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Went in for the weekend thali but it was Mother's Day so they had a set menu for the day which didn't have one of the things (chingri malaikari) I wanted. In their defense, they added two other things (app and dessert). For a restaurant that charges for last min cancels and no shows, I expected a note during the reservation that this was going to happen. The decor is super desi and colorful. Very neat and clean. We also asked if we could join tables as our friends coincidentally walked in too and they were very kind. Now, the food - Everything was served family style which is great. But when they served the first course "fuchka" math came out to be 1.5 fuchkas per head. On principle, we asked if that was supposed to be the case and they said "no, more were coming". I appreciate it very much! This will work for anyone I guess. But you pick anybody (not just bengalis) who grew up in Kolkata and they will tell you how 1) fuchkas should be eaten one after the other not with a15min wait in between (I mean salivating like an animal isn't cool, right) 2) the aloo needed to be so much more flavorful 3) fuchkas are not made of semolina but atta. So was I disappointed - yes - I'm a tad crazy about fuchkas Spence this long rant! Please ignore me. But hey, now you know what's Fuchka (vs other fuchka variants eg pani puri, golgappa ) Everything else was pretty dang awesome. They have really nailed the fish fry although all the "biyebaris" I went to served breaded fish fry not the batter fry thing they have on the menu. Not complaining at all just noting :) the green chutney layer in between is the cherry on the cake The luchi and daal were good. The rice and mutton were good. The beguni was good. Extra snaps for the mutton kosha - all my Fuchka sadness was gone with the first bite. It's flavorful, spicy, hot (yes, different from spicy), and nostalgic. They have absolutely nailed this dish. Many thanks to the chef for maintaining this bit - this is the other things bengalis from Kolkata are a bit cuckoo about ;) Rasmalai was fine too! Overall, I did have a great meal, may go back for the mangsho itself, but please Please please do a proper Bengali fuchka stall
I've been around long enough to remember the original Masalawala (back when there was no "& Sons") and how mid it was. How times have changed! Since then, Unapologetic Foods went and got a glow-up, a Michelin star, and a whole lot of NYC restaurant prestige. Even then, I probably wouldn't have bothered schlepping to deep BK for Masalawala the Comeback Kid if it weren't for the fact that my friend's boyfriend befriended Chef Soham Deshpande on a recent visit, and he invited us back for a special homecooked Punjabi feast. So take this review with a huge dash of ghee: We didn't have anything from the actual menu. instead, we got a Thali-esque feast of perfectly simmered Laal, a rich and hearty Daal Bati, perfectly fried Chili Pakora, decadently spiced Shrikhand, and one of new favorite things to eat: Churma. Everything was scrumptious, hugely portioned and made with obvious love. Our Punjabi friend said the Churma, in particular, is impossible to find in the US and tasted like his hometown. So....thanks for reading this useless review that won't help you navigate Masalawala v2 unless you too befriend the chef.
I was very excited to bring my Bengali mom to eat Bengali food from someone else's hand. We grabbed brunch on a Saturday morning. Half the restaurant was empty. I feel the $35 no-show fee is pretentious. It makes it feel like it is so hard to get in and/or the cuisine is not attainable elsewhere. There is also no phone number to contact with questions which is odd. Tables of four or less are bookable with Resy, despite the means and space for them to make tables that seat more people. There is an email address but I find that bizarre given it can have a wait time. I asked whether or not the food was halal and it seemed like the server had no idea what I was talking about until I repeated it a few times...it was very difficult to communicate in general with the server. We were never offered the dessert menu, seemed like the staff just wanted to move on to getting ready for dinner service at 5pm. It was very warm in the space as well, we were stuffy and needed fresh air once we finished eating. We were also unaware that the brunch menu was pre-fixed. I think that $38 in New York for all the food we got isn't shabby at all. However, the mocktails priced at $12 is steep. ELAACH 365 - consisted of zero-proof gin, orange, cardamom, clove! smelled like cardamom but no cardamom flavor, drink was overly sweet PARK STREET & 5TH AVE - consisted of zero-proof tequila, green chile, lime and was VERY strong which I liked but not everyone's cup of mocktail, this was worth $12 NON VEGETARIAN Thali - 1. BIYEBARIR FISH FRY - really good, the batter is crispy and there's a green sauce in between the batter and fish it's which was really nice 2. KOSHA MANGSHO - very spicy and flavorful 3. CHINGRI MALAI CURRY - the malai was malai-ing, it masked the shrimp 4. LUCHI - solid 5. GHEE BHAT - very comforting 6. MANGO PICKLE - on the sweeter side, also had nuts in it! I tried the cholar daal from a friend's vegetarian thali and it was my favorite item.
Had a restaurant week dinner here last Friday and the variety of food, portion size and value was truly incredible. For $45/person it's such a steal! We even had enough leftovers for another dinner the next night at home. Our server Niryand also provided the best service! She was so warm and explained each dish with care. Took off a star just because I thought most of the food was overly salted - chili gobi, biryani and kosha mangsho (lamb). They also packed a lot of heat so if you can't handle spice I wouldn't recommend the gobi or lamb. Otherwise still very tasty but again a bit too heavy on the salt. The mains also came with free sides of paratha and luchi - both were amazing. Again, what a steal. The best dish was definitely the fish fry, which was perfect. It came out piping hot so needed to wait to enjoy it but highly recommend this one. Love that we got to try so many dishes, including the yogurt dessert. If you've been meaning to check this place out restaurant week is the perfect time to do it.
