.

Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats explains that with the smartphone market maturing and with the era of 4G ushering in, more and more people will have access to smartphones with cheap data. The market potential is immense with over 200 million smartphone users spending lots of time on entertainment. VOOT is a new entrant in the domain of handheld VOD channels. It will face competition from similar services like Hotstar, Sony liv or Netflix. But VOOT has access to many power house brands like Spongebob, Pokemon or Roadies. It is potentially a giant maverick in the domain.

Someone once told me on Twitter that they can already access a lot of Viacom's stuff on youtube. That would be an incorrect statement. A lot of licensed content is not available on youtube. If it is then its probably of bad quality, posted illegally and could be removed at any time. VOOT allows you to see premium licensed content legitimately and with good quality.

Viacom18's Digital ventures CEO Gaurav Gandhi suggests that the service will follow an advertising led model like many apps already use. And they will evaluate the feasibility of Freemium and subscription based models in the future.

VOOT will offer the user multiple categories of entertainment. Above shows a snapshot of some offerings on VOOT Kids. It will offer hugely popular shows like Pokemon, Chota Bheem and Spongebob for starters. Many more to be added in the future. (Yes that is a Pikachu in the right)

That apart, VOOT promises to offer thousands of hours of its already popular content like Bigg Boss, India's got Talent, Roadies etc. That is a lot of stuff on a single app. No longer must one wake at unearthly hours to see their favorite show or spill tears over their favorite shows missed due to overtime at work. VOOT gives the viewer the power to see the content at their time and comfort.

Despite all of its popular content, VOOT like its rivals must have some unique content that cannot be found outside it. Viacom18 answers that challenge with its bouquet of quality web shows. There is Badman which stars Gulshan Grover, Chunky Pandey along with cameos by many B-town celebrities. There is Chinese Bhassad which follows the comic adventures of an Indian Boy in love with a Chinese girl but faces resistance from his Sinophobic father. Then everyone's favorite Alok Nath goes from Sanskari to the naughty Sinskari. And last but not least is India's original rapper Baba Sehgal starring in a MTV roadies spoof called Soadies.

What these shows contain, I won't tell ya that ha. Find out yourself. Download VOOT and explore an entire world of entertainment which is at the power of your fingertips.

VOOT can be downloaded from both Apple iTunes and Google Playstore.

For Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tv.v18.viola&hl=en

For Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/voot/id1011777157?mt=8

Chef Shaun's IIHM Masterclass - Press Club, Mumbai

I was bored while messing around on my day on the land. I decided to sneak into an event where a master chef was giving a live demonstration. However me cover was blown away when I was welcomed by people in the event. "What was so sneaky about that anymore?" I grumbled. I quietly sat down as the chef put together a fine dessert.

IIHM(International Institute of Hotel management) has officially launched the second International young chef Olympiad. This contest will see sixty seven of the best student chefs from sixty seven different countries cook it off against each other. And may the tastiest grub maker win. Think of this as a master chef contest but less smoke and mirrors and more cooking.

There is a prize of ten grand waiting for the winner and probably an aromatic future ahead. Great chefs will be born in this contest and us folks in India get to see it happen. The contest will run between Jan 26 to Feb 2. And it will come to my city Mumbai on the 29th.

To celebrate this event, IIHM decided to host a small master class with renowned dessert chef Shaun Kenworthy who has been cooking for more than three decades. Chef Shaun also happens to be the chief mentor of IIHM and its likely that one shall see his protege compete in this contest too. The master showed me a culinary miracle on this windy evening under tree shades. Lets say that it was a taste of things to come.

Whipping up an "Indian Trifle", Chef Shaun ditched the traditional custard and used Mishti Doi as the base ingredient for this unique Trifle. Indeed, he completely transformed a very British delight into a very Indian one.

See the pictures from top to bottom for the evolution of this dish as it happened. What was magical about this experience was that Chef Shaun used common ingredients. Nothing fancy at all. One need not go to the gourmet mart or a fancy deli to get exotic ingredients. One can buy these from the local grocers and fruit shops.

Even the caramel string ball was made from common sugar right in front of me. Shaun made it look so easy. I know that I cannot replicate that shining caramel structure. Using common over the counter ingredients to make a colorful fine dine masterpiece, that is something only a master can do. And he did it in just twenty minutes.

