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Masala Indian Cuisine
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
1220 9th Ave(between Lincoln Way & Irving St)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
(415) 566-6976
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
177 reviews for Masala Indian Cuisine
Review Highlights
"I always order the Chicken Korma and garlic naan."
(in 17 reviews)
"Yummy lamb+yummy naan=awesomeness."
(in 79 reviews)
"I've tried the Vindaloo, Korma, and Palak Paneer."
(in 11 reviews)
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177 reviews in English
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Review from Vanessa T.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
This review is based off their delivery.
-Spicy chicken tikka masala
-Big Samosas and tasty!
-Naan so so
-Friendly but late delivery guy
-Mango lassi good but packaged funny for delivery.
-Decently priced for Indian food
I will probably order from here again. -
Review from Heidi M.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2011
This is my favorite Indian restaurant for delivery (if I'm bothering to go out to eat, there are much better places). I don't really eat at the restaurant anymore, even when I'm in the neighborhood, since I prefer to get take-out and have a hybrid Indian/sushi meal. Yes, I'm a bit gross.
It's a good choice for groups, particularly with an advance reservation, and they've usually been willing to seat me even before my entire party arrived. The restaurant is cute and clean, and the staff is nice and friendly. (I've actually joked that the take-out driver seems way too delighted to come by my place, and that perhaps I should order dinner less frequently). The wait for delivery is not too bad, and the food has always been steaming hot upon delivery. I've ordered from them scores of times and can only recall 1 or 2 times when my order was not perfect.
Their prices have creeped up quite a bit in the last couple of years but are still affordable and the portions generous. The food... well, it's okay. There is far worse Indian food in SF. Some of the dishes are prepared pretty blandly, unless you impress on them that you'd like them to spice it up. Most of the dishes can tend to be a bit greasy, too, in an oily way more than a buttery way. It's not ghee grease -- I'd welcome that. :-)
The tandoori chicken is usually pretty good, sometimes a little too under-cooked, though. My picks are the Palak Paneer, Aloo Palak and Mushroom Palak. Look, I like spinach a *lot* -- and I feel like the spinach dishes are among the better choices here. The lamb kebabs and raita are the only things here I feel are not good and not worth ordering.
Side note: I've never been in for the lunch buffet, I hear the choices are limited and that it's hit or miss, but it sounds like a pretty good deal. -
Review from Helen D.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
This food is amazing! Very authentic, according to my Indian friend, and very tasty. The food is freshly made and the server, Aditi is her name I believe, is super friendly and knows about the food (she gave us good recommendation for what we should order).
I will definitely be back! -
Review from Russell R.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
I ordered online through http://CampusFood.com.
I live right on 10th Ave. (this place is on 9th), yet it still took almost the entire hour to get my food.
Also, I don't know why Indian places don't include rice with your meal anymore, but be sure you remember to order some rice. The Lamb Vindaloo wasn't bad, but even though I put a note that said "HOT!!!!!" for the spiciness, it was still pretty mild. The lamb in the biryani was pretty dry. On the online menu, it said "sparkling apple cider" was an option, but it was sparkling apple juice instead. The Gulab Jaman was $3, but only came with only two pieces.
Each of these things isn't really a big deal on their own, but combined, it's enough so that I wouldn't order again.
Maybe part of the reason why I'm so upset is because they labeled themselves as "value food" on CampusFood, but that clearly wasn't the case. -
Review from Kat M.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2011
Food Quality
Spicy level -LOW (asked for extra spicy and wasn't impressed)
Tiki Masala- Flavor was ok (nothing special, but it had some flavor) BUT, SUPER WATERY. I mean, it was like broth.
Chicken Korma- Thicker than the Masala. Missing that nutty flavor and was limited on the flavor in general.
Bagan Bartha- Also semi-watery. Flavor was also lacking.
Raita-Better than a lot of places.
Naan-Standard. Seemed fresh.
Daal-Meh.
So why 1 Star instead of 2?
Delivery downer!
Sunday Official Wait Time: 1 hour and 45 min!!
Unfortunately this is not the first time this has happened at this place and we should have known better. But hey, sometimes you just want to give people a second chance because, let's face it, we are masochists.
