Houston’s Musaafer Restaurant in the Galleria Wows with Refined Indian Cuisine

Since its opening in May 2020, Musaafer The Galleria in Houston offers exceptional food and drink that exceeds the considerable promise of its palatial space. The surroundings even seem to have an energy of their own, starting with the darkened entrance area, which seems to say, “This place holds secrets and wonders.”

First, some expectations: Musaafer is an Indian restaurant that is not casual or cheap (but it can be fun, as evidenced by the following Bollywood Brunch). Considering the a la carte menuwhere entrees range from $23 for vegetarian Dal Musaafer at $65 for the beef vindaloo made with filet mignon, its closest counterpart might be just as ambitious Amrina in The Woodlands. Furthermore, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the leaders who paved the way for high-end Indian cuisine in Houston, like Kiran Verma of Kiran.

The genius behind Musaafer’s dishes is the executive chef Mayank Istwaland the 12-course tasting menu for $175 plus 20 percent service charge (gratuity) is the ultimate expression of his and his team’s work. Cocktail or wine pairings can be added for an additional $75 per person. Diners can choose from the regular tasting menu or a vegetarian menu (which involves changing only a few dishes, since some of the regular menu is vegetarian anyway). There are also a few luxurious add-on dishes for an additional cost. This puts Musaafter among the most upscale tasting menu restaurants in the Greater Houston area, like March Or th_prsrv. Houston Food Finder was invited to try the Spring 2024 tasting menu — and rest assured, it’s an experience that won’t leave you hungry at the end.

Oh, and if you love photographing your meals (especially at eminently Instagrammable restaurants like this one), you’ll be pleased to know that the tables are equipped with little lamps that make for excellent phone photos in the dark dining room. (No flash, please. It distracts your dining companions, and phone flash photos are horrible anyway.) You can even adjust the brightness or intensity of the lamps with a simple tap.

Twelve courses is a lot, so I’ll just cover the most memorable dishes of the evening. (Also, if I say everything I want about a dozen courses, it’ll be a 3,000-word essay. Please, sir, I have a family.)

The tasting menu experience begins with a Cumin and truffle macaroon As an appetizer (a small amuse-bouche), I warn you that it will disappear faster than expected and you will miss it once it is finished. I would have bought a box of six cookies to take home. The cumin-scented cookie halves were as light and airy as any I have ever eaten, and the truffle custard was incredibly decadent. Not that it was necessary (and not that I am complaining), but the macaron was also topped with Kaluga caviar.

Moving from appetizers to entrees, one could hardly dream of a better start than the achapamwhich looks like a Holi Festival on a plate thanks to the scatterings of brightly colored spices. An achapam is a “biscuit” (the texture is perhaps more like a crunchy pastry shell) made by dipping a iron mold in dough and then hot oil (very similar to bunuelos). The result is a delicate, thin-edged cookie—traditionally available from street vendors in India—that has lots of nooks and crannies. Musaafer elevates achapam from a light snack to a culinary work of art by adding roasted sweet pepper and tamarind chutneys, avocado puree, and bright orange and red edible flower petals.

THE Oysters with coconut and curry leaves with coconut milk, ginger, curry leaves, chilli oil and crunchy millet marked the point where a few dishes in the middle of the meal faltered a little. The thick, pale green coconut sauce might have been better served with something else. As it was, not only did it not add to the quality of the oysters, it completely distracted from them. The piece of grilled squash was, by its nature, a high-water content vegetable, simply too large and soft to sear well on the outside and to be saved by a variety of excellent chutneys. These few misfires were not a deal breaker for the meal as a whole, but they were the low points.

Between these two dishes, there was a welcome respite: the Masala Papad with ahi tuna, an emulsion of achar (Indian pickle), marinated serrano and ginger. After the excessively creamy sauce on the oysters, this crunchy and beautiful snack was the antidote I needed. I preferred the regular menu version with fresh tuna to the vegetarian version with red peppers as a substitute.

However, it would be extremely difficult for me to recommend the carnivore menu over the vegetarian menu, as the latter included one of my favourite dishes of the evening. vegetarian version of ceviche Lychee was the main ingredient. Replacing seafood, the texture was perfect and the yuzu provided the expected tang while the coconut milk added richness. Scattered bits of “tooti frooti” (sugar syrup infused with fruit and made into little candies) and dots of basil and chili oil added circus-like color and fun.

On the other hand, the regular menu offers some incredible dishes Lamb chops sprinkled with coriander and chilli, so how can you miss it? those? Obviously, the only correct answer is to bring a friend and each order the two different menus.

Musaafer’s desserts are always fun and interesting, and the Mango fruit pâté — a creamy, tangy dessert in the form of an ice lolly, with a stick and all, which was no exception. What blew me away was the digestive candy served at the end.

Appointed bread After the usual betel leaf and nut concoction served after dinner in India, Musaafer’s version was much more elegant. A white onyx box was brought to the table, and inside was a thick sheet of gold-coated chocolate for each guest. It’s a mix of passion fruit chocolate, digestive spices, and raspberry crisp, and it reminded me of two things: the bowl of candied and plain anise seeds you get at the exit of more casual Indian restaurants, and the end result of making chocolates infused with Fernet Branca. This digestive candy won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I found it quite fascinating.

I could write an entirely separate article about the cocktail program under the Beverage Director, Afzal Kabawhich is as interesting and clever as the price. Musaafer’s website has a page This goes more in-depth into beverage philosophy, but one area of ​​focus deserves special attention. The beekeeper The cocktail program features five ingredient groups, each featuring a local honey harvested within a 6.5-mile radius of the restaurant. The selected ingredient group can be transformed into one of four cocktail styles: an Old Fashioned, an “easy” Old Fashioned (lower proportion of alcohol to other ingredients), a Gold Rush (traditionally a whiskey sour with bourbon, honey syrup, and fresh lemon juice), or a hot toddy (perhaps not popular in the height of Houston summer, but certainly welcome in the winter). I chose a University of the West with honey from West University, Brugal 1888 rum, and black walnut bitters, and it was the bitters that kept this drink from being too sweet. I’d be happy to go through the other four ingredient combinations. There are many other cocktailsincluding a Gin & Tonic ProgramEvery cocktail I’ve tried at Musaafer is thoughtful and appealing.

The service is exemplary. Every staff member I encountered at Musaafer was clearly knowledgeable about the concept, food, and drinks, and seemed proud to work there. Musaafer is a “deep” restaurant in terms of food, drink, history, and environment, so there are probably a thousand details to learn. My server in particular was incredibly kind and patient, and I still feel a little guilty for needing those qualities. My reservation was for 8:15 p.m. and I was 15 minutes late. I had greatly underestimated how long the tasting menu experience would take. I was the last person out of the restaurant, and my server and a few others ended up staying well past closing time. Yet there was not a hint of impatience.

Don’t be put off by the fact that the restaurant is located inside the Galleria. Once you choose to self-park in the brown or purple garage or valet parking, Musaafer is very easy to get to. Simply enter through the south doors facing Westheimer and the entrance is immediately on the right. From there, you will either go up the stairs or take the elevator to the second floor.

If you enjoy and have the opportunity to partake in the best of the best of Houston’s dining scene, Musaafer is a restaurant you don’t want to miss. Istwal and his team craft dishes of incredible intensity. After experiencing the tasting menu, an almost overwhelming parade of arts and crafts, you might leave feeling a little light-headed. Luckily, it wasn’t a dream, and when the next seasonal tasting menu arrives, you’ll be able to do it all over again.

Phaedra Cook has been writing about the Houston restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She has been a regular contributor to My table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years before being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has served as its editor and publisher ever since.

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