Spices to Spirits when Sun goes down!!!

Did you ever experience; that when you search something
for long and just when you are about to give up, you find it. Just when I was
about to lose hope, along comes Masala Bar. Masala Bar believes in serving spectacular drinks along with scrumptious food, a gorgeous view of the sunset & humble
service. Now that’s too much to be offered at a Bar.
Accompanied by three spirit lovers who were excited to try
special crafted cocktails, I looked forward to see what Kalra’s had in store.

Located opposite Carter Promenade just above CCD, Masala Bar
is another kitchen from the house of Zorawar Kalra. Opening precisely at 5 pm,
Masala Bar offers its patrons the perfect view to a sunset with a glass in
hand. Being closed on Mondays, they wipe out the opportunity to allow the
Khooni Monday survivors to crib about their painful Monday experiences. 
A candle-lit black staircase leads up to the main seating
area. A typical bar counter with high rise bar stools and a mixology laboratory
at the end adorns one side of the bar. The entire bar is illuminated by gold
led candles suspended from the ceiling with only actual flaming candles at eye
level. The melting wax flowing from the candles further add to the vintage
look. The black and gold ambience, wooden décor and large glass panes to view
the sunset from; these interiors are more reminiscent of a pirate captain’s
quarters. The dim lighting allows you to enjoy your drink without having to
bear gleaming lights hitting you constantly in your face.

I started off with Heaven
on Earth, yeah, that’s what it is called. Watermelon and basil with basil
foam, served in a Margarita glass. The scarlett colour was absolutely gorgeous
to look at. The sweetness of melon combined with the pungency of basil was a perfect
refreshment to begin with, an absolute stunner.

 Chana
tempura chaat a.k.a Channa Chakhna:  Crispy tempura chickpea, hot & fiery shichimi in Spinach,
sprinkled with pine nuts & aroma wafting roasted garlic pods, this one is
definitely the “Mercedes Benz” of chakna.
This crunchy
yet equally spicy snack disappeared in minutes. The tear evoking spiciness
could not stop us from munching on these tiny dynamites. Every bite washed down
by the icy drinks to keep our tongues from catching fire, literally. The spicy
feeling may seem exaggerated but “shichimi”, one of the ingredients here is prepared
with several condiments, the major ones being red chilli pepper and Japanese
pepper. 

Chicken
65 Lollipops:  We have had the good old fashioned chicken lollipops /
chicken 65 as a customary drink accompaniment at a bar but what happens when
this classic bar regular is given a Masala twist. Fried chicken lollipops are tossed
in butter, garlic and pepper to give this one a facelift. The crispy outer layer
gleaming in the butter-garlic-pepper varnish is a sight to behold.  These red, deep fried lollipops are capable
enough to make your hands dirty & eyes watery. 

 Cripsy Calamari Rings: Calamari rings is the new
substitute for fries if I am looking for something other than the starch
sticks. There are just a few places in town that have actually mastered the
skill to prepare a perfect plate of calamari rings and Masala Bar is the latest
to join that mini list. Large squid rings are marinated, dipped in crumbs and
served with Ponzu and chilli mayo. The sharp pungent Ponzu & chili mayo along
with the crusty, crunchy squid made for an irresistible munch. We had to call
for seconds, again thanks to gluttony Saylee who filled her fingers with the rings
to ensure she had them all (Precious ; LOTR) The best calamari in town, no
arguments please !!

Bheja Tawa Fry : Bheja tawa fry, an iconic dish from the Mughlai
cuisine & one of my must haves whenever I visit an old school Mughlai
restaurant or Irani cafe. Here at Masala Bar, lamb brains are cooked street
style and served on khamiri crostini. I have had bheja fry with naan, pav and rummali
roti before but having it on a Khamiri crostini?  Khamiri is a thick, crusty roti prepared in
the Mughal era. Well spiced bheja fry atop this flacky yet crusty base was an out
of this world experience. The spiced flavours in this are sure to make your tastebuds
tango.

Our munching marathon was interrupted only by a mini flood
of refreshing liquids. Leading the way was the gorgeous red beauty;

Berry
cooler, prepared with fresh berries (Strawberry, Raspberry & Cranberry) and
7up blended together to make it a fruity fizz to chug on in the city’s soaring
degrees. I am hooked onto it; you need to try this one.