So we ordered online and after an hour and 10 min we called the restaurant and they said, "our driver is out for delivery and will be there in 5-10min". If you can read this, you probably passed elementary math so you know they were off by 35 min.
Saffron Grill is WAY better to order from. I just wanted eggplant so we went here. What a mistake... -
Review from Todd C.
8/7/2011
First let me say that theirs is the best paratha I've had in years. Flaky, moist, layered, seared in all the right places. A revelation, really, though that may be as much of a commentary on my experiences--wait, no: they just have damn good parathas.
Other things, however, were sub-par. The bhindi just never quite came together, like they just didn't simmer it long enough, or the tomato/onion/cumin/curry base long enough, to get the flavors to marry. Stagecoach horses that haven't been properly harnessed come to mind. Whatever--point being it didn't quite work. The lamb korma, I thought, was a little better, but why the shards of cardamom seeds every once in a while in the sauce? Again, please simmer for longer, get those spices to atomize.
Service was very good,though, if a touch too distant.
But hot damn, that paratha. Hell, I think the thing to do is to order food from Tikka Masala but paratha from here. Bring it all home. Open up an Anchor Steam. Thank me for the heads-up on the paratha. -
Review from Nina Y.
5/2/2011
We have our favorite Indian restaurant, but it's in Berkeley. Once I finally move into the city, there's no major reasons why we need to come to Berkeley...other than to eat I suppose and visit my friends. Anyways, we needed to find "our" new Indian restaurant.
We started off with some samosas which were delicious with the nice and spicy mint sauce. Definitely delicious. I absolutely loved my mango lassi - bf had never tried it before but he enjoyed it too.
We ended up getting chicken tikki masala (since that's our favorite dish) and the chicken biryani. The masala was a bit more spicy than I have been accustomed to, but still very good. The chicken was so moist and tender that we didn't think it was chicken and had this sausage taste, but it was really good. The biryani was delicious as well. I think the only thing I disliked was the naan. Perhaps, it's not what it's supposed to be, but the naan that I enjoy is more fluffy and this one was much more...flat and dry.
We couldn't finish our food and brought it back. It tasted good from what the bf said the next day too. It's a great quiet, romantic atmosphere if there isn't a big party around. It was definitely really nice. This definitely is a contender of being the Indian food that we will get if we're craving Indian food. -
Review from Joseph T.
San Jose, CA
6/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Terrific chicken korma with lots of almonds. The naan wasn't what I was used to but was very delicious. Their kheer was better than most as well with terrific presentation.
I'll definitely come back the next time I'm in town. -
Review from Lea may K.
Suisun City, CA
4/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After hanging out at the pub around the corner, Indian was a spare of the moment decision for dinner. Although I told my friends I had Indian once and didn't like it, they swept my off my feet with their persuasiveness and dragged me into this place by my hair.
Okay, I'm not too much of a fan of really spicy food. In fact, the reason why is because I'm too scared of reenacting the scene with ben stiller in Along Came Polly. Plus, the last time I had Indian I had no idea what I was ordering so I think it's quite possible that I may have ordered the spiciest plates on the menu. But by god's divine power, my friends are real good in choosing dishes! We had the naan, samosa, rice, chicken tikka masala, something else, and I had the Mango Lassi because I was scared that whatever I was about the consume was going to be hella hot. The food was real good (but I'm no expert), the food wasn't too spicy and we felt no rush in getting outta the restaurant, even when the cooks had left after waiting for us for five minutes.
I think I'm in the safe with this place and I'll have to start mentioning this place the next time I'm out in the city, -
Review from Erin P.
San Francisco, CA
9/25/2011
Masala has great Indian food but don't try to order delivery! My boyfriend and I ordered delivery from them on Friday night at 7pm. An hour and a half later we still had no food. So we call and are told our order is on it's way. After another 45 mins with no food we call back to cancel our order and were told we should be patient as customers in the restaurant come first. Well news flash, don't offer delivery! They were rude didn't apologize for making us wait over 2 hours for food that never came.
-
Review from Marianne S.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2011
Just had lunch here on Saturday and it was soooo goood! We decided to duck into the cool, shady Masala after taking note of the other options. It was a little surprising, given the amazing aroma that wafted from the restaurant, that there were so few people lunching there - I guess they don't know what they're missing.
