If I told you that you can experience cuisines from North India in Mumbai, you’d play a long guessing game with me as to which place serves the best fare in the city. Mumbaikars do love their parathas and butter chickens, tandooris, and niharis. But I am not talking about the run-of-the-mill menus that most places serve and the North Indian flavours diners are overexposed to. When it comes to Loya, tucked inside a very bustling The Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai, you are stepping into a colourful bazaar-like set-up, where the food comes with a side of history.
The aesthetics showcase India’s glorious past with colourful awnings and canopies. You will see intricate jaalis, brassware on walls, motifs, artworks, copper lanterns and more desi embellishments. Walk straight and you meet a modern bar in an otherwise traditional setting. Sculpted out of natural rocks and boulders, the bar has its own waterfall that is their version of a natural Himalayan spring. They have a poolside, outdoor area as well.
After easing my parched throat with a jaljeera-pudina-passionfruit welcome drink that comes in a cute mini-cola, monogrammed bottle, I wait for the storytelling to begin. And, it does with an introduction by our server Chui, who says, “This is not an experience, it is a journey to the heart of the North”. Loya in the Pahadi dialect means gathering for a feast. And, gather we did!
We opted for their Bemisaal tasting menu that was divided into Pella Swaad (Appetisers), Saanjha Swaad (Mains), Saath Mein (Accompaniments) and Mittha (Desserts). Soon, a tableside chaat counter approaches, where the dal for the Dal ki Chaat is simmering over live flame. Prepped in front of you with besan-gehun crisps, topped up with warmed lentils like dal and chana, and garnishes, it is warm and cosy. This is paired with Chainaki — originally an Afghan lamb stew cooked in the chainak (clay pot) that came to India from Afghanistan via the trade route. Only here, it is made with moong and toor dal, shorba style poured over some corn kernels, dal and coriander.
Loya prides itself in serving lost and heirloom recipes of India made using the traditional cooking techniques like dhungar, baghar, sigdi, and dum made in clay pots or iron kadhais. Where Loya is housed today used to be Masala Kraft, and the team of chefs has been retained here. After extensive training at the Delhi outpost and travels by executives to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and more places in northern India, the team came back with some unique additional recipes that are not present on the menus of Loya in Delhi or Bengaluru.
The next round presents us with Lakhori Murg Tikka — smoked in Almora chili marinade; Gosht Ke Lazeez Pasliyan — cooked in stone flower and kebab chini spice; and Sigdi Macchi — made with wari spice and charcoal-cooked. While each highlighted a different ingredient, we thought the salt to be a bit on the lower side in all three and the gosht not as tender as we expected it to be. The first half of the experience was understated for us; the real magic was in the mains that blew our minds. Be it the swiftly off-the-bone Dum Nalli’s meat, or the Bhangeer Murg that was toothsome, or the walnut-inked, juicy and tender gosht in Kangra Khodiya Gosht, the flavourful medley served with origin stories by Chef Farukh Shaikh kept us thoroughly hooked.
The breads like Gola Paratha, Malera Roti, and Tikkad ki Missi Roti complemented each dish well. The Gosht Biryani with Ori Raita deserves special spotlight as the raita elevates the dish greatly. If you love the pungency that mustard seed tempering has, you will love this. The Dal Panch Ratna was a comforting mix to the spread. It is easy to overindulge when the blowout before you is this good. The salt, the tenderness of the meat, and the spices were all well-balanced in the second half of the experience. Desserts like Bandana Pearls, Doodh Jalebi with three kinds of milk, and even sugar-free options are a great way to round off your experience.
Like the food, the beverage program at Loya keeps storytelling at its heart, too. Under the Loya Paanch experience, the cocktail philosophy is firmly established and inspired by the five rivers, five senses and five elements of life. Botanicals from up north are showstoppers in your glass, and we sipped on cocktails like Sparkling Saffron, Gulab, Mulethi and Masala Whisky.
Just as we were ready to leave, we were presented with a make-your-own-mukhwas tray wherein candied dates, mishri, dehydrated paan, and candied sugar craved our attention to be muddled as per liking. With a desi ending and the longest lunch of my life, we Loya-ed hard!
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5
Where: The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Colaba, Mumbai
When: 12–3 pm; 6–11:45 pm
Cost: ₹8,000+++ for tasting menu per person
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