Tag: eatout

Masala Library- Not just food, but an experience beyond words..!

Some places are not just about food, but the wholesome experience you get in terms of food, presentation, drinks, service, ambience, hospitality and everything else. I have been thinking since long of visiting Masala Library but somehow it never worked out. But recently during Shivratri holiday, me and my son headed out to ML to experience the best.

The ambience is as classy as it can be, totally top notch and a perfect fine dining place.

We decided to settle for the Chef’s tasting menu because we felt that way we would get to try a variety of things and I think it was one of the best decisions we made.

Our culinary extravaganza of 19 course meal began with Amuse Bouche, which had mango pulp with coconut water and was supposed to be gulped down in one shot, and it was really nice, but more intriguing was the way it was presented, like yolk in eggs that too on a nest.

Up next was Madur Vada with Clear Rasam, an absolute delight, both in presentation and taste, loved the miniature vada and the way rasam was supposed to be drunk. Just wonderful!

The next set of snacks included Pirada Cheese Poee, Deconstructed Samosa, Charcoal Bhajiya, Nadir Churma and Farmer’s Staple. Out of these minus the cheese, which I didn’t like too much, everything else was fantabulous. The Deconstructed Samosa went to become one of the best things I have tasted ever. Charcoal Bhajiya was great too, and because of its charcoal black colour my son ended up eating an onion bhajiya which he normally doesn’t. Nadir Chruma was another dish, which he polished off because he didn’t come to know its made of lotus stem and had a spread of hung curd with raddish. The Farmer’s Staple was a millet paratha stuffed with caramelised onions and it was truly mind blowing. Not just the taste and presentation, but the whole experience of the way these dishes are served and one of the team members comes and explains the dishes, its just amazing. It feels everytime a new cultural story is unfolding.

The next set of dishes intrigued me even more, as the presentation and textures were superlative. It included a Mushroom Chai, Galauti Kebab and Sheermal, Curry Leaf Prawns with Thayir Satham and Cubed Chicken Tikka. The Mushroom Chai was simply fabulous and so was the Curry Leaf Prawn, these both tasted awesome. The Cubed Chicken in three different textures,  a chicken tikka, a chicken papad and chicken crumble was great, but the winner here was the Galauti Kebab, which didn’t look like a kebab at all, in fact it appeared as a spread of small noodles on the bed of a fluffy sheermal. This truly was an outstanding preparation.

Up next was a Lamb Champ with maple and kokum glaze and it was amazing, the sweetness of maple was perfectly balanced with sourness of kokum, which made this champ sweet, sour, tangy and extremely tasteful. After this Tawa Keema with Pickled Bitter Gourd was served, very tasty and amusing to find bitter gourd that wasn’t so bitter, but tangy.

The Sorbet which came as a refreshing palette cleanser, was like a deja vu to childhood, as it had the flavours of anardana, hajmola, kala-khatta etc., it was really nice.

Mizo Stew, followed by Tawa Boti, Curry, Breads and Fermented Pakodi Dal made for the last set of main course dishes. By the time I reached this stage I was already so full, eating bite sized foods one doesn’t even realise they would be so filling, but they indeed are. Out of this entire course I loved the stew and the tawa boti the most.

 

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And now an elaborate dessert menu awaited us, and it truly was a treat. Dense Dark Chocolate Mousse, Bhappa Doi, Chenna Payesh, Ashen Kulfi and Jalebi Caviar, doesn’t your mouth starts watering just reading these names.. I am sure it does.. at least mine does..No words can explain the taste of these desserts as you can only savour them and let your taste buds linger, all I can say is that each one of them was better than the other. The final touch was given with a dark chocolate truffle presented with a magnetic levitation, which was great to watch and greater to taste.

Last but not the least a candied orange tree for mouth freshener brought our amazing culinary journey to an end. It truly was the most unique fooding experience I have ever had.

A wide variety of Wine can enhance your meal experience at Masala Library as they have a full fledged Wine Cellar and an in house expert to help you with the selection of wines. As for me I gave wines a skip and settled for a Cherry Cobbler to go with my food.

It was an overwhelming experience for me and I loved it every bit. This is one of those places that has to come in anyone and everyones must visit, so please do go and give yourself a culinary treat!
Masala Library Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Arabian Culinary Night – VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai

TAFATHALO was the word that resonated while I was welcomed at the VITS Luxury Hotel for the Arabic Food Festival. The word “Tafathalo” means “Do me the honor” in the Arabic dialect. It is an invitation to come to the table. And yes, once again the culinary wizards of VITS Luxury Hotel had crafted for its patrons the Arabian delights over the month. Aptly translating the tradition of hosting a guests for a meal, which is an old honored tradition in the Arabic World and an expression of hospitality, VITS this time served an array of Arabian delicacies.

