Nothing is cuter than seeing a couple nickname each other, even better when the symbol of love one has given to another ends up as the title of their longdreamt restaurant. A love that they share not only for each otherbut for food. This love led Kiran Narayanan to take a culinary course in New York for one-anda-half years before returning to India and reuniting with his wife Ankita Shree, who together then opened Moglu. This Edgy Veggie Restaurant at 1 Shobha aims to democratise vegetarian gourmet food and non-alcoholic concoctions in a casual happy yellow-smeared setting whose mascot happens to be a monkey holding a mango.
As a well-discerned food connoisseur, you must be having second thoughts about your visit here upon hearing this tale, but let us assure you, just like the array of tattoos on his arm (of chef Kiran’s favourite veggies) every dish on his menu reflects his passion towards culinary arts. And we are not exaggerating when we bet that your doubts (like ours) will disappear in this jungle-themed restaurant once you taste a spoonful of his Coastal Spinach Coconut & Lentil Soup. This Palakkad-meets-New York City soup — their take on the spinach kootu served with a side of Uttamiyaki toast (uttappam plus okonomiyaki) and garnished tamarind ginger reduction — is just one of the dishes on their beyond borders menu. It presents the diners with a sumptuous amalgam of Asian, American, Spanish and mostly Palakkad’sregional cuisine because that’s where the chef hails from.
Since the previous dish blew our minds away, we decided to sample Mushroom Dumplings in a Vegan Dashi bowl. Boasting oyster and button mushroom dumplings, shiitake mushroom, vegan dashi rice noodles and grilled king oyster mushroom bursting with umami flavour, this recipe of dashi was apparently passed onto chef Kiran by an 85-year-old Japanese sensei from Northern Hokkaido. Following suit, the Spicy Cabbage Salad-marrying New York Marinated napa and red cabbage with Thai chili and lemon vinaigrette was not only hot and refreshing but a great palate cleanser too.
Intrigued by the combination and fusion of flavours from various corners of the world, we ordered a couple of appetisers — Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Gochujang Marinated & Grilled Eggplant. The former was coated in a balsamic reduction, giving a nice tangy and smokey taste, while the latter fell flat as the eggplant overpowered the Korean red chili paste.
It was when we opted for Beirut, a sharing platter, we were made aware that everything in the restaurant — from sauces and pastes to breads — everything is prepared in-house. Serving the staple food from Lebanon, this DIY platter plates green-chickpea hummus, pumpkin and beetroot mutabbals, babaganoush, muhammara, labneh, tabbouleh, crudites and marinated grapes with pita bread. The spicy and aromatic muhammara was a clear winner. Moglu’s zeroproof drinks — classic Italian Limoncello and Zampari Spritzer (Campari spritzer with a twist) — paired well with the platter and how!
A honourable mention goes to Chef Special Tempeh Arancini with Polenta & Romesco and the BBQ Lionsmane Mushroom Burger that definitely took centrestage. The Asian-Italian dish features panko-crusted tempeh balls, herbed polenta cakes placed artfully on the Spanish romesco sauce and detailed with miso-glazed shallots. The elements on this plate are set in a way where one is incomplete without the other. And the burger — offering lionsmane mushroom, caramelised onion, barbecue sauce and more, all placed in between pillowy-soft potato buns — is wholesome yet very light.
When we finally got to the dessert section, we already knew what we wanted from the exclusive preview menu we were here to review — Poached Pear. A dish we had previously fallen in love with at Vyana, an ice cream and wine-infused version — but this grape juice variant by Mogluserving saffron diplomat, marinated plum g rapes, candied pecans, raspberry coulis and sour cherry compote came together beautifully, surpassing all our expectations.
Meal for two: ₹2,400 onwards. At St Mark’s Road.
email: srushti@newindianexpress.com
X: @Sru_Kulkarni