Restaurant Review : Masala Library, By Jiggs Kalra!

Hey from EL The Cook!

Mumbai is a food bloggers delight! With a vibrant culinary scene and food which entices the senses, the city's food culture is among the best in India.

Few restaurants come close to the food experience offered by Masala Library, by Indian Food Czar, Jiggs Kalra. Offering contemporary Indian cuisine, integrated with the latest food trends, Masala Library is a delicate example of food-artists at work.

A place at Masala Library is in demand almost always and booking must be made at least a week in advance.

The ambiance is classy and simple. Masala Library focuses on a crisp table setting and ambient lighting to highlight the food on your plate. 

The staff is brilliant with the explanation of  both the chef special menu and ala-carte` menu. The knowledge of dishes by the staff is exemplary.

Jiggs Kalra, strives to make you see the coastal influence of Mumbai through his dishes, through his food and cutlery in the shapes of fish and conchs.

We tried the Chefs Special Menu which consists of a soup, starter, main and dessert. It is also accompanied by a wine tasting, if you choose.

PALETTE CLEANSER

THANDAI AMUSE BOUCHE

Served up as a "palette cleanser", this dish takes its inspiration from classic Indian thirst quencher, Thandai. Masala library throws its first blow to your palette by having the thandai served as a micro-encapsulated sphere.

The spoon holds the gentle ball, which is meant to be gulped in one go. The sphere then explodes, sending a burst of flavor to your taste-buds,  and you are left with utter amusement and wonder!

It is accompanied with freshly baked Indian bread with cheddar cheese and Indian spices.

A dish which truly deserves to be tasted again, Thandai Amuse Bouche, pity it is only a palette cleanser!

SOUP

PATRA NI MACCHI WITH LEMON CORIANDER SHORBA AND CHUKKI EDAMAME

A banana leaf steamed filet of melt-in-the-mouth basa, is served up in a fish shaped bowl. A typical parsi preparation, patra ni macchi, the basa is blended with a mix of Indian spices and herbs. 

Masala Library, liquefies these herbs and adds subtle hints of lemon, creating a shorba with volumes of flavor. This is poured over the fish, forming a luscious soup.

In a further twist, a side of chukki edamame (immature Japanese soy beans) lightly sauteed in salt, pepper and butter add some theater and crunch!  

SALAD

CURRY LEAF & PEPPER PRAWNS, THAYIR SADAM, BANANA CRISPS 

An interpretation of Tamil Nadu on a plate, Masala Library, serves us a bed of Thayir Sadam or "Holy Curds Rice" usually taken as prasadam in temples. The rice is gently flavored with a few pulses like urad dal and mustard seeds.

The main attraction on the plate is the peppery, earthy prawns. The unmistakable taste of the sea, this dish reflects the deep culture of Tamil Nadu.

A side of banana crisps keep the dish light and crunchy.

STARTER COURSE

GALAWAT KEBAB, TAWA BOTI TIKKA, VARQI PARATHA 

The legend of Galawat Kebab is that an old king of Lucknow, had lost his teeth, but craved for the taste of mutton kebab. His chefs made him the world's softest kebab - The Galawat.

Masala Library, does justice to this legend. The super soft Galawat kebab is topped with a smoky, slightly tangy mutton boti kebab.

This kebab wonder is then topped off with the best mini- varqi paratha we have tasted. Saffron scented & cooked in ghee, this paratha ties the two kebab flavors together, creating a spectacular tasting experience.

The lovely mint chutney, adds to the depth of the dish and the immaculate plating.  

BACON WRAPPED TANDOORI MOREL, DRY CHARDONNAY CARBONARA

This dish is a french food connoisseurs delight! The earthy honeycombed shaped mushroom is wrapped in snug with a  strand of smoky bacon!
The ecstasy of flavor continues through bacon crisp and a dollop of sweet bacon jam. The plate is lightly sprinkled with dehydrated truffle oil powder and cress.

The dry chardonnay  carbonara is thick and mushy, which drools over the plate. It really adds an unconventional touch to the dish, however the textures are uncomfortable.

PAN SEARED SCALLOP , PEANUT BUTTER SALAN,NUTCRACKER SALAD

A Hyderbadi based salan(curry), albeit with a twist of peanut butter, presents the gorgeous pan seared scallop! Seared to perfection, the mussel is crowned with a typical Mumbai chaat-like crunchy salad with corn-flakes chiwda, onions, tomatoes and roasted peanuts.

A lovely combination of complex flavors, which takes you some time to process. Only after you have devoured the whole portion are you wondering what you just ate! Truly a lovely feeling!

PERI-PERI CHICKEN TIKKA, BLACK OLIVE & CUMIN RAITA, PINK GINGER

An intercontinental mingling of flavors on one plate, this dish presents South-African peri-peri spiced chicken, cooked in a tandoor oven. The beautifully cooked chicken has a distinct grilled flavor prickled with that peri peri chili heat.

The pang of acidity on your palette is the pretty looking pink ginger or sushi ginger. 

The slurp of the earthy raita with cumin refreshes the palette.

