Muska spices up KL's cafe experience with colourful Indian ingredients & inspirations in Mont Kiara

KL has never seen a cafe like Muska before. Marrying equal influences from Melbourne and Mumbai, Muska seduces the senses with stimulating spices, banishing worn-out cliches of big breakfasts and eggs Benedict. 

The result is cross-cultural excitement for cafe enthusiasts, trading sourdough toast for tandoor-cooked paratha, swapping out shakshouka for eggs in a masala marvel, matched with Mont Kiara's most marvellous masala chai and buttermilk milkshake.

Founder Nalin and his team ensure their fare is rooted in authenticity. The kitchen harnesses the skills of chefs from the Indian subcontinent to capture the essence of Indian cuisine, with the creativity to tweak traditional recipes in surprising new styles.

Muska strives to be a place where customers can feel welcome all day long. Swing by for a fast bite or coffee in the morning, savour a leisurely lunch with family, or pop in with friends to catch live sports on the TV screens in the evening. The cafe conveniently opens from 8am to 11pm everyday!

If you're craving a unique cafe adventure, with unexpected flavours to tantalise the taste buds, Muska is a must, barely four months old but already carving a reputation as a neighbourhood favourite.

Muska is cosy and charming, spacious with plenty of corners to explore. It's the perfect place for relaxing, working or mingling. For special occasions, a private room upstairs overlooks the cafe, comfortably seating up to 12 patrons.

Vegetarians will be thrilled with Muska's variety of meat-free possibilities. 

The Mumbai Vada Pav Slider takes inspiration from the famous street food of India's largest city, harking back to stalls set up outside Mumbai's Dadar railway station.

This is a carb lover's fantasy - a thick, tender potato patty, packed in a custom-baked bun, served with green chilli crisps, garlic and Muska's own mint coriander chutney. 

Everything comes together scrumptiously - the potato patty is crisp to the bite with a comfortingly creamy chew, sandwiched in a lower-sugar bun that lets the flavours of the potato, garlic, chilli and chutney stand out prominently.

Kadhai Paneer with Laccha is for devotees of soft Indian cheese.

The star is a wok-tossed curry of Muska's house-strained cottage cheese, gently savoury, sweet and spicy with onions and tomatoes, a protein powerhouse of paneer that's paired with tandoor-cooked laccha paratha to soak up the curry. Every component of this platter is perfect - the folded flatbread is terrifically thin, crisp and flaky, with smoky charcoal subtleties.

The Hakka Paneer channels Hakka Chinese inflections, evoking Chinese food found in India, particularly in the northeast where India shares borders with China.

Marinated cottage cheese cubes are fragrantly tossed with masala spices, spring onions and capsicum, for heartwarming soulfulness in every bite, tasty and textured. A fun way to have a balanced meal with lots of vibrant nourishment without leaving us in a food coma.

Muska also playfully reimagines other classics from culinary heritages around the world, impeccably infused with Indian ingredients.

At first glance, the Chicken Sukha Tacos might look like a Mexican creation, but the first bite reveals deep, distinct Indian flavours, courtesy of in-house masala mixes.

Instead of a wheat tortilla, Muska showcases chapati, cooked together with dry-spiced minced masala chicken and cheese for an irresistible indulgence. And instead of salsa, these tacos are enlivened by a bright, buoyant medley of mint coriander chutney, mustard and pickled onions.

Mutton or paneer tacos are available, amazing for an Indian taco party, a pleasure to conveniently pick up and eat with your fingers!

For rice-based platters, munch on the Mutton Marvel, which makes for a lip-smacking workday pick-me-up. We love the gorgeously juicy masala mutton mince, lightly spiced for a tongue-tingling temptation, rounded out with peas, a runny egg and sticky rice.

The Andhra Mutton Curry with Basmathi Rice channels the cherished flavours of southern India's Andhra Pradesh state, with captivating herbs and curry leaves in the marination of the mutton. This is an addictively aromatic dish, with the tang of tomatoes and yoghurt to enhance the meat - a recipe that many Muska regulars keep returning for!

For time-honoured Indian caffeination, order the Masala Chai, milky-textured with the sharp strength of spices for a potent chai, brewed multiple times to thoroughly embrace the nuances of cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

The Indian Buttermilk Milkshake is a treat for all generations - a wonderfully wholesome beverage with no added sugar, refreshing with a blend of yoghurt, milk, cumin and salt, the ideal accompaniment for any of Muska's dishes.

Alcoholic drinks are also available, with consistently evolving beer promotions such as a current bargain of two glasses of Carlsberg for only RM20.

Pastries by independent bakers and beverages are also available for a fuss-free snack.

Muska
Lot G-03, Verve Shops, Jalan Kiara 5, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Open Daily, 8am-11pm. Tel: 012-256-6560