We started with samosas, wonderfully fresh and spicy, which my husband tempered with a delicious mango lassi and I with a plain lassi (came with salt and sugar to doctor up as I liked - it's not on the menu but they'll make it for you!). Both are made with their house-made, rich and creamy yogurt. The samosas also come with two sauces - a sweet tamarind sauce and a yogurt-based sauce very much like raita.
Next came a light and tasty lentil soup. The spices were so fresh they danced across our tongues like jewels - it was the perfect blend of spice and richness.
I wanted to try the tandoori chicken (and I will next time) but my husband was in the mood for curry, so we got the lamb korma and palak paneer, with some garlic basil naan. The palak paneer had plentiful pieces of golden-sauteed paneer, and the lamb came in a rich and creamy almond sauce, perfect after the spiciness of the samosa and soup. I had never had naan with basil before, and indeed, never thought of basil as an Indian spice, but the sweetness of the herb played nicely with the garlic (as it always does!) and didn't clash with the other flavors at all. We also had a little raita made with that same homemade yogurt - so yummy!
We were too full for dessert (in fact, I'm having the leftovers for lunch today - what a treat!) but we'll try some next time.
To make things even nicer, our server was so gentle, unobtrusive and unrushed - but always there when we needed him. It really made us feel like we were "dining out".
If you are a fan of truly excellent Indian food, love a quiet, romantic atmosphere, and want a lot of value for your money, you absolutely need to come to Masala! -
Review from Carissa M.
Tulare, CA
3/21/2011
The first time I ate there I got a piece of chicken in my curry that looked like the head of Yoda. My date gobbled it up like jabba the hutt (only sexier) because I was too freaked out to eat it. Plus, I hate looking like a pig on a date-- especially a heartless pig that would eat Yoda's head. Overall the food was good and the service was spot on with the warm garlic naan and ice water refills.
Return for the chicken curry I will. -
Review from Nelson S.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2011
Ok, Curry Village still holds the spot for best Indian food in the sunset. BUT they dont deliver, and sometimes us beach folks just dont feel like shlepping over to inner sunset to get delicious food. We have the beach, you guys have the food(for the most part). It sucks but thats the way it is.
So, Masala is the next best thing. Probably the best part of my order was the quality of the chicken. It was suberb. Here's the rundown:
Chicken Vindaloo: Fantastic! Great chicken, tastey potatoes, and the sauce was the perfect consistency.
Lamb naan: Excellant! Yummy lamb+yummy naan=awesomeness. And the lamb fills up the entire thing so you dont feel ripped off at all. Easily my favorite(sorry Curry Village!).
Goat cheese naan: Pretty good! I didnt expect there to be that much goat cheese! Apparently at this place when they say "stuffed naan", they mean STUFFED.
And the rice tasted great as well. Nice delivery range(they came to 48th! there are a few places that dont do that). PLUS on lunch orders you get free rice and soup, a HUGE plus seeing as how that seems to be uncommon in SF where as its the standard in other parts of California. I will definitley be ordering from here again, but I dont think I would ever go into the restaurant. If im on 9th you know where im goin'. -
Review from Jared F.
San Francisco, CA
7/25/2011
(3.5 starts) Sold Indian dosa, great prices but no spice. Its a welcome addition to the inner sunset but I always wish for more when I get dosa. The food was cooked well but there should be more sauces.
I recommend the cream of wheat dosa. -
Review from Jun W.
Daly City, CA
4/1/2011
This place is a hidden gem, very easy to miss it.
The interior feels very Indian-traditional. The food was tasty and service was great. Totally recommend it to any Indian food lovers out there. -
Review from Staci M.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2011
I just had excellent food delivered here fast. Lamb vindaloo was delicious- I ordered it EXTRA spicy and thought it could be spicier actually. But the lamb and potatoes were deliciously seasoned. We had the goat cheese naan with it & it was awesome together. The palak aloo was very nice as well. The mango ice cream was a perfect dessert.
