Reviews Masaledar Restaurant

Great restaurant, great food and really friendly staff

The CURRY leg
It was time. CURRYBOND was go! Five brave CURRYBONDers arrived at the first curry restaurant on this spicy odyssey, Masaledar. Perched nicely between Tooting Bec and Broadway it has been a long time favourite of these particular CURRYBONDers.

Jobbers, first to arrive. He's clearly got his eyes on the Sean Connery award for best CURRYBOND attendance. Turnout is good, with The Banker third to arrive and only 15 mins late, we'll keep an eye on that throughout CURRYBOND.

So to the venue, it's glitzy sparkle fits in perfectly with the CURRYBOND aesthetic, comfy leather chairs, warm lighting and limited fluorescents will surely see Masaledar fire high on the venue score. Bathrooms are clean, adequately stocked with squeezy soap and received a thumbs up from Shethers, chief CURRYBOND bathroom reviewer. The gents hand drier however resembled an old man slowly exhaling his last breath on your hands. After collating the CURRYBONDers scores Masaledar gets a 8.1/10 for venue, the phaal is strong with this one...

Service was prompt, friendly and without incident.

The reference starter was available and duly ordered. 6 onion bhaji balls arrived accompanied by a rather nice spicy dipping sauce. Bhaji's were very tasty, nicely crunchy without being burned and had a texture as Gills put it "quite falafelly". Overall a strong start to the bhaji bonanza awaiting us, straight in with a 9/10 for bhajis.

But, to the curry. A good selection from the menu, which was relatively limited for a curry place, 8-10 main dishes per meat/veg on offer. Up first in CURRYBOND #1 Chicken Korma, Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi, Saag Murgh, Methi Gosht, Lamb Masaledar and of course the CURRYBOND reference curry, Chicken Tikka Masala.
The curry looked good. Generous portions, notable by how much was left over (though January diets from some of the CURRYBONDers might not have helped). Quality was high across the board, the Methi Gosht was a notable high as was the Tikka Masala. The eponymous Lamb Masaledar however got a damp reception with Jobbers preferring the Tikka Masala. Naans were good, anti-vampiric levels of garlic, not too bready and big. A contender for the Naan with the Golden Gun Award. So overall, the food is very good, but the CURRYBONDers had the feeling we weren't quite hitting the ceiling of curry Valhalla. So awarded the Food 7.2/10.

The final category for the curry leg of CURRYBOND, value. Straight off the bat Masaledar hits it off with a BYOB policy, which we took advantage of. A £1/person "corckage" is added to the bill though judging by the bottles of official Cobra beer on our table a "bottle capage" would have been more appropriate.
The total bill £88.20 exc.tip, that's £17.64/CURRYBONDer. Relatively high considering the BYOB, as a result Masaledar gets a score of 6.3/10 for value.

So to sum up
Venue - 8.1
Food - 7.2
Value - 6.3
However, the CURRYBOND experience is so much more than specific categories, so for each locale an overall score is presented, and for Masaledar it get's a

CURRYBOND approved rating of 7.2/10.

#CURRYBOND

Great food for reasonable price. We went there couple of days ago for dinner and was a very pleasant experience. Warm welcome and good service. Loved the interior deco. The starters was great .. specially the Fish was great. The naan was so huge and so tasty. Over all the food was excellent. Great place, great food and great service for a very good value.
Would love to go there again.

I was recently made an offer I couldn't refuse: food with the delightful chaps behind the London Curry Blog, Tom and Michael.  

First thoughts: All my hard work at Zomato has paid off. I've hit the big time. Curry. In Tooting. With the Tooting Curry Bloggers! This is going to be more foodie than a dinner party with Jay Rayner and Gizzi Erskine. Etc. 

Second thoughts: Oh balls. There's going to be rice on the table.

If you've read my zomato views you'll know I once wrote up my incredibly awkward first date with one half of TCB in which I may or may not have ended up with a piece of rice on my face. We're not sure if it ever actually happened, but my lack of decorum has has since become a running joke. It's a good thing I can take the ridicule because a month later, here I am being introduced to the other half of the infamous pair (These two are pretty much celebrities in the Zomato office. Kind of a big deal.)

I was a little nervous meeting Tom because I hear through Michael every time he takes the mick out of my "Bridget Jones-esque" reviews. After the rice debacle I was expecting some fully fledged pointing-at-my-face-pretending-I had-something-on-it bullying... and luckily Tom didn't disappoint on that front. Top marks.

Anyway. Here are things that I've learn about Indian food after my wining and dining experience with two expert curry bloggers. 

