Surprisingly vegetarian molecular gastronomy at Spice Klub

Spice Klub is a magical land of sorts. Such I have heard and seen. But being invited to one of my top ten “have to try” restaurants got me all excited about and inquisitive to find out if all that molecular magic really exists or is it just a hype? Well, thankfully it was the former!

Making molecular gastronomy affordable, Spice Klub offers an all vegetarian menu, making this a haven, not just for herbivores but for carnivores alike. Not for once did we miss out on meat! The cleverly thought out bit though, is the fact that they perfectly balance fancy with fine. So while you’re all pumped up with your cameras and Snapchats during drinks, you gradually mellow down a bit for appetizers, and then move towards a more relaxed (non-jumpy) main course, just in time to bounce back for desserts.

The interiors are a mix of modern asymmetric lines, quirky color pop pillows, and traditional wall art – all of which combines to give Spice Klub an infallible appeal.

Coconut Water with Rose Caviar & Mango on the Rocks

One of the famous Spice Klub concepts includes “eating your drinks”. Which is why these drinks came with little spoons so you can enjoy it sip by sip, uh I mean, spoon by spoon throughout your meal. The drink in the foreground is my favorite out of the lot. In fact I had been craving for this ever since Spice Klub opened up shop.

If you know me, you would have guessed it’s something to do with coconut! Very much like a coconut slush, this drink comes with flash frozen coconut water, topped with extremely elegant rose caviar pearls. It’s like a drink of royalty, something you would expect to see during a queen’s personal soiree.

The drink in the background – Mango on the Rocks – is quite a hit too, especially for its mango content. This one goes all out to showcase its molecular gastronomy appeal. Fresh mango juice is enhanced with liquid nitrogen, exuding all that smoky shenanigan to create a mushy, creamy, icy cold concoction.

Friendly tip: if you are a mango lover, DO NOT miss the mango drink!

Pani Puri

One of the most famed dishes at Spice Klub, the test tube Pani Puri packs quite a punch, both in terms of presentation and flavor. The minute this arrived at the table, all my fellow diners started calling dibs on the number of puris they’d have. And I don’t blame them. While I was more focused on capturing that dry ice smoke before it ran out, somewhere in my mind I secretly wished I could have this all to myself. But no, that unfortunately didn’t happen and I had to share ;).

This chemical mix really does create quite a chemistry with its sweet and spicy blends. The tangy imli chutney is served in a fat syringe, while the cork studded test tubes house the hot and spicy mint water. The filling of sprouts and boiled potatoes fared quite well with the very crispy “pre-punched” puris, although I would have loved it had they kept the filling true to the Mumbaiya ‘ragda’ (white peas), or offered a choice between the two.

Either way, I am definitely going back for this chaat, and more. More just refers to more chaat goodness like Dahi Wada, Dhokla, Papdi Chaat, Vada Pav, etc, which I couldn’t try on this visit, but Spice Klub is one of those gems which will make you want to keep going back for more.

Pav Bhaji Fondue

The happiness you get from eating Pav Bhaji is quite similar to having your better half plan a romantic night out for you. And trust me, even then Pav Bhaji will always make you happier than the latter.

This Pav Bhaji Fondue at Spice Klub though; it took things up a notch with its sheer brilliance. Oodles of cheese swirled in with the creamy veggie mash, topped with a dollop of butter and garnished with chopped onions and coriander – brought together everything that you’d expect from a classic cheese pav bhaji. This one however, came served in a fondue pot with a tiny tea light candle at its base keeping it warm. Then of course, there had to be bread. This one was accompanied with crusty bite-sized pieces of the classic Mumbai styled pav, which made perfect dippers in the creamy fondue.

I wouldn’t be surprised if you would choose to visit Spice Klub just for this dish. And if you are a pav bhaji fanatic like me, you better do. Because if you haven’t tried this, you are missing out on a lot.

Mushroom Spinach Shashlik Platter

Tikkas. For meatarians like us, tikkas are synonymous to chunks of chicken tossed in creamy or spicy marinades and char grilled to tender perfection. But this wasn’t that! Spice Klub prides itself on its all vegetarian menu, and rightly so! I already mentioned in my previous posts that you’ll never miss the meat at this place, and this is exactly why.

The Mushroom Spinach Shashlik platter came in a variety of non-spicy, mildly spicy, and spicy barbecued mushrooms. These were generously stuffed with spinach and cheese, and layered with grilled tomatoes and peppers. Perfectly roasted, and cooked just right, this dish was quite a surprise element. It in fact made me fall in love with mushrooms all over again. If you’re on a “try something different” spree, these mushrooms definitely deserve a spot on that list.

Chutney & Pickle Platter

While we are still talking about appetizers, it wouldn’t be fair to miss out on this awesomeness of a Chutney & Pickle platter.

Served in Mumbai style cutting chai glasses, all within a tea caddy, it brings a mix of 8 different favorites. These aresure to gel well with all your dishes.

The variety includes the likes of spicy green chutney, sweet imli chutney, garlic raita, homemade pickles, cabbage salad, radish salad and more!
Why don’t you try all of them at Spice Klub and tell me which one’s your favorite!

Seasonal Fruit Lassi

Would you rather have lassi in a glass or as a shot?!

These fruit lassi shots at Spice Klub, dressed as spoonfuls of molecular spheres, come in a variety of 6 different flavors. What’s cool is that they are topped off with yogurt foam at the end of each sphere. My favorite one, without a doubt, was the passion fruit & apricot lassi shot.
Do you like fruit flavored lassi? Would you try one in a spoon?

Paneer Kadai & Parathas

For the mains at Spice Klub, we kept it simple with Paneer Kadai. Cooked with just the right masalas and customised to your preferred spice level, this one came with tender chunks of cottage cheese in a rich gravy. But since it is essential to balance simple with sassy, the paratha basket brought in quite a bang.

So we ended up trying this classic paneer gravy with not one or two, or three, but four different types of breads. The garlic chili butter naan was my favorite. Garlicky, spicy, hot; everything you would want in a naan to eat it all by itself. Then there was the classic leavened laccha paratha and thin roomali roti. And how can you miss the sundried tomato and olive naan? So soft and fresh, it could probably be eaten best with just plain cream cheese.
Which paratha is your favorite?!

Flower Pot

Ras Malai is any form is always welcome on my table. I won’t reiterate how much I love Ras Malai since I have done that over and over again. But this Flower Pot at Spice Klub deserves a special mention for its concept.

Once you break open the chocolate covered flower pot, it reveals gooey chocolate sauce and absolutely luscious Ras Malai within.

To give it that pretty garden look, there are caramel and chocolate garden tools on the side. And all of that is placed on pistachio and chocolate soil.
Don’t miss that lovely mint garnish on the top.

Paan Mousse

We ended our Spice Klub meal with one of the most classic digestives of Indian cuisine – Paan.
But we were sure there’d be a twist!

The Paan mousse was made with paan flavored cream placed over pretty rose petals. This was topped with lots of liquid nitrogen to give it an instant freeze.

These are quite reminiscent of Mumbai street food, especially the iced paan which has been a rage since long. I would definitely go back for this mousse, especially when those paan cravings kick in.

Spice Klub

Location: Opposite Aster Hospital, Near Sharaf DG, Kuwait Street, Mankhool, Dubai
Contact: 04 4489590