Mishti Doi, Tropical fruits, strawberries, Aam Papad, Whip cream quenelle, regular sugar, some colorful candy and voila Indian Trifle.

And if that wasn't enough, he simultaneously made this one on the side. That is some sweetly colorful multi tasking. One can say that Chef Shaun's students are in good hands with him as their master. Now I look forward to the IIHM Olympiad that comes to Mumbai on the 29th. I would obviously cheer for my country's team but may the best cook win.

The Mumbai leg of the Young Chef Olympiad will take place in between 9:30 am to 2 PM at
MCA recreation centre,
Bandra Kurla Complex
Mumbai.
on the 29th of January, 2016.

Support your favorite contestants.
www.ycolympiad.com


"A Cooking contest eh. Great place to recruit a cook for me ship."

Next stop, IndiKitchen - Andheri Lokhandwala, Mumbai

It was a lazy afternoon and me ship was passing a familiar coast. I had explored most places on this side of the sea so a new place always called itself out. A small shack near the sands caught me eye and I decided to explore it. The boys docked near a cliff as a small landing party left for the land.

IndiKitchen is a portmanteau of Indian Kitchen as opposed to Independent Kitchen which came to my head first. Blame me for being an Indie game developer(in the past) and attaching the notion of that phrase with "independent". This place is a minimal eatery with an unique theme.

As with all Quick serving Restaurants, Indi (Not Indiana Jones) had a small interior dining area. Most of the dining area is outside the bistroesque restaurant.

The place introduces the Subway or the "Wok it yourself" concept to Indian food. One can pick their greens, sauces, proteins and breads from a set of choices and see the chef make their masterpiece in front of them. As with all places with this concept, there is a possibility of the eager eater messing up their meal with bad choices. However, Aalok Shah (of Famished Food AP private Ltd) who happens to be one of Indi's four founding partners says that the chef will immediately flag bad choices and strongly suggest the user to avoid unpalatable choices.

Whip, wham, sizzle, fry and I see my Chicken Tikka(plus a bit of Bhuna gravy by the chef's suggestion) with Roomali Roti get made in front of me. This allowed me to see what goes into me grub. This is an interesting exercise for those who wish to see how Chicken Tikka is made.

Chicken Tikka - I did not expect it to be served as a wrap but that actually saved me the trouble of getting my hands messy. The Chicken was really good and the quality mimicked the grub found in North Indian fine dines. The only glitch here was that the wrap felt a bit rough for fresh roomali roti. However the meat inside mostly overwhelmed this error. For INR 160, this mostly felt like a good deal. Though the lamb variant is priced much higher at INR 220.

Chicken Biryani was the better of the two dishes that I ate. It was one of the finest Biryani preparations that I have ever had. Smooth aromatic rice with succulent pieces of well cooked chicken. Topped with fried onions, greens and the best spices - This item exceeded my expectations. Indi makes a good stop for a Biryani fanatic. The portion size was quite generous at INR 149.

Captain : A wok Box with Biryani. Now I have seen everything. 

Crewmate : Don't you mean eaten everything?

Captain : No one can eat everything. Its like counting all the stars in the galaxy.

Crewmate : So have you seen all the stars in the sky then?

Chocolate Samosa was the lone dessert on the menu. It was intriguing since Chocolate Samosas sound a bit, different. But if one can plug chocolate into bagels, doughnuts and croissants - then samosas should not be a big problem, yes? Well the answer is a mixed one. As a dessert, this fusion works. There however is the issue of salty samosa wrappers and unneeded saltiness to the whole thing. For INR 49, this item is worth the novelty.

IndiKitchen seems to be built on a self service model. Though, I was served my items by a server.

The pricing is quite low at the moment. For the food they serve, I'd say its one hell of a good deal. Like all good things, its likely that the prices may go up in the future so it seems logical to hog as much grub as possible ha.

IndiKitchen seems well suited for fellas in the Lokhandwala area. Its quite close to the Infinity mall in Andheri. These folks also deliver to the nearby neighborhoods and the bulk of their business comes from that apparently.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"That was a quick sailor's grub lads. Bye Bye laziness, Aye Aye blue seas."


Map Co-Ordinates
IndiKitchen
Shop 16,
New Link Palace CHS, Andheri Lokhandwala,
Andheri West, Mumbai.



