Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether it’s cereal, toast, porridge, pancakes or a steak, whatever it is, it’s important to get something to fuel you for the day.
A London restaurant chain is trying to add some spice and excitement to our breakfast palettes. Masala Zone, which has four branches across London, is launching a new Indian-inspired breakfast range.
Dropped in to check out the new breakfast range they were introducing, I jumped at the chance to try something that wasn’t just porridge for once.
On my way to the Picadilly Circus branch, I got the chance to sit with one third of the team behind the Masala Zone restaurant, Ranjit Mathrani. When I entered the restaurant I was stunned. It’s less of a regular restaurant and more of what can only be described as a grand ballroom. The golden mosaic ceiling sparkled and glittered, making the experience something extraordinary.
If the food was going to be as good as the decor, then I was in for a treat. As I sat at my table sipping my Chai – as if you follow my journalism you know I’m something of a chai connoisseur – waiting for Ranjit and looking at the menu. On one side there were the traditional breakfasts we all know but on the other side it delved into the unknown.
The list of regional breakfasts in India was full of unique dishes. I didn’t know what to have and waited for Ranjit to get his recommendations. He explained: “What we have done with our breakfasts is unusual because we have cuisines that span the different regions of India.”
He continued, “You’ve had scrambled eggs before but we have Wedding Scrambled from Gujarat which is a rich scrambled egg.” I had to try it of course.
Ranjit also highly recommended the Biharia Cup Omelette and a Bacon & Masala Omelet Toastie Naan. A mix of cuisines for the less adventurous he said with a smile. With four plates of food headed my way, I undid my belt buckle in preparation. This was going to be a party.
The meals all came at once and was quite an overwhelming experience. It felt like a buffet for one and the whole thing smelled incredible. I started with the cup omelette, which Ranjit told me was actually cooked in the cup itself. When you cut into it, the gooey insides oozed onto the plate golden and shiny. It seemed like a theme because it matched the ceiling. The blend of spices, subtle but flavorful, danced its way into my stomach.
Next I tried the Wedding Mix – described on the menu as rich and luxurious. It’s a perfect description for these eggs which were wet but firm. They were infused with more traditional curry flavors I recognized and nuts with a splash of heat. The sweet Raisin Pao Toast they had was the perfect accompaniment to something sweet with the savory.
Then it was on to Kerala Roast Eggs. This was truly the richest dish and my favorite. They looked like boiled eggs and had a dark sauce on top. The depth of this flavor with its spice was ridiculously good. It was really something special.
Finally, stomach ready to explode, I tried the Bacon & Masala Omelette Toastie. This was the only one that tasted exactly as I expected. The naan was so good, better than any of your favorite local Indian takeaways, trust me. The bacon was beautifully salty and complemented the omelette in the delicious naan.
During my time with Ranjit, he explained how the restaurant is the brainchild of his wife and her sister. The other restaurants that the three own are Chutney Mary, Amaya and Veeraswamy.
He talked about how the chefs are brought over from India to get the real expertise and variety – you can tell from the delicious food. One of the sisters was even in India at that moment in search of top spices to make sure they had the best ingredients for their amazing food.
I began to understand the meticulous expertise and knowledge that had gone into each dish I tried and exactly what they did. The menu was clearly about having fun with food.
It’s a shame these Indian breakfasts aren’t more widespread in the UK – if you get a chance to try it I definitely recommend it.
You can find out more about Masala Zone’s Piccadilly branch where they serve breakfast at 224 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HP
You can also read more about Masala Zone on their website here.
