Flavours of India in Mumbai

This is my father’s magnum opus, a culmination of his over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry,” says Zorawar Kalra, son of celebrity chef Jiggs Kalra, setting a rather high benchmark for their new venture. The restaurant, Masala Library, will open at the Bandra-Kurla Complex on August 4.

This is my father’s magnum opus, a culmination of his over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry,” says Zorawar Kalra, son of celebrity chef Jiggs Kalra, setting a rather high benchmark for their new venture. The restaurant, Masala Library, will open at the Bandra-Kurla Complex on August 4.

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The establishment aims to take Indian fine-dining to a new level, and Kalra has dreams of landing a Michelin star for his eatery. Tandoors from Lucknow, molecular gastronomy lab equipment from Delhi and special ingredients from around the world have already been flown in. Kalra has also spared no expense in the decor and the staff’s attires. “It’s Indian fine-dining 2.0. We’re doing away with the staid, ’80’s way of serving curry in a bowl with a swirl of cream, and taking Indian cuisine to the 21st century,” he says.

The menu is ambitious, to say the least. “We plan on serving food from across the country. For this we have devised three pillars; progressive Indian cuisine, where the basic flavours and methods of preparation remain traditional but the presentation and accompaniments are modern; kebab trail, where we will serve kebabs ranging from classic north Indian to lesser-known south Indian ones; and the curry trail, which will take you on a gravy tour to all corners of India,” says Kalra.