Masque’s new summer menu stands for fresh fruit and Indian heritage

Updated May 5, 2024 2:51 PM IST

Masque has been one of India’s leading restaurants for years, and with good reason. From innovative reinventions of classic dishes to the creative use of seasonal ingredients: every plate tells a story about sustainability, tradition and culinary innovation. With their new summer menu they have retold age-old dishes in their signature style.

Crispy ponkh with pickled and smoked strawberries

Modern Indian dining offers a sea of potential and when it comes to challenging expectations, Mask has already proven its qualities many times. Named one of the 50 Best Restaurants in Asia, and one of the most reputed modern Indian restaurants in the world, there is no doubting their credentials. Founded in 2016 by Aditi Dugar and currently led by Chef Varun Totlanithe restaurant has pioneered in many ways, including opening up the richness of India’s regional cuisines.

With buzzwords like seasonality and sustainability at the heart of every restaurant in the city, setting a new standard for their summer menu could have been a challenge in itself. But according to Chef Varun’s ethos, seasonality is not a new concept for Indian dining; it is the basis of the way we eat. “If you go to people’s homes anywhere in the country, they eat based on availability,” he says. “Some restaurants pay extra for ingredients that are imported, but in general, following the seasons is already the most efficient way to cook.”

Masque’s summer menu is a translation of that ethos, drawing on Chef Varun’s travels and inspired by the wealth of Indian produce and culinary traditions. He has taken flavors from all over the country and gently remixed them into a light, summery palette. What is striking is how effortlessly flavors from all over the country coexist: from a Bengali posto that shares space with Maharashtrian Amti, Masque’s latest creations bring a refreshing lightness to the table, perfectly suited for the sultry summer days.

Seasonal ingredients were central to the entire menu. A slightly sweet young ponkh, fried to a crisp and served with tart pickled strawberries, exemplified the freshness of the season. But the ingredients also played a role in a larger story Indian cuisine. Masque’s reinvention of classic dishes like idiyappam and stew gave a modern twist to a well-known favorite based on Chef Varun’s trip to Kerala. Instead of the rich hot curry, they switched to a lighter coconut foam with the same flavors paired with crispy duck floss, fried idiyappam, topped with bhavnagari chillies and curry leaves, transforming the textural experience while still retaining the essence of the dish.

Another highlight is the barbecue with a pork rib, brined for 2 days and smoked for 7 hours, combined with a rhubarb and tamarind glaze on a base of raw mango salad topped with amaranth, with the salad effectively lightening the heaviness of the meal. dish. Each dish told a story, interweaving influences from across India and beyond. From the smoky notes of Kerala to the European-inspired white wine sauce with mud crab topped with nuggets of Chattisgarhi fara.

The menu also offered lighter options such as steamed squid with gooseberries and gondhoraj oil, which made for a refreshing change. Simple and clean, this was a dish with nowhere to hide, and the combination of the squid with a kachri kanji (a cold cucumber curry) accentuated that. As they say, no Indian meal is complete without rice and the main course consists of an elaborate thali with tandoor soft shell crab, raw Maharashtrian mango amti with a base of tender lamb cheek, a portion of oil-crispy Ladyfish in a Bengali posto, and a portion crisp ambemohar rice with a side of buttery, croissant-like ladi pav. This was the only course where they strayed slightly from the otherwise fresh, light menu and although each dish was beautifully presented, it seemed like an attempt to get a lot on the plate before dessert.

Speaking of desserts, a decadent finale to the meal, the refreshing roselle sorbet with musk-melon rabri granita, was a return to the light summer atmosphere. The innovative use of cocoa waste is a nod to sustainability and ingenuity, while the combination of grapefruit, orange, gondhoraj ice cream, cashew praline and chocolate fudge is a beautiful play between deep cocoa and essential citrus notes.

Masque’s summer menu was a refreshing reminder of what celebrating Indian cuisine really means. It wasn’t just about following trends; it was about embracing the diverse ingredients and traditions of the season while pushing the boundaries just enough to keep things interesting.

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