Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra — Restaurant in Mumbai

Massive restaurants are considered a benchmark in the world of culinary excellence and I was so excited to be back to the place I had visited years ago- Masala Library.

The décor and the ambiance of the place are excellent. They had lots of necessary controls in place for covid which made the dining experience safer. The staff had their faces and hands covered at all times and maintained a safe distance. The tables were also placed slightly apart than usual, the plates and cutlery were covered under cloches and they ensured that all safety protocols were being followed. We were being served by Mr. Jatin for the day and he ensured the most prompt and courteous service ever. Full marks to their hospitality for sure. We tried the set menu for dinner in non vegetarian. This was priced at 2700 per person plus taxes. Tried the following dishes:

1. Pea Pearl Puchka: we started off with the amuse bouché which was a spherical Mango and coconut medley. It was a burst of freshness in your mouth to start off the meal. This was followed by a super crisp puri stuffed with lots of chutneys, potato and pearl sized mint chutney balls. The flavour profile was spot on and it was a brilliant start to the meal.

2. Jhal muri cookie: the jhal muri cookie was unique in that they'd made the base or the cookie out of roasted puffed rice which was then covered with another couple of chutneys - sweet and sour.

3. farmers staple: this was a really soft puri which was served with some white butter and was super delicious.

4. Dahi bada: the dahi bada was roasted instead of fried and served with some sweetened curd foam and specks of masala.

5. mushroom chai: this was the highlight of the evening and a standout favourite. They'd served it as tea where the truffle oil was dehydrated and served as sugar, there were bits of mushroom served as the tea leaves and a beautiful concoction of a bunch of mushrooms served as the tea. This all together rather beautifully, the earthiness of both the mushroom and the truffle complimenting one another brilliantly and the warmth of the dish quite tantalizing.

6. Braised lamp chop: the chop was super tender and was a sweet and spicy one glazed with honey maple and light spices.

7. Peri Peri chicken tikka: the chicken chunks were tender and delicious, the sauce was creamy and spicy.

8. malai caviar prawn: this was a standout main course. The prawn was cooked to perfection, the sauce was a pink peppercorn one and hence, very lightly spiced.

9. tandoori thecha salmon with Mango murabba jhol: i was quite impressed with the combination of the two - the salmon was very deliciously marinated with a spicy thecha and had a tangy Mango pulp to cut the spice.

10. Thakkali Thokku chicken with idiyappam: the chicken was tender and the gravy was a south Indian style tempered with lots of mustard seeds and curry leaves. The idiyappam was a great combination, it was almost like eating an Indian version of spaghetti bolognese.

11. Telangana Pepper Lamb: this was another dish to die for! The lamb was super soft and had a whole lot of spices and a very distinctive malabari flavour. The appam served along with it was to definitely die for.

12. Dal makhani and roti basket: the dal makhani was creamy and a great one and the rotis were super soft and melt in the mouth. Just a brilliant combination.

13. Malai chop and wood sorrel: another really cool one, they served a whipped cream sort of dessert with lots of candied dry fruits which tasted like crunch in the midst of a pillow of cream. Really cool textural play.

14. Mango halwa and almond chikki: the Mango halwa was super sweet and the base was of a thin and crisp chikki, just superb.

15. Jalebi Caviar: Easily my dish of the day! The jalebi was toned down in sweetness so that the rabri could compliment it. Loved the burst of textures with every mouthful. This is a dish everyone must try.

We also tried a couple of mocktails like the Pan Mojito, the Masala punch and the garden of 5 senses. My favourite was definitely the garden...

