Masti (Indian) – Dubai

Located in La Mer, with over 50 surrounding places to dine, “Masti”, with its modern and upbeat ambience and exquisite interior, appears to fully encompass its traditional meaning of ‘fun and mischief’.

The decor in both sections of the venu, namely the Masti Lounge and the Masti Canteen, scream an array of colours, from shades of blue and purple to shades of green and orange.

Masti Canteen is situated on the ground floor and, as the name suggests, offers a casual restaurant feel suitable for groups of all ages.

Here you’ll find a selection of classic Indian dishes with more of a traditional feel and, of course, a touch of Masti! It’s bright, colourful and has a relaxing ambience with a family-friendly atmosphere that’s open seven days a week.

One’s journey to Masti Lounge on the first floor is via an enjoyable walk up a veritable stairway-to-heaven, with artistic imagery framed and positioned on the walls.

Entering into a new interior space, with the bar as a focal point, expect lots of brass, marble and mahogany as part of the floor’s dark, rich colours.

This is complemented by lush greenery, that’s spread across the restaurant, and contrasted with vibrant multi-coloured dining chairs and cushions.

Offering live weekly entertainment, the Lounge also serves alcohol which, coupled with an allowance for smoking at the bar, creates a more adult atmosphere for guests.

The total number of seats in the restaurant is 300 across the two floors and each floor has both indoor and outdoor seating.

Masti does not have a lift. However, there is a disabled toilet on the ground floor of the restaurant. The toilets were decorated well and kept neat and tidy.

NOTE: While this review is of their brunch menu, many of the items had below are also part of their à la carte menu.

Mum-Bay – Blackberry & hibiscus tea, rhubarb, ginger, rose lemonade; Mystic Diawli – Watermelon, elderflower, charcoal, dill, lemon soda – AED 50 each

We were recommended two drinks, both of which turned out to be quite interesting to say the least.

The Mystic Diwali was a trendy one with some flavours that we would not usually go for; but it did do wonders for the palate and was truly mystic in nature.

The Mum-bay was poured and presented really well, with a mixture of flavours which, though ones we again wouldn’t necessarily opt for, worked together really well, and which, despite being stronger than Mystic Diawli’s, were subtle and refreshing.

Citrus & Mesclun Salad (V) – orange, thai chilli, lemongrass, mix lettuce, AED50

The Citrus & Mesclun Salad was a very colourful plate, with orange segments and red berries adding to an already vibrant salad, which had a surprisingly fitting kick to it.

Surely a good sign for things to come!

Cassava Chaat (V | N) – arugula, sweet & sour chutney, tomato lace, AED70

A nicely presented Cassava Chaat consisted of peppery arugula leaves, sweet and sour chutney and tomato lace, with a pleasant spicy aroma.

It had a crunchy texture which was nicely offset by the greens on the plate.

Tuna Bhel Tartare – chickpea crisp, avocado crema, AED65

The Tuna Bhel Tartare, was the most innovative of all the cold appetisers, taking the Indian out of India and westernising her with this perfect blend of spices and textures, and had us going till the very end.

Mango & Avocado Ceviche (V) – aam panna, crispy plantain, AED55

As for the Mango & Avocado Ceviche, it was an interesting one, mixing the flavours of Peru with that of India; and thus ideal in pairing with any of the other cold appetisers.

The crispy plantain added texture and dimension, with the sweetness of the mango helping to bring the dish together in a well balanced way by giving it a soft tangy undertone.

Flatbreads (V) – Plain AED15, Butter AED17, Gruyere Cheese AED22, Sun-dried tomato AED25, Laccha Paratha AED15

Flatbreads are flatbreads! A lovely accompaniment to the cold appetisers. All of the cold appetisers set an exceptional standard for the rest of the meal.

Chipotle Paneer Tikka (v) – fresh cottage cheese marinated in chipotle spice and cooked in the tandoor, tamarind and chilli sauce, AED60.