Great staff always, too. Tonight was the first time I've had them deliver after eating at the restaurant a few times. I'm so glad it's in my neighborhood. I like this far better than New Ganges and think Naan & Curry is nasty. -
Review from Cassie C.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
Man do I love the food at this place. After maybe 25 meals both in the restaurant and take out, too, our family can't say enough good things about this place. The only drawback is that sometimes they don't deliver or the phone is so busy we can't get through. Great for a quite evening's sit-down meal with someone you really want to catch up with, as you can really hear just fine in there. Nice casual.
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Review from k l.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2011
9/23/11 - i ordered delivery from masala through grubhub. an hour and fifteen minutes after i ordered (15 minutes after delivery was supposed to get here), i called Masala. they said they were busy and forgot about my order and they would make it right then & it would be here in twenty minutes. i asked if i could get a discount and the guy said he had to get off the phone because other people were calling, but he would call the boss who wasn't there and call me right back. then he HUNG UP on me. he never called back. 20 minutes later my food wasn't here yet. i waited ten minutes and then called - no one answered. called a second time, no one answered. so it's now been two hours since i ordered delivery, i'm starving, and my food hasn't arrived and no one is answering the phone. i am an unhappy customer.
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Review from Nicholas F.
Oakland, CA
6/2/2010
I ordered delivery tonight using the GrubHub iPhone app (nerdy, I know, but it's efficient and futuristic as hell). We got the Madras chicken, paneer tikka korma, and two orders of rice -- at first, it seemed a bit pricey at $30 (with tip).
The food arrived quickly (about an hour -- this was Tuesday at 9 pm, though, so not exactly peak time) and the driver was very polite. So far so good.
We opened up the bag and then proceeded to open up the individual containers:
-the paneer was chewy but not too spongy, and the almond (korma) sauce was rich and creamy
-the Madras chicken was tender, with absolutely no bone or gristle, an uncommon trait with a lot of restaurant meats. Its sauce, which is coconut-based and contained raisins, was also rich and creamy in a good way.
-the rice was fine
I think it's also worth noting that both the entrees were large enough to feed me and Ryan B. fully WITH seconds. I still feel too full to sleep...in a good way.
We will probably order from them again when we feel like Indian food and being lazy. For the quality and quantity, the price is right. -
Review from Josh S.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2011
We tried a couple of dishes, don't remember exactly what. What I do remember is that we both felt ill for a number of hours after eating here. The sad part was it didn't even taste good going down much less coming back up. Curry Village is the better option in the neighborhood, but this neighborhood simple doesn't have stand out Indian food.
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Review from Audrey H.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2011
This is my favorite Indian place in the city. Now, understand I don't leave the Sunset District much so it may just be the best Indian place in the Sunset. But it is good.
Curries are not too hot like at some other places. I can actually taste the food. The food is not too salty.
Their food is consistent and delicious. My favorites are the lentil soup, the korma chicken curry (almond curry, yum), tandoori chicken and the kheer (rice pudding).
They also deliver so you don't have to go try and park around there, which can be challenging. -
Review from sarah d.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2010
Came here for a late dinner after Nightlife. And our first choice was Pacific Catch but they didn't have seatings for us so we came here.
Masala has similar items as Naan&Curry (just around the corner from here too) but much better ambiance for comparable prices. Our waiter was very fun. My friends were drunk as skunks and one of them kept making sexual innuendos but he took it like a champ. He took our orders very politely and even came back to let us know that one of our dishes was going to take a little longer than the others. What a nice guy. The food was mouthwatering. I also had a little bit to drink so many being tossed had something to do with the food tasting so good. But it was good in my memory. We were loud and having a great time. This is a small restaurant and I think its normally very quiet until drunk 20 somethings stumble in looking for food and more booze. I'm sure we weren't the first to be that kind of patrons here.
In conclusion (from what I can remember) it was delicious, clean and fun. -
Review from N A.
San Francisco, CA
10/28/2011
If you want bland Indian food go here. I was so disappointed. Don't bother. I would rather go to Naan & Curry (and that says a lot since I think most of their Indian should be ingested).
-
Review from Marcy C.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
Love the delivery. Love the food, the prawn vindaloo is too good.YUMMY
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Review from bloopie s.
Chicago, IL
3/3/2007
I just have to confess.
I have to get it off my chest.
I have been a fake vegetarian this month.
