I've ordered from there twice I do like the restaurant. I've ordered chicken korma which is a…read morechicken dish creamy with almond sauce. The first time I saw it. I didn't think that they would add dairy to it. I don't think that they do but for the most part I believe it's an almond cashew sauce. It's sweet creamy and a little bit of heat, but it's not too too overly spicy and I got an onion salad, which is chopped red onion with green chili, small green whole chilies and lemon wedges and what you do is you freeze the lemon over the onions and you rub the whole chili onto the onions and you eat it it actually balances out the richness of the dish and I had garlic naan as well we got Carrie out and I got it from DoorDash. I will definitely order from the spot again.

We got takeout and ordered the Butter chicken, tandoori Chicken Tikka, and lamb Rogan Josh. The…read moreonline option to add allergies for each of the dishes was awesome and very helpful! We liked the lamb josh Rogan. The chicken in both of the chicken meals was a little dry though. Otherwise a good experience

Masala is one of my favorite spots. Their tandoori gobi is my all-time favorite. The service is…read morefriendly, welcoming, and accommodating, which makes for a pleasant experience.

This review is for their lunch buffet after it came up on dcspot. The reel make it look real…read moreappetizing and high quality. What I got in person was not that. The dal was all watery, didn't see any split peas in there really. The spinach was pureed too much but also didn't taste very good, very grassy. The tandoori chicken was too soft. Overall, nothing really stood out and I didn't think it was that good of a quality. Definitely was not like what the reel made it seem. Aditi and Raaga has superior quality and taste, definitely won't be coming back here.

I've eaten here 4 times. Very consistent and generous dinner portions. The $20 lunch buffet is a…read moresolid choice, with around 10 entrées with fresh ice-chilled condiments. A concerted effort towards variety is evident, with distinct proteins and vegetarian choices in specific curries/sauces creating a beautifully balanced array of different colors. I love this. (An example of the opposite: When there's a paneer tikka masala AND a chicken tikka masala on a buffet - I don't count these as being 2 different entrées.) Saffron is way better than the musty neighbor Haandi Indian across the street. A long time local recommended Haandi over Saffron and I believe she must have lied to me about having tried Saffron, because there is absolutely no comparison. Saffron is wayyy better. There is actually flavor and attitude in the dishes at Saffron. Haandi is boring and bland. Pro tip: ask for your naan bread "crispy" and it will come out nice and toasted. Naan is included with the lunch buffet. Would be 5 stars if it were $15. $22 can get you AYCE made-to-order sushi lunch down the street, so $20 for Indian buffet lunch here seems all-the-money. Delicious, though! Oh and another possible star deduction reason: I saw a few stains on some tablecloths at Saffron that appeared to be days-old from not being changed or noticed. This is a "glass top on top of red tablecloth" kind of place. They need to get rid of the tablecloths if they're not changing them with each customer.

Saffron is a great neighborhood spot for consistently good Indian food. Portions are generous, and…read morethe flavors are well balanced, with just a gentle hint of spice even at the lowest heat levels--perfect for anyone with a sensitive palate. They're efficient with delivery, though it's noticeably cheaper if you order directly from the restaurant. The fish curry is a standout and absolutely worth trying, but you really can't go wrong with the classics like butter chicken, saag paneer, or any of their vegetarian options. Everything we've had has been excellent. Finish it off with a solid mango lassi, and you've got a very satisfying meal. Definitely a reliable go-to in the Falls Church neighborhood.

Delicious Indian buffet for ~$20 with lots of vegetarian and meat dishes! The creamy spinach Palak…read morePaneer with tender, cubed paneer cheese and creamy vegetable stew, Navrattan Korma hit the spot along with warm pillowy soft naan and crispy Samosas. The food was fresh with 1/2 dozen vegetarian dishes and 3-4 meat dishes with a total of 10 dishes and 2 apps of Samosas and Pakoras, and 2 desserts, Kheer and Galab Jamon. The Kheer rice pudding and Galab Jamon brown sugar balls were tasty. Went back for seconds with a full plate, leaving a happy clean plate. The owner was very nice and kindly didn't charge for my daughter who just ate naan, rice, and samosa. Excited to come back!

We've been going to this restaurant for over 20 years. We keep going back because the food is…read moreexcellent, the service is very kind, and the decor is lovely. (Fabric tablecloths and napkins) Not only do they offer lots of vegetarian dishes, they also note vegan dishes. You can select the degree of spice you want in some dishes too. Note that they close between lunch and dinner. Carry out is also available.