-I was invited by the Restaurant's PR to sample the grub. However, my review is neutral and free of any biases.-

The enchanting Masala Library - BKC, Mumbai

It was a stormy night and me ship was rocking to the thundering symphony of the Oceanic Gods. I took out me compass and saw the needle spinning endlessly. This was strange and I wondered where we were heading. The oldest member of me crew, reminisced tales of a sea legend - A magical library. He kept telling me that I will love it. The mates then spotted land nearby and there was surprisingly no storm on that island. Chaos all around the island but peace on it. This be some strange sea magic. I was mystified about this island. My heart beat faster in anticipation. 

The traffic is always chaotic and annoying on a weekday night when Mumbai's highways and arterial roads are full of vehicles. A fifteen minute journey becomes thrice as long. It was an evening with friends and fellow food folk. All the chaos and irritation ceased to exist the moment I entered Masala Library(ML). Very few places have this effect and ML would be one.

Masala Library is the magnum opus of Massive restaurants and is championed by the legendary Jiggs Kalra himself. The restaurant has a very refined and a dignified appearance. No loud decor or oddities. No experiments with art and the bizarre wonders of contemporary culture. The restaurant was full when I joined my friends and that speaks a lot about its popularity. Indeed, Masala Library is considered by food enthusiasts to be one of the finest places in Mumbai. It is a place that must be visited by everyone who calls themselves an epicure of any sort.

A long journey makes a sailor(and everyone else for that matter) quite hungry so the evening course started right away. Masala Library calls itself a place that serves progressive Indian cooking. The Indian delights with western influences and Molecular gastronomy prove just that. Masala Library is a place where each dish is like a book and each page symbolizes the culinary depth of the dish. Well time for a long read then, eh?

Burnt Curry Leaf Martini - A fusion of the east and west, this martini was filled with the flavor and color of Kaddi Patta or Curry leaves. An interesting taste though a little bitter due to kaddi pattas natural flavoring.

Star Anise Martini was clearly a better martini in comparison. Sweet, fragrant and potent would be the easiest way to describe it. I quite enjoyed it due to my fascination for food and drinks with a perfect infusion of Anise.

Before the course started, our group was served with this Amuse gueule. This was made of a "pop in your mouth" Thandai balloon. Masala Library is known to be one of the most proficient users of Molecular Gastronomy in the country. Those techniques were used to make this Balloon.

We were served with a Chef's Tasting menu which is a regular feature in their menus.

Steamed Patra ni Macchi with coriander shorba was a fusion soup made of steamed basa(cooked in Parsi style) and coriander clear soup with edamame as side. The flavor of the clear soup(shorba) was quite riveting and the basa was completely soaked in the flavor. The fish shaped bowl accentuated the experience.

Curry leaf, pepper prawns with Thayir sadam and banana crisps. Thayir Sadam or South Indian yoghurt rice paired perfectly with the crispy prawns. This was billed as a salad but felt more like an appetizer. The banana crisps did not seem to blend in well and acted as an unwanted side.

Galawat Kebab with Warqi paratha was a "melt in the mouth" mutton Kebab made using a Lucknowi recipe. Legend has it that it was invented by a royal chef for an aging toothless ruler who demanded mutton kebabs. MLs version was loaded with addicting flavors and was quite aromatic too. The plating was nice but I'd rather have a bowl full of this without any need of presentation. This was easily the highlight among the starters.

Captain : I love this minced delight. I need a bucket full of these.

Crewmate : Yeah, I could use a bucket too.

Captain : Good, that make it two buckets of kebabs for me then.

Crewmate : Don't you mean us?

Bacon wrapped Tandoori Morel served with dry Chardonnay carbonara was a fusion of many cuisines. The bacon coat feels amazing as one chews their way down to the soft morel core. The wine kissed Carbonara sauce adds a great finish as well. Food in the image was a tasting portion.

Seared Scallops with Peanut Butter Salan was a delectable dish made out of Norwegian scallops with the South Indian salan curry. The scallops dissolved in the mouth with the peanut butter salan providing smooth and savory sensations on the tongue. This dish was almost like a spa for my mouth. A delight if you are a fellow sea food lover.