I broke down.
I ordered chicken vindaloo
Medium spicy
With rice
The chicken was tender
oh so tender
oh so..
And YES I ATE IT ALL
AND IT WAS SO GOOD
I'm so sorry poor chickens
And poor potatoes...
That I ordered this time with chicken
Instead of cauliflower
You pototoes must have been confused
Since what I ordered should have been Aloo Gobi
(which is also tasty by the way)
but I chose chicken like I was possessed
But I wasn't.
I'm just a fake.
Fake vegetarian.Listed in: Biggest Bang for my *few*…
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Review from dan m.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2008
Oh 9th & Irving... you have lead me to believe you produce only rare gems amongst much pure garbage.
This restaurant resides in the latter I'm afraid.
1st off, do any Indian's work here? Not that I could see. Nothing but my Mexican brothers in the back. Not that this is always a bad thing, but generally, there is a lack understanding, or more so, CARE for what is being prepared... rather just a check to collect.
And that's what I got. Nan that couldn't have been flatter or more flavorless (and it was Garlic Nan... how do you take the flavor out of that???). Curry sauce, I shit you negative, tasted more like spaghetti paste.
I like to dream that at one point, there were native Indian folk working here, whose pride and know how turned out some great dishes. But economics and fair employment practices led to a slop troff to compare with the rest of the Indian fare to be had in this area.
As a side note, I think I will stop eating Indian / Pakistani food in SF if I do not see a turban on at least one chef. Sure, racist you could say, but the fact is... when I see this in the kitchen, my food always kicks ass. These guys care about what they are doing and they know what it should taste like... Bless them. -
Review from Cindy W.
6/5/2010
If you want to smell like your food, this is the place to go. You walk in and you're instantly enveloped in a thick swath of Indian curry cloud.
Simple tables dot the dimly lit restaurant. Wait staff is semi-attentive, not exactly friendly but not unfriendly either.
We ordered some basic entrees:
- Chicken Korma ($10.99) - almond cream sauce. creamy curry that is somewhat mild in flavor.
- Palak Paneer ($8.99) - creamed spinach w/ cheese blocks. one of my favorites, this version wasn't overly greasy which was nice.
- Kabuli Naan ($3.99) - we opted for a different type of naan. this was sweet with raisins and a cherry and nut paste. i personally liked it though in combination with the curries we ordered was a bit off.
It was an easy tasty meal, made even better with a http://restaurant.com gift certificate and unbelievable street parking. If it weren't for the cloying smell of the spices on my clothes and in my hair, I'd go back. Seriously though, they need to invest in better ventilation. -
Review from Nina N.
6/7/2009
Be aware that you will smell like indian food when you leave, but it was so worth it. I swear my sister in law did it great, and showed me her favorite indian place in sf. :)
1. cheap
2. great service
3. amazing food
4. reminds me of taste of india in seattle which I miss so much
What else can I say, there wasn't anything we ordered that wasn't good, and this the opposite of dosa. MASALA'S MAMA'S COOKING!!! -
Review from Quinn S.
1/14/2007
Masala made me realize how greasy Naan-N-Curry is. The food is good quality and the service is decent if a little slow. This is, in my humble opinion, the best of the three Indian places within a block of 8th and Irving, and is also the most expensive, which is why it gets only four stars.
There is nothing particularly outstanding about the place, the food or the people, but I always leave satisfied and content. -
Review from Megan G.
New York, NY
9/15/2006
8:45pm on a Friday night after a few drinks, this place hit the spot for dinner. Soooo much better than Naan N' Curry because the watiers are not surly and we don't feel like barfing now. Our food was NOT coated in oil and we DO NOT feel disgusting now. Service was a little slow & it is the most money I've spent on Indian ever, but it was really good.
1 rice
2 naan
1 white wine
2 beers
2 iced teas
1 diet 7up
3 dishes
=$57 -
Review from laura j.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2008
On an exhausted Friday night got yummy food delivered via internet (http://eat24hours.com/) without lifting more than a finger or two. Took nearly an hour from hitting "enter" but the food was delish. Not too spicy for me, which can be a problem with Indian food. If you like it spicier I guess you could request that.
