Where Food Is An Art Form...

Rashmi Uday Singh’s Good Food Guide

What you are holding in your hand is an invitation to begin an exciting journey into the world of restaurants. A universe which truly spins in a solar system of its own, unmindful of any other changes. The economy may slip and slide but new restaurants keep popping up with wild rapidity. And why not? After all, with more disposable income, more dual income families, more travel, internet and television there is more exposure and therefore more demand for different cuisines. Also, eating out is fast replacing all other forms of entertainment. If you think of a celebration or birthday, it’s a restaurant which comes to mind first. And over the past twenty years that I have been studying the restaurant scene through my columns and six ‘Good Food Guides’ I have found this to be more and more of a reality. So, while there is a swelling demand to eat out, there are restaurants springing up to cater to it. And that’s where this brand new column ‘The Good Food Guide’ nimbly steps in, to systematically and honestly guide you through the maze. In order to deliver objective, unbiased and useful information for you, I have made several rules for myself... to go to a restaurant unannounced, to taste everything before writing about it, to always pay my bill and always retain my right to speak my mind.

Masalakraft sets itself up as an art form with its ‘studio’ kitchen and has a studiedly arty menu

Masalakraft
To kickstart this column, I have chosen a new restaurant in the 100-year-old Taj which keeps ahead of the times with its trendsetting art and craft. A contemporary Indian restaurant which tempts me to substitute an art review for the restaurant review. It’s not just because of the obvious incestuous relationship between food and art or that they have taste, discrimination and refinement in common. It’s more because this brand new restaurant sets itself up as an art form with its ‘studio’ kitchen, has a studiedly arty menu and is called ‘Masalakraft’. It is Chef Hemant Oberoi’s brand new, ‘Neo-classical Indian cuisine’ restaurant which replaces ‘Tanjore’. Here he serves up recipes from Indian palaces to modest roadside dhabas, homes of Punjabis to Bohri kitchens.

The backdrop
Traditional wooden pillars are offset by a luminous orange wall in this high-ceilinged, wooden-floored large restaurant. Serene beiges and browns, contemporary furniture and traditional black pillars meld in harmony.

Forms and lines
Stylish, imported and cutting edge contemporary crockery (half moon shapes which fit into each other et al) is the perfect canvas for the food which is imaginatively presented too.

The Plus Points

Trendsetter
It evolves Indian food from the predictable ‘makhanwalla’ mode into lighter and more creative dishes, while retaining their Indian sensibilities. Lighter and healthier cooking styles and use of olive oil, seasonal veggies and recipes culled from Punjab villages, make it an experience worth experiencing.

Colours, textures and tastes
A large and interesting menu here. It has the ‘instant sketches’ (which are artistically plated set meals) that are the most appreciated. ‘Instant sketch two’ (Rs 850) offers superb fish tukra, succulent doodhiya murg tikka, melt-in-the-mouth galouti kabab, murg khatta pyaz, bhaji, dal, biryani and dessert too. There are seafood and veggie options too. Amongst the creatively presented ‘tiffins’, opt for the ‘Bohri’ (Rs 795); the ‘Parsi’ and the ‘Veggie’ (Rs 595) are not as good. Chef Oberoi and Chef Shyam Longani’s traditional a la carte dishes of ‘Atta chicken’ cooked in an atta dough (Rs 750), grilled ‘paperwalli macchi’ (Rs 550), ‘peepay walle cholley kulche’ (Rs 295) and ‘galouti kabab’ are masterpieces.

The vegetarian fare offers khumb and gucchi, lotus stem, soya nuggets and more.

The Peak (Rs 195), a unique dessert of kulfi, gulab jamun covered with meringue and then baked is outstanding, so is the custard apple kheer (Rs 175).

A selection of over a hundred wines, cocktails, using khus, kalakhata and even fresh sugarcane juice. Melt-in-the-mouth paans too.

It is not meant for you, if you are not in the mood to splurge, because a meal for two can be well over Rs 2000. The vegetarian ‘instant sketches’ are avoidable and so also the exotic ‘anjeer aur kele ke kabab’ and such like dishes.

My Point

Just the place to entertain, this is where you come to, if in the mood to celebrate, or with that out-of-town guest. Aesthetically presented Indian fare amid stylish yet warm surroundings, some good ‘instant sketches’, ‘tiffins’ and ‘desserts’ and not so great vegetarian fare here.

Masalakraft
Taj Mahal Hotel,
Apollo Bunder,
Mumbai Tel: 56653366
Open 12.30 to 3 pm, 7 pm to midnight
Prior booking advised