How to choose a good curry venue: If it's BYO and has decor combining sparkly gold walls, a waterfall and an exciting trellis display over the windows, it's a winner. 

How to spot a good wine: If a bottle's reduced down to a fiver, it's probably a solid choice. 

How to deal with naan bread: Ignore the majority of the table and order an extra naan, then pretend you didn't. Get a little nervous when the starter unexpectedly comes with naan too. Insist on over eating naan to prove we needed the extra one, then feel proud of yourself for proving others wrong. Take a rennie. 

How to deal with rice: spend a good 5 minutes debating whether rice is really necessary with a curry when you're about to end up with 4 naan breads. Order rice anyway. Laugh about #ricegate a bit more. Spill some rice on the table, try to avoid getting it on your face. 

How to choose what to eat: Over order on everything. Make sure it's got plenty of meat in it. 

How to write food reviews: Take a note pad and as soon as someone thinks of something funny to say, stop conversation and write it down. Don't use "M" instead of Michael because it looks douchey. Don't take pictures because curry places have bad lighting, and people who use the flash are lame.

Serious bits out of the way,  food time. 

Starter:
- Poppadoms followed by a mixed grill to share with an unexpected naan bread. Excellent pickle. Even meat distribution can sometimes be an issue when you're sharing a mixed grill with guys but luckily these two were very refined and let me near it as and when needed. Good etiquette, tasty meat. 

Mains: 
- Peshwari naan's all around: delightful as ever. Could've done with a more even coconut spread at times. 
- Masala Fish: pleasant taste but v. mushy. Good if, like my grandad, your dentures have a habit of falling out when you're eating. 
- Methi Gosht: chicken with fenugreek. If you've not heard of that, join the club. It's a really bitter spice that made the chicken taste burnt. Not the one, if I wanted burnt chicken I'd cook it myself. 
- Lamb curry: not the official name but I can't remember what we had. This was my favourite so I did a good job of making sure I ate loads of it. 

All in all, average food but great night and top company. Looking forward to my next invite!

11 Feb 2012 - Masaledar - Birthday Bhajis

As it was my birthday on 6th February, I did the only logical thing and organised a curry to celebrate (albeit on the following Saturday).

Attendees were as follows:


Me (Birthday Boy)
Andrew 'The Ace' Campbell
Emma 'Scopey' Copestake (AKA EC)
Angela 'Ang' Farrell
Alex Knight (AKA AK)
Henry 'Harry' Stead
David 'Bubaloo' Jeremiah
Lisa 'Brunty' Brunt
Matt 'Lisa's BF'
Angus 'Gus' Chadney
Greg Burgess (AKA GJ)
Pudding



Notable by his absence: Co-blogger, Tom Scrimgour (went to see Annie Mac - a poor decision always)

(Anyone reading this now who wasn't invited, I kept numbers down purely for organisational reasons and not because I don't like you, unless I actually don't like you, in which case hard luck you missed out on being my friend and on curry)

Given the nature of the event, and amount of alcohol consumed this review will be less than comprehensive and an officially unofficial review....

The venue was chosen as Masaledar, a decision made due to its slightly nicer decor (it was my birthday and only a curry house with a waterfall was going to cut it) and its proximity to Tescos (good for giving pre-event directions). Having enjoyed a few beers earlier in the day whilst watching England barely beat Italy in the rugby, most of us had built up a good base appetite for curry (I say most of us, but I can only really speak for myself). The stage was set, the time was 19.30. I had expected late arrivals so wasn't on time myself, but to my pleasant surprise a few of the lads were tucking into some pre-match popadoms when I arrived, no doubt eager to celebrate the birthday of one of their most valued friends.

Venue

As mentioned in the summary, this venue wasn't chosen haphazardly. This is one of the curry houses in the area that would fall strictly in the restaurant category, as opposed to the more canteen-style venues. In this respect, it is ideal for celebrating events such as anniversaries, engagements, Bar Mitzvahs or even birthdays. The aforementioned waterfall inside is a lovely touch, as is the mood-lighting, and glittery wall that adds to the sense of occasion. The entrance is decked with a wooden facade and the clock above the door is helpfully stuck on 5 O'Clock (maybe the universally recognised ideal time for a curry - who knows?)
As you enter there are some small tables and some bench seating for those waiting, but the main eating area is upstairs, elevating the diner to (quite literally) a new level. The furniture is tasteful and contemporary, echoing the general interior design. All in all, this is a very pleasant eating environment, with size enough for large parties such as our own (but always book ahead, as it's only sensible). For venue, I'm giving an 8/10.