As a place to pick up food and a few Indian grocery items, this is a great place. A few parking…read morespaces are available but it's easy to miss the place if you're driving by. The ambience and the store itself is nothing to write home about, but the food. The masala dosa (spicy potato stuffed crepe) is great, and probably one of the few places in north Arlington to get this South Indian standard, and the Chana masala (chickpea curry) is just hands down one of the best - one of our favorite places to get this in our household. Don't let the appearance of the place put you off - as others said, it's not the place you'd go for a first date, but the food is great.

I've been coming to Minerva Express and the adjacent grocery store here for a few years now. The…read moregrocery store part is solid--everything I've needed for Indian groceries is here. The fresh refrigerator section is great and I've loved getting the fresh okra, fresh eggplant, fresh cilantro, etc. here. My other favorite is the shelf with the selection of different kinds of mixture--mmm love Indian mixture. It is a small store with a lot crammed in so it can be challenging to maneuver the aisles. Luckily when people come in here, they're grabbing what they need and are coming in and out quickly, so you're never on top of anyone for too long. The adjacent restaurant is overall decent. I've ordered a bunch of times from here and the food can be hit or miss. The idly sambar and vada sambar are solid and there's no one else in the Arlington area where you can find those (or I haven't yet...) so whenever my South Indian tastebuds get their craving, I know I can satisfy here. I called in a large carryout order today for $90 worth and was sad to come home to see 1 of the sambars missing and all of the rices that were supposed to accompany the chicken 65, bindi masala, and channa masala missing. Also the chicken biriyani was off--it seemed like it wasn't cooked thoroughly and tasted stale. Also the chicken 65 is nothing like how it's made in India--it was kind to be in a gravy, instead of little fried chicken pieces which is what the menu described. I ordered everything to be mild but some of the items were really spicy. When Indian food is spicy and done right, the flavors come through bold and delicious, but when it's not done right, it's just not enjoyable. Normally I'd just eat a little more raita/yogurt and move on, but part of the meal was supposed to be for my kids who are not spice tolerant. I called the manager who surprisingly was awesome and understanding, and processed a refund for me immediately and apologizing for the issue a few times. Because of the great customer service, I'd continue coming back here.

Masala Express was recommended to me as one of the better Indian restaurants in Arlington, so I got…read moredinner here with a friend this past Tuesday evening. The interior is minimal with zero frills and more of a take out spot, but there are still a few diner-style tables and seats for dine-in. There were a couple fruit flies while we were eating, but at least none landed on our food. PALAK PANEER - 14.99 Very green and ready for me to eat. Palak paneer is my comfort option when I want something creamy but vegetarian. Each order comes with 16 oz. of curry and 16 oz. of basmati rice. The palak paneer was flavorful with a good amount of spice, and the puree was the perfect texture. There was plenty of paneer which was light in flavor, but delicious. It was a bit saltier than I'd like, but this palak paneer is reliable. I would definitely get it again. My friend got the garlic naan which came in a generous portion. It was very garlicky with lots of parsley which was absolutely delicious. The naan was on the thinner and crispier side, and went well with the palak paneer. The butter chicken my friend got was pretty creamy and lightly sweetened, which was promising. Overall, the food was pretty good, and I'd order from here again!

Ordered via Grubhub.. no issues. Food was well packed and hot…read more The chicken was cooked perfect. The potatoes were cooked perfect. Rice was good. But it was super salty. I have a pretty high tolerance for salt. The chicken saag tasted like it was spilled in. Chicken vindaloo was a little salty but the curry wasn't very good. It was spice and salt but definitely more edible than the saag. Probably an off day... so I would try it again.

The buffet for $18 can't be beat. The buffet food is hot and well cooked. There's also dessert and…read morefresh fruit. My friends and I were pretty happy with the meat and vegetarian options. The only thing to note is there are more limited options if you're vegan. The restaurant is clean and spacious. We got there at 11:30 and were some of the first customers of the day. The place slower filled up as we had our lunch. The servers were friendly and kept coming around to refill our waters. I will definitely be coming back.