Our meal started with amush bouche and freshly baked homemade bun maska which was basically for cleansing the palate and something to bite on while the meal arrived. The spherical ball was filled with yoghurt and had an essence of mango to it. It sort of cleansed the palate with its gastronomical beauty and delicious flavours. Meanwhile our soup had arrived. The Grilled Tofu with Rassam was loaded with tofu, cherry tomato, and some cheese. Served with a side of dosai touis which was basically a dosa sunk in typical rassam with a strong flavour of lemongrass. The taste was authentic and had a fresh tangy flavour of rassam along with the crunch of dosa and smoothness of tofu. While we slurped the soup, our starters arrived. It goes by the name of Asparagus Thayir Sadam Curry Leaf. It was loaded with pepper flavoured asparagus which was served over thayir sadam with banana crisps on the side. The texture was coarse and chunky, exactly the way it should have been. Asparagus added crunch to it whereas the thayir sadam had a slight taste of sourness. The Burnt Curry Leaf Martini is a classic with a smoky taste of curry leaf. Refreshing and soothing, this drink was no frills attached downright clear. We even tried their Red Berry Shrub which was another favourite here. The juices of fresh berries extracted and served with a hint of sour sweet tanginess definitely made it better. Meanwhile, the starters had arrived and the first one was the Kuttu Roti Pol Sambhol. It was a typical south Indian preparation of malabari parantha tossed which were finely chopped and served with south Indian mixed vegetables and coconut curry. They were mashed up together and bundled up in an upside down cylinder. This is topped with some puffed rice. The sweetness of malabari paratha with the gravy and layers of veggies blended to make a great starter. We absolutely loved this one. After this, it was time for the kebabs to arrive. The first one was the sweet potato kebab. Soft and smooth kebabs made of sweet potato were stuffed with cream and cheese. They were smooth and went down the throat with a delicious sensation. This was served along with mint foam which had a tangy taste about it. After this came another unique delicacy of the traditional Tandoori Gucchi. The famous Kashmiri Mushroom was stuffed with cream and cheese to give a smooth flavour through and through. It was sprinkled with truffle oil and some parmesan. For the mocktail lovers, their Ginger Bread Mojito is a grand pick. It has the perfect taste of gingerbread and it was more like the taste of gingerbread liquidized. The first dish to arrive was the Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Balls. This comprised of koftas made of spinach and cheese, coated with panko bread crumbs they were crisp outside and soft and luscious inside. This was served along with methi malai curry. The curry was smooth and delicious as well as rich. Served with a basket of assorted breads, it had tandoori rotis, laccha paranthas and stuffed kulchas. Next dish was the Tadka Artichoke Hearts. Firm and layered artichoke were tossed in Indian spices along with chopped zucchini and bell peppers. Served with strings of asparagus, they looked and tasted beautiful. With banarsi squash korma, it had a sweet taste. Our meal ended with delicious Jalebi Caviar and Chai Ice-Icream. Jalebi was converted in the form of caviar and served along with rabri. The shell shaped container was filled to the brim and topped up with saffron foam. It had a proper north Indian touch to it. Next one was the Chai Ice-Cream. This comprised of chai ice-cream served in a typical chai glass. It was topped with lots of chai masala foam and served along with a ball of yellow chena payesh on a stick of almond chikki. The whole experience was grand and there was never a moment when we had to ask for anything. Ambience: 5/5 Taste Quotient:...

Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra is not a restaurant but a gastronomic fine dine experience. They combine traditional Indian cuisine and molecular techniques to serve up regular dishes in an unpredictable form. You can choose from the a la carte menu or go for the chef’s tasting menu.

As you enter Masala Library, the first word that comes to your mind is ‘grandeur’. The high ceiling and plush interiors give it a sense of space and royalty. The mellow background music and service by super courteous staff was impeccable. Everyone was extremely well versed with the dishes. Shout-out to Chef Hemant who presented us the snacks and desserts, our servers Mr. Akshay Naik and Mr.Somen who attended to us very positively and made our meal the best meal ever had.

Amuse Bouche or what we call as the palate cleanser ~ The first dish that arrived on our table was a perfect visualization of bird’s eggs. Within the nest, you will find a mango pulp sphere representing an egg yolk floating on tender coconut water depicting the egg white. You drink it like a shot and that refreshing sphere bursts in the mouth releasing a delicious juice blend of mango with coconut.

Cocktails  ~ Indigo, a concoction of white rum, blue curacao and litchi syrup, was mildly sweet yet truly delightful. Masala Sour, a classic whiskey sour enhanced with the allspice syrup was perfectly balanced and just hit the right note.

Snack ~ The chef explained that the whole menu was a gastronomic journey across India. Classic dishes from different regions had been given a molecular twist. The first snack was pea pearl puchka which was recreated taking inspiration from our popular street food ‘pani-puri’ also known as golgappa, puchka or gupchup and matar ki kachori. Puri was filled with onions, sev-boondi crispies, sweet chutney, and mint chutney. In a calcium water bath, pea puree was dropped to make pea pearls which were a replacement to the pani puri water.

The Jhal Moori Cookie, Ghughni chaat was reinventing a street food classic ‘bhel’ as a puffed-rice cookie topped with sweet chutney, mint chutney, kasundi mustard sauce, ghugni (white pea mash) and pickled onions.

Next was Dahi Bada served in the form of crumbled spongy baked vada, crispies, sweet chutney and yogurt in the form of a foam. It was very light and airy. All the snacks revolved around intricate presentation and precision of flavors to showcase exciting dishes. Our last snack was ‘farmers table’ which was Mangalorean buns. The mildly sweet buns when paired with that rich coconut butter, tasted absolutely divine and gave a homely feel.

Soup ~ The mushroom chai was the highlight of my meal.  It is made in front of you with dehydrated button mushroom as a substitute to tea leaves, sugar was replaced with truffle oil powder and the chai (soup) was mushroom consomme. A symphony of flavors that boasts such depth, this earthy mushroom chai was just mind-blowing!

Starters ~ Limbiyo avnas sasam, which was a sweet and sour broth with goat’s cheese goli baje that was melt in the mouth. This dish was garnished with freshly shredded coconut and spiced pineapple chunks. A taste explosion in every spoon!

Shepu Dabeli, Pine nut bhel was a modern touch to the regular Kutchi Dabeli. Mini bread rolls with potato stuffing topped with a garnish of methi crisp (khakhra) was served along with crunchy pine-nut bhel.

Bihari Daal, Peetha and mango & coriander jhol was a whole wheat flour steamed dumpling stuffed with lentils accompanied with refreshing raw mango chutney.

And lastly roasted cashew nut paneer with dates chutney. Not your typical tandoori paneer tikka. This one was thin layers of paneer wrapped around coarsely crushed roasted cashew nuts and then cooked till perfection. The date chutney swirled around the bowl just added the right amount of sweetness.

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