The Chipotle Paneer Tikka can only be described with one word – hot! Whilst it was very tasty, you’ll definitely feel the heat all the way through. But it is definitely one to choose if you like your food spicy.

Stuffed Chicken Wings – herb stuffed wings, yuzu-orange glaze, AED75

If there was any part of this review that was original, then it would have to have been Masti’s Stuffed Chicken Wings.

Wow; what a fusion – it looked like a chicken wing, so it must be a chicken wing, right? Well this wasn’t. It was stuffed with herbs and mixed with chicken, wrapped to look like a wing, before being glazed with citrusy yuzu-orange. Quite superb!

Dynamite Prawns Koliwada (SF) – fried marinated prawns, red pepper aioli, AED85

If you are a fan of P.F. Chang’s signature dish, then the Dynamite Prawns Koliwada will not change that. With the prawns being cooked to perfection, it was accompanied by red pepper aioli, which provided a slight kick that was bearable for the palate.

The Indian take on this brings an element of difference, something we would definitely order again because of its flavours.

Kheema Empanadas – spicy fried lamb wrap, tamarind and chilli sauce, AED70

The Kheema Lamb Empanadas are for those of you that love both Indian and Spanish food (though not the traditional empanadas you’d imagine).

On their own, these were a delight; but with the tamarind and chilli sauce dip as a complement, these were truly something to savour, with the sweet-chilli helping to enhance the flavours of the aromatic filling therein.

Chicken Bharta & Flatbread – charcoal roasted pulled chicken, easy eggs, AED90

Chicken Bharta and Flatbread was essentially traditional butter chicken with a twist. Here, the pulled chicken was charred enough to lend some smokiness to a velvety curry sauce, which, in spite of its sweetness, had a good amount of heat to it.

The easy eggs provided a touch of luxury, with the yolk adding an earthiness to a bowl that was otherwise the best dish had at Masti – period!

Eggplant Bharta & Flat Bread (V) – two variations of charcoal roasted eggplant, flat bread, AED90

As for this generous plate of Eggplant Bharta & Flatbread, then this was something truly delicious! Two variations of charcoal roasted eggplant; one with tomato masala and the other with mushroom and tofu masala. The former brought a conventional take on the dish, whereas the latter brought the dish to the modern age.

There were lots of flavours infused here which, without overpowering the other, helped to complement each other to offer a truly unique plate of food.

Beef Pepper Fry (N) – beef tenderloin, crushed pepper, chilli spice, AED90

The Beef Pepper Fry, which was an Indian curry, had a strong Far Eastern relish.

For this dish, the fresh peppercorn taste, without being overpowering in anyway, brought through a good reminder of home, with the beef being superbly tender and soft.

Mango Chocolate Cheesecake (N) – vanilla cigar, blueberry coulie, AED55

The Mango Chocolate Cheesecake was not your usual cheesecake, we must say!

The fusion of flavours in the form of mango, chocolate, vanilla and blueberry, were all a refresher to the palate at the end of any meal. This one had to be our personal favourite, and one that’s definitely worth the order.

Chocolate Delice (N) – chocolate-cumin ganache, popping candy, chocolate soil, strawberry gel, AED60

This would be a dessert for those seeking after new and unusual taste sensations, we’d say!

For us, however, this Chocolate Delice, though beautifully presented, would not be something we’d necessarily order again, only because there was an overpowering cumin taste alongside the chocolate.

Lotus Snap, Crackle & Pop – lotus & white chocolate sandwich, hints of coffee, saffron basundi, AED65

Known as Masti’s special, the Lotus Snap, Crackle & Pop was a dessert of real pleasure.

It was primarily sweet, with a nice savoury note from the pistachio and a level of tartness from the raspberry. The saffron basundi was hardened by liquid nitrogen, thereby enabling the dessert to be presented in this delightful manner. Another innovative take which we’d again recommended for its variety of flavours, textures and temperatures.