Best south asian buffet momos I've had both plump and juicy, not dried out. The mango chutney is…read morebright and tangy and I went back for it twice. Naan came out soft and blistered with real flavor, and the palak paneer was creamy with tender paneer. Service was elegant and attentive without hovering. I'll be back.

Loved my lamb dish! Surprisingly reasonable pricing when you at opening/lunch too!…read more Nice cozy but elegant vibes. Great to take out your family or significant other. Interesting art on the wall and nice bathroom. Park on the parking garage below or on the side street/lot nearby. Make sure if you don't finish your lamb and ask to put it in a takeaway box go specify that you want your lamb scraps. Learn from me because my waiter tossed all my lamb and just boxed up the rice likely thinking I was done with them. Big bummer since I was looking forward to my leftovers but oh well.

Overall it was a good experience! We absolutely loved the bread and the difference sauces that…read morewent with it. The pumpkin dumplings and pan fried veggie filled dumplings were great as well. I thought my salmon wrap and the chickpea side was ok. Interesting flavors for sure. As for the service, there was always someone filling up our waters and our waiter was very nice checking in every now and then. The only downside of the experience is at the end when the waiter was boxing up all the food for us. Very sweet that they do this but when boxing up my partners food, they only boxed up the rice and they got rid of the lamb that he was looking forward to eating more of later. So that was kind of a disappointment for us. I think if we go again, we would request to box our food ourselves since I'm not sure why they decided to get rid of all of his lamb.

I have Been eating at Spice Craft about 2/month since it opened under current management. I love…read morethe food, the servers, etc. this week the shrimp were small & overcooked (hard to chew), the sauce was ok. I hope this is not a new direction

Great lunch specials (11:30-3pm) and happy hour deals (3pm-6pm) every day. The build your own bowl…read morelunch special with Saag Paneer and Lemon Tumeric Rice is a must as well as the Naan flight during happy hour. The cozy restaurant has about 10 tables and nice patio seating. The lunch special is fully loaded with your choice of curry, protein, rice and comes with a fresh naan, Choola, side of aloo potato, and crispy pauper (a thin seeded cracker). I ordered 2 bowls with Saag Paneer and Korma Paneer. The spinach curry, Saag with tender, cubed Paneer cheese was mild and not spicy. The Saag Paneer paired well with white rice. The Lemon Tumeric rice is very flavorful. While I enjoyed the orange creamy Korma curry with a spicy kick, my pick is for the Saag Paneer. The bowls are very filling. The Maharani Veggie Burger also on the lunch special had a very thick and dense patty. While I enjoyed the complementary raw onions topping and flavorful chutney sauces with the burger, it was too thick. The shoe string Indian spiced fries were tasty paired with the green sweet and tangy chutney dipping sauce. The Naan flight is very tasty with a pillowy soft naan paired with dips of Saag, Tikka Masala, and Dhal Makhani. The curries were mild and not spicy and enjoyed all of them. The Paneer Kathi roll was a like a spring roll stuffed paneer. It was very small and not a fan of it. The fresh watermelon juice was delicious and my daughter and I savored every sweet sip! It made up for the unsavory Berry-Licious cocktail. I wasn't a big fan of the tangy Berry-Licious cocktail with berry chutney sauce, definitely doesn't taste as good as it's pictured. The Mango Lassi was a bit thick and not that sweet. The Indian pizza on the lunch special looks very appetizing and excited to come back to try it!

Love it! GK…read morecompletely scratches the itch for Bangladeshi food in NOVA, over several visits (including during covid) the takeout has been excellent and really distinct from just "regular" Indian food. The fuska is my favorite, and also the eggplant and even the uninspiringly-named "mixed vegetable" are off the hook, cooked to my preference for heat, and remind me exactly of the flavors from my own visit to Dhaka, distinct from just "regular" Indian food. Fish curry is a staple, and is excellent, just be mindful of the bones (that's how you know it's fish). The place is bare bones (no effort wasted on cloth tablecloths or fancy square plates or stemware), and the warm welcome is something you may have to earn, but the atmosphere is perfect, and you can't beat the price! Get the desserts there or next door; after all, if you've come here, walk the plaza a bit to get a taste of Arlington's own (very) Little Dhaka!

I always cater food from here . Raja never fails me . Yummy Bengali food .Loved their chilli fish…read moreand goat Biryani . Cauliflower Rezala was yummy and so was the Raita .. Also their fish curry . Best was the chickpea ( Chotpoti) Appetizer.