[Shanghai] Masala Art

Masala Art

Add: 397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu / 大沽路397号，近石门一路
Tel: 6327 3571
Hours: 11:30am-2pm, 5:30-10:30pm
Price: 100~150 RMB/person
Visited on: May 2012

Spent a lovely evening at Masala Art with friends. Food coma ensued after all the heavy Indian dishes went into our bellies…and oh my, were they delicious.

We started with some excellent Samosa (28 RMB), deep fried crispy patties filled with spiced potatoes and green peas.

Then, a Tandoori Murg (68 RMB), chicken marinated in yogurt, fresh spices and lemon juice barbecued over flaming charcoal in our tandoor. Mine was slightly dry, but my friend had a different part of the chicken and it was tender and juicy.

Following that, curry galore.

My favorite was the vegetarian Raj Kofta (48 RMB), a thick tomato-based curry with minced vetegables-filled cottage cheese dumplings. The texture of the dumplings was somewhat like a softer gnocchi, its flavor quite light and in perfect harmony with the tomato curry.

I also loved Saag Chaman (55 RMB), another vegetarian curry with cottage cheese, freshly picked spinach, and zesty brown garlic.

Meat lovers can try Murg Tikka Masala (68 RMB), a curry of boneless chicken cooked in onion and tomato gravy flavored with mace and cardamom.

And of course, the naans. We ordered Garlic Naan (20 RMB) and Masala Kulcha (20 RMB), which is naan made with cheese and potatoes. Both marvelously fragrant and chewy.

A small bowl of diced vegetables came with the curries. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with this one and left it mostly untouched…

Masala Art is not a restaurant I’d come frequently because the dishes are so rich and heavy, but it’s a lovely place to visit once in a while, and also a great choice for larger gatherings since the dishes are meant to be shared. Service was excellent throughout, the waiter and manager (both Indian) really made dinner all the more enjoyable.