We tried salmon curry (yum), spinach/potato paneer (pretty good, nothing special), garlic naan (coulda been more garlicky) and mango chutney (super delicious). I used the leftover curry sauce over more fish and spinach to make another meal the next day. -
Review from Rocky H.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
Good Indian/Pakistani food made from good ingredients. It's our go-to delivery in our neighborhood for Indian food after having a few negative experiences with other places in the city. Go to items are the Chicken Tikka Masala, Paneer Korma, Garlic Nan, rice and some samosas for me an my lady. I also recently got some chicken thing with coconut and rasins that was really tasty too.
The restaurant itself is nice, bigger than it seems at first. If you can, sit in the back where it's quieter and more intimate. We had a friends birthday back there and had the whole place to ourselves.
This is another place where people remember you. Jose (server/delivery driver) knows it's us when we call and always has a few kind words to share when we see him.
So the food is good and the people are great...I had 4 stars but changed it. I would have given more stars if:
a) the food was a bit better. I like the food better at other places in the city, but this one is reliable quality, not the best, but certainly not one of those places where the sauce is so oily it falls apart or where one night the vindaloo is flavorless and the next it burns your face off.
b) delivery often takes a bit longer than an hour...typically an hour and ten minutes...they are on the south side of GGP at 9th, were on the north side at 26th...so not TOO far but it still takes at least the full 60 minutes from ordering to delivery just about every time.
I've never had anything negative occur when ordering or dining with Masala. -
Review from Jennifer C.
Redwood City, CA
1/11/2010
I walked in and immediately loved the ambiance. It's a small place with great exotic decor. The staff is pretty friendly and the place is clean.
My friend and I ordered garlic nan, papadum, samosas, fish(salmon) masala and chicken korma.
The nan was just the right texture and warmth of crispy and fluffy. It's probably the best nan I've ever had.
The fish masala was really flavorful but I expected their 'spicy' to be spicier. To me, it was more medium. The chicken korma was velvety, creamy and the chicken was extremely tender. I kind of wished that I ordered that medium as opposed to mild.
Overall, the prices are about average. It's a great place little place and I'd definitely come back. One thing though, they packed up the leftovers and forgot one of our dishes. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
2/25/2008
I would give this place five stars for answering their phone and delivering on a Sunday night. I was hungry; it was 11:32 on a Sunday night, and every place I called either didn't answer its phone or told me it had stopped delivering.
I expected the same from Masala. Like most Indian places in the city, there are no hours listed on its menu. (Why is that such a hard thing to do?) But they rescued me by taking my order.
The food arrived promptly, and it was oh so good. Not the best Indian food I've had, but definitely a good choice when nothing else is open. -
Review from Elaine O.
Daly City, CA
2/25/2007
Minus 1 star for the small portions and the waitress for confusing "samosas" with "salad" and charging us for it. (wtf, those two words don't even rhyme or have the same syllables)
Complaints aside, the meal we had at Masala was probably the best Indian I've had. We got samosas, lamb korma, chicken tikka masala, and aloo palak (spinach and potatoes cooked in spices). The samosas were giant and not oily like the other 834343 samosas I've had before. The lamb korma had the perfect tenderness, creaminess and spice, and totally our #1 default meal there now. The tikka masala had a nice smoky flavor, and the aloo palak was a good dip for naan.
Definitely get korma at Masala. You'll be coming back for more. -
Review from Molly M.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2010
This is my new favorite Indian spot int he city. The food is amazing here! Over the past few years I've slowly been getting my bf to eat Indian food since he completely detested to anything curry. I've had a few misses, but finally I found an Indian place he really liked. If you want something that is not curry try the Chicken tiki kebab, he thought it was very flavorful an a little spicy. We also had:
Pakpra Cauliflower, mmmm good!
Novratan Korma - The korma was creamy and good tasting, yummy curryness It could have been spicier, but that's just me.
The veggie biryani, which had potatoes and veggies was perfect w/ my korma
Garlic nan - It was a little chewy but we ordered take out so it had been sitting out for a bit.
Overall we would give this place a solid a solid 4 stars and if they are consistent with their food I'll bump it up to 5 stars.
The prices are typical for the city, for everything we ordered it came to $45. We will definitely be back! -
Review from Steve B.
