As the sun was setting on the lush green fields and all around was the rustic rural life of Jaipur, punctuated with a pop of colour, a red turban lying across the khatiya on the courtyard of a home, a yellow poshak of a woman fetching water, the colours fade even more into desert palette. The pinks and oranges of Jaipur now four hours into the countryside Nahargarh, more brown and green, and the driver on a particular off-road with dust and jagged shrubbery points to the Dhok, Khajur and Gum tree, he starts to rattle off the flora and fauna found here and just as I marvel of the resilience of the people of Rajasthan who celebrate with maximalist opulence in the middle of minimalism, the Indo-Saracenic stone silhouette of Nahargarh palace comes in to view. Rajasthan really knows how to balance barren with grandiose.
Masque: Finessing Experiential Gastronomy
With Mughal gardens, jharokas, and manicured lawns divided by meters-long fountains, the Nahargarh palace is an oasis of opulence and immediately I am transported by the sounds of the Manganiyars and the Ravanhatha, a bow and string instrument whose melody carries across the lawns as I walk towards the first event: the Barbeque at the Bageehi. I am greeted with a corn drink lined with Tajin to start the night and then escorted to showcase the grand menu of food.
Masque, the brainchild of Aditi Dugar, also known as the first female restaurateur on Asia’s 50 Best, has been someone with many firsts to her name. Among the first restaurants in Mumbai to offer a tasting menu—molecular gastronomy broken down into 7-10 courses was news to many. Apart from this, she has her grip firmly on the growing mammoth business of F&B in India, overseeing the brand for Araku, running Sage and Saffron and Circle Sixty Nine with the Kathiwada Royal Family in Worli and running 27 Bakehouse. With a bar in the pipeline at the same mill complex as Masque – the future is bright for Aditi and this comes with her keen on for emerging trends in the industry. One of them is the global travellers’ need for live events and culinary travel.
The concept of the travel pop is not new, but has not been done with such aplomb, the feast for the eyes at the first dinner is exhaustive, both with Masque signature dishes and Alisas Haveli’s delicacies, and the smoke from the fire carries the flavours of the region. A few of my personal favourites are the Bhutta Chai, Malgapodi Tater Tots, Nachos and Queso, Chakundar Ke Kebab and Tres Leches with the Glenlivet Caramel. The food is succulent and cooked to perfection, and the weather at a cool 14 degrees Celsius with global musicians hits a crescendo for me as I take in the final spoon of my dessert.
A Curated Soirée
The food and beverages are only complimented with great company, in conversation with someone from Norway and Goa, I realise the power of unique curated experiences draws travellers interested in all aspects of travel – art and culture for one or being in a nature and wildlife zone for another, however, their love for food and experimenting with cuisine trumps the highest reason to be here. The group now giddy with food and drinks switches gear to a cocktail hour curated by our co-host Abhimanyu Alsisar, Raja of Khetri and co-founder of Magnetic Fields, an electronic music festival which has brought global names to India to perform and has its soul firmly in celebrating Rajasthani heritage.
From the sunset arrival at Nahargarh and curated welcome cocktails you can tell how important storytelling is to bring alive an experiential event for both Aditi and Abhimanyu. Each ingredient is mindfully chosen, and all the pairings straight from caviar to cacao a moment curated with the intent for a desired tailored outcome. As I walk through the corridors with smiling faces, all the locals who work in the 100-room property, the warmth of the property is contrasted with the chilly weather and in the two-toned rooms and mirror work on the halls where I can see myself reflected – I catch the first glimpses of the palace transformed into an intimate dining space. The team starts to light tea light candles in over a thousand small glass jars and I can tell the detail on the walls come alive. Rajasthan has always understood the power of doing more with less, the lighting is immaculate and brings our lively conversations under a shroud of stately intimacy – a moment in time.
Into The Wildlife
The second day started with an early face yoga in the sheesh mahal room with Kama Ayurveda, and the walk right after across the lawns lined with morning dew was surreal. The lunch was at the swimming pool with locally inspired dishes with modern interpretations with Himanshu from Pratap Bhawan showcasing local fare from Marwar all inspired from family recipes. The food was impeccable and the only thing to top off this experience was the much-awaited Ranthambore wildlife safari with curated snacks from Masque.
With The Burlap People Tote in my hand, we traversed across the rocky trails surrounded by the majestic Aravalli hills. Streams originating from the Chambal River crisscrossed our roads, and in them, we saw the Magar crocodiles but also migratory birds. In the quiet of the drive, as we enjoyed our Masque nibbles, we came up close with sambar, spotted deer, langurs and peacocks. Coming from the east where poaching has decimated our wildlife, it was a treat to see what the beauty of a wildlife reserve bursting with life does for the traveller. A special treat for me was the historical underpinning with remnants of forts and palaces given the forest was a former princely hunting ground with multitudes of rulers having built structures through here, which makes you think about the impermanence of humans over the immortality of nature.
The highlight of the trip was definitely our introduction to Masque’s multi-course tasting menu at the main dining hall lit up with traditional mirror work with the only light emitting from Belgian chandeliers in red and white. The locally inspired dishes alongside live performances blending tradition with contemporary artistry showcased the canvas of play for Aditi and Abhimanyu, they drew from the region and beyond and left people wanting more. The research and development of both menus were astounding with the level of creativity, flair for design and appetite for blending old with new. Having been to Masque a number of times the design elements: an interplay of historic architecture and Masque’s signature aesthetics created a heady sensory experience at Nahargarh mixing flavours, textures, and visual storytelling in the most wondrous way. The entire event felt like the start of a great collaboration, perhaps the beginning of an annual culinary live event similar to Magnetic with global collaborators, honouring the past while celebrating the future through cuisine, community and culture.
In a recent Booking.com report on “How India Travels,” culinary tourism topped the list of one of the prime reasons India was travelling, and I have no doubt this is only a growing trend, with global travellers expanding their palettes and looking for unique experiences I have no doubt this is the first of many palaces and exclusive culinary pop-ups- but hey if anyone asks – Aditi and Abhimanyu with their passion for adventure and eye on emerging trends did it first, and how. In India, growing world power as both outbound travellers increase and the Indian market shows no sign of slowing down experiences like this that redefine luxury travel and dining are the ones to watch out for.
Related: Aditi Dugar, CEO And Founder Of Masque, Spills The Beans On Building Bridges Through Food
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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