An extremely well thought of dish and executed to perfection.   

BRAISED MUTTON CHAAMP, MAPLE AND KOKUM GLAZE, MICRO POPCORN

Mutton Chaamp is a piece of mutton ribs reflecting pure Awadhi cuisine from Lucknow. Masala Library's unique twist takes this Lucknowi recipe and transforms it into a South Indian masterpiece.

The kokum glaze is rich and sticky with a sweet and spicy pang. The meat is super-tender and the much needed crunch is supplied by the surprising micro popcorn!

The dish has an acquired taste, especially if you think kokum is not your type of flavor! 

SORBET

MISHTI-DOI LOLLIPOPS

A palette refresher after that onslaught of entrees is eminent. Enter the to-die-for Mishti Doi Lollipops. Mishti Doi is sweet fermented yogurt which is a delicacy in Kolkata. 

Masala Library adds a touch of playfulness on the plate by freezing the Mishti Doi and serving them up as lollipops to take you back to your childhood. A quick swipe of the strawberry jam and the intense Mishti doi, cleanses the palette beautifully!

MAINS

HOME STYLE CHICKEN CURRY

Masala Library gives us a taste of home, with its generously spiced home style chicken curry. Nothing to complain about but nothing to rave about either. The chicken isn't as tender as you'd hoped and the gravy is comparable to any good Mumbai restaurant.

The side of stuffed parathas however is more interesting. Mini parathas are cut in half presenting their unique stuffing. Mutton, chicken mince and cheese are wonderfully spiced to create a unique variety of flavor, which accompanies the home-style chicken beautifully!  

KASHMIRI CHILI DUCK, ALOO BUKHARA QORMA, VERI CRUMBS

The northern most tip of India has some fascinating cuisine! Kashmiri spices are wholesome and when combined with meat such a duck, the dishes turn exquisite!

The marination on the duck meat is spectacular. The richness of Kashmiri spices really shine through. When topped with the bukhara qorma though, the plate takes on new depth!

The crunchy spiced veri crumbs are a gentle reminder of the theater on the plate.

PAN SEARED RAWAS, CRAB & SPINACH PORIYAL, MALAYA CURRY

Masala Library pushes the boundary of Tamil cuisine with their crab and spinach poriyal. Sauteed to perfection the crab meat and the spinach form an earthy blend of textures. Topped with the smooth malaya curry, the hints of pineapple urge you to take a bite of the fish, which is wonderfully seared!

A complex blend of ingredients, which go surprisingly well together, given the depth of flavors, another brilliant dish!

DESSERTS

JALEBI CAVIAR, PISTACHIO RABDI & SAFFRON FOAM

Innovative Indian Desserts take physical form with Masala Library's Jalebi Caviar! The rich Jalebi Caviar is gently carved into beads by frying the batter through a perforated spoon. 

 The enchanting caviar, which resembles the famous motichur ladoo is served on a bed of rich rabdi, which we thought could have been a little less lumpy.

A fluffy yellow pillow of saffron flavored foam adds airiness and depth to the already loaded dessert!

One of Masala Library's essentials, this dessert is gorgeously rich from start to finish!

RAS MALAI TRES LECHES

Tres Leches or "3 Layers Milk Cake" is a popular dessert in Spain. Masala Library, presents us with a photogenic desi version by using Bengal's famous Rasmalai!

This ornate looking dish is equally complex in terms of its flavors. The beautiful yellow disc is sandwiched between a layer of luscious mango cream on the bottom and a quinelle of the cream over the top!

This rests in a pool of saffron milk and the Rasmalai Tres Leches is crowned with a rose petal caramel net.

As you devour this, complex textures of saffron, mango, pistachios & cardamom rush through your palette! The smoky caramel and delicate rose flavors serve as an undercurrent..All blending to form one awe-inspiring dessert!

Surely this should be termed as the Queen of All Indian desserts! 

PAAN FLAVOURED COTTON CANDY

Masala Library is extremely considerate of your taste-buds and they do so always with a bit of theater!

Enter the refreshing Paan Flavored Cotton Candy! 

Paan has long been considered to be the perfect digestive after a meal and it is usually customary to take a good helping of stone candy or khadishakar after finishing a meal in an Indian restaurant!

Masala Library, strikes a wonderful balance between these two non-alcoholic aperitifs with the playful Paan Cotton Candy!

Light and airy, the cloud on a stick reminds the child in you that its fun to play with flavors and just then you are hit with the refreshing taste of Paan, reminding you, the journey at Masala Library is complete!

Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, is an experience with Indian cuisine that you will never forget!

Theater, Flavor Pairings, Molecular Gastronomy and Rustic Indian Flavors join hands to create an impression about India's vast cultural food diversity.

All this comes at an exorbitant price which is enough to burn a whole through your pocket!

All in All, Masala Library does justice to innovation in Indian cuisine which is presented beautifully to its customers with glamour and pomp!

If you are visiting Mumbai, and have the budget, Masala Library is worth a visit to create some unforgettable experiences with India's glorious food story!