Popular BKC restaurant's revamped menu is a must try

One of our first memories of the Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra when it opened its doors to Mumbairsquos patrons in 2013 was seeing a photograph of sev puri sitting pretty in a toy rickshaw Recently this progressive Indian restaurant thatrsquos as much about molecular gastronomy and deconstructed presentation as itrsquos about the flavours revamped its A La Carte as well as Chefrsquos Tasting Menu Curiosity got the better of us and we headed to their BKC outpostDhokla Lasagne Palak Goat Cheese Bhurjee Corn and Dill Curry poured over the dish laterGimmicks galoreWarm spacious welllit and thankfully not too overwhelming we liked the restaurantrsquos vibe Settled in we nibbled on the amusebouche tiny rotund muska buns mdash soft and completely meltinthemouth mdash along with thandai sphere a bubble formed by saffron milk reduction served in a spoon to cleanse our palate We were ready to hit this culinary trail The waiters were on autopilot whispering into their walkies to ensure a glitchfree ride The dishes individual portions were presented one after the other in different avatars mdash from soups in fishshaped bowls to lollipops in fuming base of liquid nitrogen Plus they packed in flavours not only from North India but from Gujarat and Kerala too Fortunately the waiter elaborated every ingredient that comprised the deconstructed dishes served in front of us making this experience quite enrichingThough part of their earlier menu Mishti Doi Lollipop is now presented on a fuming base of liquid nitrogenCrab craycrayWe began with Steamed Patrani Machhi Lemon Coriander Shorba Chukki Edamame Rs 385 A zesty offering the tangy shorba blended well with the slightly bland basa making the soup quite refreshing The addition of the fried and crunchy ladyfingers in the Fresh Chenna Bhalla Chaat Dates and Almond Chutney Crispy Okra Rs 375 made this chaat quite unique compared to the regular dahi bhallas The Bacon Wrapped Tandoori Morels Dry Chardonnay Carbonara Rs 875 featured morels that were a tad too burnt for our liking and we passed on this one As the Masala King Crab Bhurjee Pao Rs 450 arrived we let out a silent lsquoawwrsquo A cute shell of the King Crab eyes intact stared at us even as the crabmeat was cooked into flavoursome bhurjee and placed on top of the buttery soft pao Our winner of the day undoubtedlyThe deconstructed version of the paan in form of Pista Paan Coconut Ice Cream Rose FoamDhokla Lasagne anyoneThe Mishti Doi Lollilop served on base of liquid nitrogen was heaven Sated we excitedly awaited for the mains A burst of flavours from Gujarat and Italy greeted us as we dug into the Dhokla Lasagne Palak Goat Cheese Bhurjee Corn and Dill Curry Rs 625 The slightly sweet and spongy dhoklas blended well with the tartly flavours of palak goat cheese bhurjee and the spicy dill curryMasala King Crab Bhurjee Pao PicsSatyajit DesaiThe Umami Crumbed Mushroom Souffleacute Kofta Seared Oyster Mushrooms Truffle Saffron Curry Rs 695 appealed to the mushroomlover in us fried bread kofta filled with soft mushroom mix that was to be had with the richly textured curryA paan punchThough stuffed the deconstructed version of a paan in form of Pista Paan Coconut Ice Cream Rose Foam Rs 575 bowled us over The dry fruit barfilike paan was richly flavoured with gulkand and coupled with the sweet foam made the experience better The best part no betel leaf Having spent two and a half hours amid rich flavours and countless experimentations we left this library with Jiggs Kalrarsquos statement mentioned on the restaurantrsquos portal ringing in our ears ldquoWe serve memories not just foodrdquo