Masala Art

05/25/09

Great Indian restaurant in Needham!

by lsarao at Citysearch

It's not often that we find ourselves in Needham, but there we were and I had remembered this restaurant recommendation from a friend. The interior was very hip and the service was very accomodating. Our meal started with a complimentary serving of papadum with mint and sweet chutney. They very cleverly folded the papdum so they looked like little cones, which was fun and creative. My boyfriend had a delicious mango lassi and I went with the Indian iced tea, which was also delicious. For entrees, we split a Boti Kebab Masala (lean pieces of lamb marinated for 24 hours in yogurt and spices, grilled on skewers in the tandoor finished in a tangy, spicy red sauce and a Murg Malabar (A popular dish of sautéed chicken curry flavored with coconut - From the state of Kerala).

The lamb was a little tough but the masala sauce was excellent. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the sauce was flavorful and delicious. The naan was a little thin, but not bad.

We guessed it would be a bit more expensive than it actually was, so we were pleasantly surprised when we received the check.

Overall we deemed it a very enjoyable indian meal and would definitely return should we find ourselves in Needham again.

• Pros: Large menu, great service
• Cons: Naan was just okay

05/17/09

Why tip added at a buffet lunch

by jeevanc at Citysearch

Over priced, overated resturant. Went for a celebration to see a choice of buffet.

The Naan was served before the brought out the wine or we had a chance to get the appitizers and then told me they did not have my selection of wine which they offered.

The appetizers section is poorly planned out and near empty. People standing around trying to make pani-puri. No bowles to take the pani ( water with masala). The lunch offerings were poor with a overcooked daal and a stange chat style aloo and 3 chicken dishes each not done well.

To top of all this misrable food the added a tip of 18% for 5 people on a buffet lunch. This is a first. Would not reccomend this place to anyone. My appatite and money would have been better served by the Golden Arches. Bad all the way.

• Pros: so-so
• Cons: For the people who do not know Indian food?

09/11/08

Rude, dirty, and dull

by Orbanius at Citysearch

The decor was typically 'suburban upscale,' and clearly had not been renovated/cleaned for a while

The servers were incredibly rude and abrupt. Only the busboy at the very end was helpful and friendly (he finally ended up getting our after-dinner drinks because no one else would pay attention to us)

The food is good, not great. If I was served this in a take-out Indian restaurant I would not bat an eye. For a place that prides itself on the complexity of spices, it was a major letdown.

And to agree with another reviewer, the bathroom was FILTHY. There were dirty dishes piled outside the door, toilet paper all over the stained floor, and there was a pervasive scent of...well...want you don't want in upscale restaurant. Reminded me of McDonald's at a rest stop.

IMHO, if you want good Indian in the area, Gold Star is inexpensive and surprisingly good. Need to try New Mother India next....