Masala Punch:  Muelled
Masala with Apple & Orange Juice was more of a masala juice and not refreshingly
zesty. Lacking that cooling expected punch this one was the least favoured
among the mocks.

Sea Side: Fresh Grapefruit & Orange Chunks drowned in
juice and Coconut Cream was a class in pure mixology magic. This citrus
creation flowing with flavours packed a buzzing punch without any alcohol
involved.

Bbq Pulled Kathal Burger
Kathal in a burger? Did I hear that right? It is
absolutely astounding to be served Jackfruit at Kalra’s kitchen where only the
best of the best and most premium fruits are served. Jackfruit is hailed as a
miracle fruit that could save millions from starvation, but that’s for the
masses. What’s going on here?
Barbequed jack fruit, hand pulled and tossed in Indian
masala and stuffed in a burger. These mini burgers /sliders are extremely spicy,
an instant throwback to daadima ke haathon ke ghar ka jackfruit gravy, ummm!!  We just couldn’t share this nor devour these
silently. It is hard to believe how delicious a barbequed jackfruit burger can
be… A must-must try!! 

Chunky Mutton Boti: With a name as typical as a street eat,
this one holds a deadly secret. A Galouti kebab patty topped with chunky mutton
boti, this slider is fiery hot & full of flavours. Not one for the faint
hearted, though this one demands seconds, only the brave should really ever go
for it.

Desserts were the need of the hour but one of the hungry
mouths among us called for PRAWN DYNAMITE SLIDER: The black buns burger is an
eye catcher and deserved a bite; only one. Tempura fried prawns smeared with
sriracha mayo, stacked in between Squid Ink buns lacked the necessary taste and
desire to get any further than a bite. Severely undercooked prawns and a very
poor dish overall. This one definitely needs further tweaking &
refinements.
The most awaited course of the meal, D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S.  The Kalras do not leave any stone unturned
when it comes to desserts. Always up to the task with unique & unusual
breathtakingly good offerings like the Chocolate Ball on fire at Pa pa ya to  Ras Malai Tres Leches at Masala Library,
Masala Bar was not one to disappoint either.

Red Velvet Waffle Taco
They had me at Red Velvet Waffle. Being a big time admirer
of Waffles & Red Velvet, having these two served up in a taco was too just
too exciting. Stun your senses with the absolutely gorgeous sensation. Crispy
wafer-like thin taco, filled with decadent chocolate brownie, fresh fruits,
colourful gems and classic chocolate & vanilla ice cream is enough to melt
a stone. These guys here at Kalras are just like the Dr. Frankensteins’ of the
food world creating breath taking monsters to rule the world.
 After experiencing a whole new level of scrumptiousness it
was time for another innovation.

Risotto Phirni : Phirni (Captain), an epitome of Mughlai delicacy, is a very
subtle homely dessert had leisurely during the month of Ramadan. On the other
hand, Risotto (Stark) is a comfort food of the Italian home kitchens. Will
these two individual icons work well in tandem or be the cause for their own
destruction. Its gonna be a Civil War 😉 Risotto is prepared using Arborio Rice
& Phirni is rich creamy pudding made from grounded rice or rice flour. Exploding
with scents of saffron and cardamom, it started off well with this sensory
test. The texture of the Risotto rice made it chewier, stickier and was not at
par to be called creamy Phirni. Served in a black karhai, presentation wise it
was far off from actual phirni, which has the feel of earthen clay pots it is
served in. Unfortunately, this unique Risotto – Phirni duo could not kick it
off urging the humble developers to do some justice with each of these
individual celebs.

Dark chocolate mousse: A dense mousse block coated with
chocolate ganache glaze & decorated with an edible gold leaf. Chocolate and
Gold, seriously?? How royal can this get?? Light and airy, with its sticky
characteristics and a dark chocolate, we would run out of words, snynonyms,
adjectives, just about everything to describe this exotic creation.

Black Forest Dirt Pile: Personally, I do not warm up to a
black forest but a deconstructed dessert always seems to reel this cat in.
Curiosity always gets TheWickedSoul to try the deconstructed from the original.
Deconstructed black forest cake crumbs with strawberries,
blueberries, walnuts, almonds among other nuts , mini green herbs, basil &
mint leaves drenched with hot chocolate sauce. Warm decadent chocolate sauce can
make anything better even simple cross buns :P. Classy, over-the-top chocolatey
and outrageously heart melting; you have got to try this if you urge for a walk
down the dark path of the black forest *evil laugh*