Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1255943
MUSAAFER, THE TAJ MAHAL OF INDIAN RESTAURANTS, MAKES ITS DEBUT. BY SHELBY HODGE. PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL ANTHONY, JULIE SOEFER. OUT OF INDIA 40 A m a g i c a l j o u r n e y b e g i n s a s s o o n a s o n e e n t e r s Musaafer, the much ballyhooed Indian restaurant in The Galleria that opened in prime pandemic time in mid-May. Two years in the making — and with little expense spared — the jewel box of a restaurant rises to the dramatic expectations of design that have intrigued many since the first reveal of this bold endeavor. Owners Mithu and Shammi Malik of Dubai-based Spice Route Company said from the get-go that this restaurant would be like no other. For their first venture in the U.S., the restaurateurs moved to Houston after completing their 100- day journey through India, researching cuisine and design. "Honestly, I would say this is a private indulgence," Mithu says. "We really wanted to bring to the rest of the world a picture of India that nobody sees. We wanted people to be able to go to India, virtually, and we wanted the entire experience to be extremely unique." Indeed, Musaafer (which means "traveler" in Hindi) transports us with show-stopping elements — the work of Abhigyan Neogi's award-winning Chromed Design Studio, based in New Delhi. This transformation in the midst of a luxe shopping mall is impressive, with every inch of the 10,000-square-foot space awash in the spirit of India, and every aspect sourced from India, where craftsman replicated colonial and pre-colonial Indian motifs. Custom floral wallpapers by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, custom lamp shades suspended from the high ceilings, ornate hand-hammered tin panels, dining tables with mother- of-pearl inlaid tops, and filigree chandeliers are among the stunning design elements. The restaurant has seven unique dining areas. The most opulent is the Statue of the 14-foot-tall traveling Musaafer in the Traveler's Room