Indian Accent or Masala Library
NOTE: MASALA LIBRARY IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS UNTIL JULY 2019.
Inspired by modernist cuisine, El Bulli and Alinea both Masala library and Indian accent have attracted a lot of attention in Delhi.
Indian accent’s executive chef is Manish Mehrotra. His food is more modern than modernist. This means the Indian Accent in Delhi and in New York try to combine flavours from India and the west to create a modern take on Indian Cuisine. His food is not as “molecular” as Masala Library and feels a little bit dated now.
Masala library’s executive chef and owner is Massive Restaurants raised a lot of money from Gaja Capital. Jiggs Kalra and son Zoravar are behind Masala Library and Farzi Cafe. They are bringing a lot of energy and money to apply molecular gastronomy to Indian food and doing a good job at it.
Jiggs Kalra or J Inder Singh Kalra was the first celebrity chef out of India and is just as famous as Madhur Jaffrey. His son Zoravar is a restauranteur and not a chef, strictly speaking.
Should you eat at Indian Accent or Masala Library?
Indian accent and Masala library tasting menus are expensive. So we decided to visit both places to help our guests decide where they should splurge on their trip to Delhi. Here is my experience.
Tasting Menu at the Indian Accent
I have been eating at the Indian accent for over 8 years now. They moved to the Lodi hotel recently from the Manor so I thought of visiting them and have their tasting menu. They continue to serve “Blue cheese Naan” as they did many years ago and was the first thing we got in our tasting menu.
The tasting menu at Masala Library
Jigg’s Kalra is the “Mentor Chef” at Masala Library. While their food is fantastic, their reservation service barely works. So, it is tricky to get a reservation although I’m sure you can just walk in.
I felt I got more value for money at Masala Library than Indian Accent. The service is great at both fine dining restaurants but the Masala library is taking more risks and bolder than the Indian accent.
While Masala Library has not won the kind of awards that Indian accent wins consistently, it is still my go to choice. See what I was served.
- Up scale dining
- Relatively less Modernist
- Fusion cuisine (Indian + West)
- Good Presentation
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- Up scale dining
- Molecular Gastronomy
- Fusion cuisine (Indian + West)
- Great presentation
- Bold experiments
- Great location
- Casual dining
- Molecular Gastronomy
- Fusion cuisine (Indian + West)
- Good Presentation
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- Many locations
Farzi Cafe – Affordable fun
I believe the Farzi Cafe chain of restaurants owned by the people behind Masala Library is the best value for money and most fun. It’s casual setting, reasonably affordable cocktails and music nights make these restaurants extremely popular with the youth in Delhi.
They are located in Connaught Place and at Cyberhub, Gurgaon.
You must try their chaat and Dal Chawal Arancini. They are magnificent.
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