Sides and starters

Numerous poppadoms
6 Pilao rice
3 Peshwari naan
3 Garlic naan
3 Portions of Bhaji (2 in a portion)
2 Mxed Grills
(I think?!)

I remember the popadoms being strong (in general, not in flavour or material) and the mango chutney being equally satisfactory, so nothing to complain about there. The mixed grills contained an assortment of chicken tikka, lamb chops, chicken wings, seekh kebabs and tandoori chicken (apparently). The naans were distinctively buttery and... that's all I remember...oh, and of course, rice is rice. I do not recall any complaints - 7 for sides.

Curries

We had seven, which I think were the:
Daal Makhani
Lamb Masaledar
Chicken Malai Murgh
...and four others

The array of curries were ordered with all tastes and persuasions in mind. Notable dishes were the Daal and the two specials - the Lamb Masaledar (presumably a signature dish) and the Chicken Malai Murgh. The Daal Makhani was a nice creamy, black lentil dish that was a favourable, vegetarian diversion to the other meat dishes. The Masaledar lives up to its billing as the house dish, and the Malai Murgh - tandoori chicken cooked in Malai sauce - was memorable. Whilst the other dishes were less so, I remember thoroughly enjoying them all at the time. In general the portions were ample and all twelve of us were satisfied with the amount ordered. With not much to go on it's a 7 for the curries.

Service

My experience with Masaledar staff has always been slightly sloppy service that doesn't befit the relative class and sophistication of its aesthetics. In this instance I was too busy enjoying myself to notice, although I do recall being told there would be a 20 minute wait at one point. However, given it was a Saturday night I'll go easy. I'd give a 7, but as I wasn't paying any attention so I'll go by previous experiences and give a balanced 6 for service.

Value For Money

Generally speaking with Bring Your Own venues, you're already half way there on the value front. We certainly got our money's worth as a whole bottle of Jagermeister was quickly consumed between the lot of us (thanks Lisa). Regarding the restaurant's offerings, like with most curry houses in the area (and I can only assume worldwide) there were economies of scale with such a large group dining together. The final bill came to £13 a head which is certainly great value, as all party members were left full and satisfied, and considering the wide array of dishes that had been consumed. 8 out of 10 for VFM.

Total

In general, I had a great night and was again impressed by Masaledar on what was my third visit. For those interested we went on to Tooting's most famous nightspot - the Tram and Social - for more drinks and I'm sure some silly dancing. We think Greg got lucky as well, so, well done sir.

Sadly, given the lack of contribution from other attendees, and my own lack of any attempt to take notice of proceedings, this review has to remain unofficial, but, based on the above, the total score comes to a more than decent 36/50. Unfortunately, no X Factor points this time, despite my temptations to give one for the waterfall and glittery wall. We will be back to do an official review.

Lahore Karahi review coming soon...

http://tootingcurryblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/11-feb-2012-masaledar-birthday-bhajis.html

A very busy restaurant but plenty of seats so the waiting time ain't bad. Must say beautiful decor. Drinks good selection of mocktails. Food, has a variety of dishes and is reasonably priced. Overall the food was decent and enjoyable, a good portion also. A good place to go with a big family or friends group.

Lovely interior, good fast service. Presentation was on point. My veggie curry was a small portion and lacked a bit of depth and the breads were not as soft. Drinks, starters and everything else was lovely though.

Very good experience here. Didn't book in advance but they were happy to accommodate us. There was a party in the back while we were there but it was kept separate from other dining guests which I appreciate as it can sometimes get rowdy. Our food was served within 20 minutes and the servers kept us updated. They were attentive and accommodating with any requests we had, such as all food served together and not staggered as it usually is with courses. I have to commend Aksa, the manager; she had everything under control and directed everything with ease. It was a great experience, decor was beautiful and ambiance was wonderful. I have already visited their other branch in Southall but I would definitely visit here again.

Wish I took more photos but we were hungry lol. Delicious food, we had kebabs and chicken tikka for starters (kebabs was delicious) Lamb bhuna, butter chicken, paneer curry, Bombay potatoes curry all delicious. Friendly very helpful staff especially the lovely lady who helped pack up the leftover food. Would highly recommend this place.

This place ticks every box, went with an asian friend who is a regular. Service exemplary, food is hands done best Indian food I have ever had. Can see they have spent a lot on the interior design, I don't know why it's not been awarded. Coated paneer is a must. Prices are very reasonable. Rarely take food home but had to as I was full and far too good to waste