Piri Piri Chicken Tikka felt like a classical good tikka. Though it was said to have piri piri rubbed on it, that was probably too subtle to be noticed. It was served with a cumin raita and pink ginger.

Braised Mutton Ribs - These were braised for four hours apparently and drizzled generously with maple and kokum glaze giving the dish a sweet candied flavor. The meat was soft and full of flavor. This was a risky affair since it combines a popular salty and savory Indian superstar with sweet notes. But it played out well in the end. It was a crowd favorite on the table.

Misti Doi Lollipops served as an intermission between the appetizers and the mains. I have heard so many good things about these and had longed to get me hands on them. These were probably solidified using liquid Nitrogen. Misti Doi is a famed Bengali dessert but its difficult to make it a candy like solid. These sweet and tangy lollipops were quite possibly the greatest lollipop flavor I have had so far. Best palate cleanser ever. These are not to be missed if one is dropping by ML.

Captain : We need to find the restaurant's lollipop vault and grab more of these. 

Crewmate : And why should I help you cappy?

Captain : I'll give ya a ten percent cut.

Crewmate : Lets find that vault.

Home style chicken Curry was a passable affair. True to its name, it tasted very much like North Indian style homemade Chicken. The question is why anyone would want to have it at Masala Library. There was neither lavish luxury to it nor any interesting western influences.

Kashmiri Chili duck - This was a lavish duck preparation with Aloo Bukhara gravy and veri crumbs(spiced crumbs). The duck was succulent and the collage of flavors made this an amazing dish. The duck's flavor formed the outline and colors, Bukhara added a gastronomic depth and the spices added a flavorful variance. My first time with a Kashmiri duck preparation and Masala Library has set the bar high.

Pan seared Rawas was a delectable preparation of Indian salmon served with South Indian Spinach Poriyal(Stir fried Spinach) mixed with bits of crab. The dish was submerged in Malaya curry which is another South Indian preparation. The dish was a mix of oceanic and terrestrial flavors. It had a natural sea saltiness to it which made the dish enjoyable.

While the desserts had their fair share of plating theatrics, I positively enjoyed the dessert more at PaPaYa which is owned by the ML's parent same group.

The Ras Malai Tres Leches was quite toothsome with its soft silky Malai dumplings stacked together like a Tres leches cake. The Ras(Liquid) was made out of sweet milk with saffron, herbs and rose. A caramel structure was placed on the top of it as well. This one was quite an eye candy and it got over within ten seconds flat on the table.

Captain : Quite a sight this be lad.

Crewmate : Good thing Nina isn't here. She would have lapped up all of that Ras.

Captain : Shush, she might hear you.

Nina : Nya :3

Captain : See , its all yer fault. Her share is coming out of yer share mate.

Crewmate : But...but she is your Cat Cappy.

The Jalebi Caviar with Rabdi was a complex affair. I think that there were too many musicians in this orchestra. Jalebi flour had been converted to small spheres using molecular gastronomy and fused to make a disc like structure that resembled granulated Jalabei. The Rabdi was enjoyable. The Saffron foam added to the sweet aroma of the hybrid. But collectively I wasn't too pleased with this one.

Paan flavored Cloud Candy. I think its better to call it that instead of cotton candy. It resembled clouds with its fluffy white appearance. It was quite enjoyable. While this may not be the Instagrammer's delight in terms of visuals, it had an excellent Paan infusion and I enjoyed this most among the sweet things. It worked both as a dessert and a mouth freshener. A True Budiya Ke baal moment.

The service at Masala Library is exemplary. The servers know their stuff and the floor manager routinely visits tables to describe the food and take feedback.

Masala Library is definitely on the higher side of the pricing scales. Heck, it is even expensive. I see that as the only downside. Still the restaurant was packed at my time of visit and not even a single table was empty. That speaks a lot about the quality of the food.

ML was definitely a fun experience. The food was great and everything else felt of very high caliber. The ambiance was decent as well though they could do something about the musty smells just near the entrance. I would definitely visit again in the future.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"That indeed was something lads. The storm has subsided and me compass has a steady direction too. Flags up and sails out. To the next adventure we must move about."


Map Co-Ordinates
Masala Library
Ground Floor,
First International Financial Centre,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai



-I was invited by the Restaurant's PR to sample the grub. However, my review is neutral and free of any biases.-