San Francisco, CA
9/30/2006
Great Indian food with a catch.
Have you ever read the book "Shogun" by James Clavell? If you haven't read it but plan to, SPOILER ALERT. If you haven't and don't plan to, ready away. If you have read it, let's talk. Don't you hate how through ~800 pages they are talking about having a huge war between the daimyos and then at the very end the huge battle is summarized in 2 paragraphs in italics at the end of the book? Join me. The main word that comes to mind from my dining experiences at Masala is WAITING.
Drrrrr, wait for your table (granted, it's a small, relatively popular place so I can deal). Once you get your menu, wait for someone to come by to take your order. Then wait to get your food. Then, if you want anything else during the course of your meal, wait to get that.
I love the food (much better than Naan and Curry around the corner) and it won't make you poo the night away, but , jeez, don't I have something to do? On top of it all, you definitely (happy now Ben R.?) pay a premium to dine at Masala (Paneer Tikka Masala, Rice, Aloo Naan and large size Taj Mahal beer=$17.60 without tip) $20+ bux for a single diner at an Indian place? That just seems expensive to me.
The end result is that Masala has to seriosuly improve their service before it's worth it to pay the premium over Naan n Curry. Oh, and the Shogun battle? Toranaga won. -
Review from Evil J.
Placentia, CA
8/26/2008
I enjoyed lunch today here, and true to some of the other reviews, I ate completely alone! Not a single diner came in to join me. But considering there's only one guy running the place (cooking, waiting, and who knows what else) I actually feel fortunate for it.
The fare was good. I ordered the aloo gobi with a side of raita. The aloo gobi arrived with rice and the three components made for a great, filling lunch. The aloo gobi was tenderly spiced and perfect really for a hot day. The potatoes were tender but not overcooked and the cauliflower retained just the right of crispness... this made it apparent to me that the dish was freshly prepared.Similarly, the vegetables in the raita were crisp and fresh... also obviously prepared from scratch.
No, this place did not knock my socks off but here's what they've got going for them: location, location, location. If you're going to spend a day at Golden Gate Park, hop off the N-Judah when it begins to turn left and walk towards the Park. On your right you'll find Masala. Eat there on your way in or on your way out of the park.
This restaurant may also appeal to those who don't have a stomach for more heavily spiced (or spicy) foods. Masala's cuisine is not overly fussy and relies on a sparing use of spices and seasonings. The quality however is not sacrificed. I would say this is a great choice for a lunch spot particularly if you're Park-bound. -
Review from Shirley N.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2010
Great food. We ordered 2 meat dishes and a veggie dish, and they all had wonderful unique flavors. Favorite of ours at every Indian restaurant is the chicken tikka masala. At Masala's, you'll find the cubed chicken breasts are very tender, and comes in a great curry yogurt sauce. And the lamb in the the lamb paneer were good size chunks.
Also ordered the mutta paneer which consisted of peas and cubed homemade cheese in a curry sauce. I liked this dish because the sauce was kind of spicy and sweet at the same time.
What stood out for us was the naan. Cooked in the tandoor oven, sometimes it can be dry and brittle. Not at Masala, We ordered the plain naan and the garlic basil naan. Came to the table hot and soft. We were able to tear it without it cracking like soda crackers.
The service was efficient, and the food came promptly. -
Review from Rich H.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2009
A friend recommended this place over Tasty Curry (our neighborhood fave), so we decided to try it. We're sticking with Tasty Curry.
(1) Bad take-out estimate: Foody estimated 30 minutes for pickup. We had to wait 15 extra minutes. The host's excuse -- "we're busy" -- didn't cut it.
(2) Bad order fulfillment: After making us wait 15 minutes, he still botched our order. He gave us 1 order of palak paneer, not 2. When we called to complain, he promised it'd be ready as soon as we arrived. But he didn't ask the kitchen to make it until we arrived, so we had to wait another 10 minutes.
(3) Just so-so food: Puh-lease. This place is not better than Tasty Curry. The palak was bland. We confused the paneer with tofu (it was that spongy). The tandoori was alright (but not to die for).
(4) Pricey: Our take-out bill came to $62 (for 5 dishes, rice, drinks).
