TREASURE HUNT! - Masabaa: The Treasury - Review

MASABAA - THE TREASURY, PUNJABI BAGH

When out driving with relatives, looking for a family friendly place to dine-in, Punjabi Bagh offers a lot of choices along a single road. However, the loud and vivid appearance of those places don't match the criteria that families look for. But one particular place allures you with its royal appeal. Masabaa - The Treasury. The basic wooden-brown look and the metallic writing of the name of the place welcomes anyone to its Fine Dining restaurant, The Treasury. There is also a lounge and bar area in the lower floors for any party needs!

THE AMBIENCE

As the name suggests, Masabaa - The Treasury gives a royal feel to the place. Good instrumental music playing over the speaker system, dim lights over a very high-end decor and couches and floors covered in soft-touch cloth. A very comfortable environment to eat in. The service there was exceptional. The servers make you feel special, oh so special. I haven't felt this love since 1996. TRUE STORY.

THE FOOD

we went for the items suited for a typical North Indian flavour palate. Classic North Indian dishes along with a few oriental ones for variety. But if you do the limited things well, where's the issue?!

THE DRINKS

The drinks at Masabaa were a spectacle! As soon as they were brought to the table, I reached for my phone to capture the beauty of it. Glasses placed inside tea-kettles laced with Liquid Nitrogen for a smokey effect. Brilliant food for the eyes!

• Appletini: The virgin Martini, perfected by the place. A very refreshing and tangy apple flavour to the drink!
• Masaba Punch: A refreshingly sour fruit drink!
• Virgin Mojito: A timeless classic! 

THE APPERISERS

• Hot and Sour Soup: Soups aren't really my thing, but the server recommended this particular soup and we went for it. And my goodness, he was right about the recommendation! The soup was beautifully smooth and well spiced. Perfect to raise our appetites!

•  Aloo Nazakat: The dish, called Tandoori Aloo elsewhere, was my favourite vegetarian dish  to order. It's halved potatoes, stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and tandoor roasted to perfection.

• Dahi ke Kebab: A relatively new addition to the Indian Classic Starters, the dahi ke kebab here were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside but not at all oily due to the frying! 

• Mushroom Galouti Kebab: Another dish trying to imitate the greatness of Nonvegetarian food, the mushroom galouti was smooth and the ulti-tawe ki roti went well with it. 

•  Caesar Salad: A not-so-Indian salad, the Caesar Salad was a perfect accompaniment to the hard hitting and heavy Indian appetisers we ordered. A light salad with a generous amount of chicken.

•  Do Rangi Seekh: Now, I don't know what the meat used in the 2 layers of the seekh kebab was, but it tasted great! The inside, white and minty while the outside was a coating of a more meatier and spicier choice of protein.

MAIN COURSE

• Subz Biryani: Long grains of rice with plenty of vegetables in a handi. The Biryani, traditionally non-vegetarian, was justified with its vegetarian variant.

•  Treasury Paneer Kalyani: A dish I've never had before! Or ever seen before either! Dumplings made of Spinach stuffed with Cottage Cheese simmered in a tomato based gravy, topped with loads of cheese! I never thought Paneer would taste so good.

•  Jodhpuri Bhindi: Now, I'm not a fan of the good old bhindi simply because it is slimy and looks unappetising. HOWEVER, I've had fried okra before and it is brilliant. And that is what you've come to expect from Fried Okra, and when it was served, I was satisfied. BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE! This version of the dish was served over a creamy gravy. Ever thought you'd be eating tari-wali-bhindi? TRY IT!

•  Breads: The breads here were good, nothing extraordinary really. But there were two things that I did found rather interesting. The mirchi parantha was a large parantha topped with green chillies and a Garlic Turbo Naan topped with chilli flakes and oregano! Spicy and flavoursome!

DESSERTS

• Kesari Phirni: I was told that the difference between Phirni and Kheer was that you don't taste the grain of rice separately in a phirni. It is indistinguishable. And that was indeed the case with the Phirni here. Ever so soft and smooth, the phirni was something I thought was the dish of the day.

• Molten Lava Cake: A choco-lava cake has been an all time favourite of any sweet-tooth. Just the sight of chocolate oozing out of a cake is enough to make you drool. Here, the massive cake was served along with a vanilla ice-cream to cut through the warm chocolate.

THE VERDICT

Masabaa - The Treasury is a fine-dining experience that will leave an impression for being the most homely fine-dining experience ever. I was blown away by the service and the food. However, the place lacks a bit of pop. But for any family dinner, this place is a TREASURE!