The Arabic cuisine is of a rich diversity of  Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian food. But with the arrival of western business associates in the Arab land, their tastes and preferences also led to spice-up the Arab cooking. And this time the delicious diversity was served in a platter at the VITS Luxury Hotel during the Arabic Food Festival.

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While the menu comprised of Non-Veg & Veg recipes, it was chiefly based on starters. But yes, these scrumptiously flavorsome dishes were incredibly wholesome and pampered the taste buds with utmost care. Accompanied by Mr. Aloy Fernandes Manager (VITS, Luxury Hotel), I embarked on a gastronomic adventure that literally left me salivating for more.


The Arabian culinary night began with Falafel – Incredible Falafel Burger. This one was not just  conventional but the one that was incredibly presented. The taste was such that it would give a fried chicken run for its fame. It was crafted like a  miniature burger with deep fried blend of grounded chickpeas & spices in between the pieces of Peta Bread. This incredible invention was born in the kitchen of VITS. Trust my word, after savoring this palatable delicacy I learnt that it was a veg recipe!  Complemented with Lebanese Dip, Hummus & bowl of Fattoush which comprised of lettuces, pepper, pickle as well as parsley, this recipe graduated to be so astonishing that it lured a pure non-vegetarian like me to ask for more.

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After devouring the Falafel, the next Arabian recipe was Kibbeh. They are to die for! Kibbeh, kubbeh or kokeba all mean “the shape of a ball” in Arabic. These finely baked & deep fried crispy morsels of lamb meat were deliciously succulent. They tasted just too out of this planet! No Shami Kebab can even graduate as a substitute for this, a must try for every foodie.

 

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Casting a spell with its lip-smacking taste was Shish Taouk. Boneless chicken cubes marinated in garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and grilled on skewers with peppers, this innovation tasted fabulously appetizing. Every bite was truly wholesome with the grill flavor lingering in the mouth. Crispy on outside and tender within, the Shish Taouk was one of its kind.

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The essential concept in the Arabic cuisine is hospitality and with great warmth , chivalry, VITS served me with yet another saporous dish knows as Lebanese Sumac Prawns. Sumac is a tangy, lemony, berry-red spice that goes well with grilled fish and prawns. The prawns were luxuriously marinated with Sumac, special spices and slowly grilled to render the reviewer speechless. Yes! this recipe was another tantalizing treat for my taste buds. It was complemented with soft Peta bread & tempting Garlic Dip.

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The non-veg mezze offered each portion of all its non-veg recipes in a platter complemented with the accompaniments. While The Veg Mezze comprised of Falafel (Incredible Falafel Burger), Spinach Bell Pepper, Mushroom & Cheese Fatayer & Orfali Kebab.

Spinach Fatayer; a baked puff affluently infused with assorted bell pepper, spinach, mushroom & feta cheese was amazing. And the last but not the least Orfali Kebab was just an another fabulous crunchy veggie cousin replicating boneless fried chicken strips. This was yet another Arabic veggie delight which I savored and I believe that an ardent foodie must grab a bite of it.imageedit_3_5492179676

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Fattoush, Lebanese Dip & Hummus were the star accompaniments. Specifically crafted to augment the palatable taste of every appetizer that was brought over the table. Also, the entire cuisine was cooked in Olive oil which added to the flavor. The Hummus was olive-oil flavored, Lebanese dip was flavored with hung-curd & thyna paste, and the Fattoush Salad ingredients i.e. lettuce, pepper, olive & parsley were stir fried with Olive Oil.

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The idea of Arabic Food Festival was brewed in the kitchen of VITS where Chef Hemant & Chef Arnald charted out the flavorsome journey of Arabian cuisine for the guests. The courteous & friendly duo were present with me throughout the evening. Their passion to serve new cuisines & recipes every time makes VITS Luxury Hotel a hub to savor fabulous delicacies every time.

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The festival concludes by the end of this month. So, go ahead and relish the cuisine of Arabia specially crafted for the admirers of world cuisines. After all, VITS is the place to treat your taste buds with incredibly flavorsome signature delicacies that are dished out every time.


 

Poolside - VITS Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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