Enjoyed visiting the Masalawala and sons - a short jaunt from the metro station in Park Slope. We went on a cold winter afternoon, without a reservation, and were able to be immediately seated. The inside is small but with quirky art and Bollywood references. We ordered the thali - and for some reason this was so hyped up for us, we didn't enjoy it as much as we wanted to. The biyebari fish fry was not what we thought it would be and felt quite bland. I liked the cholar dal - simple but tasted like the way I'd prepare it at home. The kosha maangsho was the highlight though and if we were to return it would be for that (and the mishti doi). Overall I wish there was some more bold flavors - bangla cuisine is woefully underrated and I would've loved to see some more nuance in flavor. Masalawala and sons address a very specific craving and I will be back when I next want to indulge in luchi maangsho and don't want to cook my own cholar dal.
Masawala & Sons serves Indian Cusine & is located on 5th Ave bet. 5th and 6th St. in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. It is near a hosts of other places including Ginger's Bar, Hawa Smoothie & Bubble Tea, Chela, 390 Social, Flatiron Steakhouse, IL Giglio Nail Salon, Stone Park Cafe, etc. Masawala has both Indoor & Outdoor Backyard Patio Seating. Both the Interior and Exterior are have vibrant / colorful decor in variations of orange, blues, hot pinks (patio area), etc. which give a festive aesthetic. Masawala also has a bar area. We had the Biyebarir Fish Fry which is a wedding style batter fried Barramundi w/ Kasaundi. The Biyebarir Fish Fry as well as the Macher Dim were good. Staff are kind & our server was patient while answering our multiple questions regarding menu items. We visited sometime ago & have intentions on trying other current dishes the next visit. As per their website, Walk-ins are seated in their Outdoor Dining Area, unless there is an Indoor Reservation cancellation. Hours of Operation - Wed. -Fri. - Dinner - 5pm - 9:30pm Sat. - Brunch - 11:30am -2:30pm / Dinner -5pm - 9:30pm Sun. - Brunch - 11:30am - 2:30pm / Dinner -5pm - 9:30pm Website - masawala.com Instagram - @masawalanyc
Beyond amazing food!! I had this for lunch and was blown away. I highly recommend this place. The spices and flavor were so deliciously perfect.
Food was overall very good. The Phuchka was so good. Great contrast of flavors and textures. The saag was incredibly spicy. Service was ok. Vibe was also ok. Would recommend the food but keep in mind it's pretty spicy.
Amazing food and ambience! I came here for the first time and had a great dinner. The atmosphere is beautiful and casual. Started off with some tasty cocktails, both were unusually flavored. Our waitress was really helpful with ordering and I asked about the CHILI GOBI cauliflower and she highly recommended it. We ordered it spicy and OMG was this dish delicious. It was defiantly the perfect amount of spice for a spicy dish, I would consider it med/high level. For entrees we had BHAPA MAACH banana leaf wrapped whole branzino with mustard sauce, KOSHA MANGSHO braised goat and LUCHI deep fried flour flatbread. Everything was so good, the fish was flavorful and cooked to perfection. I absolutely loved that goat, Wow, I dream about that dish! We were stuffed so didn't get dessert. What a great meal, Kudos! We will be back soon.
Well, drove 40 miles to Jersey City, took the path to SOHO, then the subway to Brooklyn, and walked 15 minutes to come here, because my wife is Bengali and she has been craving good Bengali food for a long time. It is from the same group which runs several of New York City's absolute best restaurants of any kind, including Dhamaka, Semma, and Adda. The owner opened the original Masalawala on the Lower East Side. It is owned by Rony Mazumdar and his father, Satyen Mazumdar. They put lots of dishes on the menu from their native Kolkata, in West Bengal. The menu is almost entirely Bengali. They have three portions category in their menu and prices are set accordingly so make sure you check what you are ordering. We ordered from the medium category. You can see the price difference. * Lamb Chaap: so it's not your usual Lambchop, it's CHAAP. The big fat juicy mutton piece covered in gravy comes with paratha. Well, have it while it's hot as the fat part gets cold after some time and it's not fun. - 4/5 * Biyebarir Butter Fish: Some recipes have been around for generations -- like a roasted eggplant finished with scrambled egg -- while others are more recent innovations,. One of them isbiyebarir fish fry, a technique that only became popular in the '70s and '80s as a celebratory wedding dish. too good- 5/5 * Chilli chicken: Usual Kolkata style chili chicken - 4/5 * Ghee Bhaat: Too much ghee for me. I wanted to try their Kosha Mangsho (Mutton Curry) but no space left in my tummy. There are many other entree-sized options, starring things such as spicy chicken, rice and lentil porridge, eggplant, mutton, and fish heads, all of which are delicious, but don't skip over the snacky starters at the top of the menu to get there. Some dishes they serve in a kadahi, I guess they cook into that, and the same kadahi is brought up to your table. Ambiance: The dining room is colorful, bright colorful paint, beautifully decorated with a few chains of paper marigolds. The space is not that big, kind of congested when it's crowded but still, that should not stop you from visiting this.
TLDR: Incredible coastal Indian cuisine! The non-veg thali is a must order. Every part of it was cooked super well and bursting with flavor. The chili chicken was tasty but was burning our mouths by the end of it. We needed to wash it down with the rose lassi
This place is a TOTAL representation of Bengali cooking right from my mom's kitchen. The flavors hit right, the ambience is cozy and the staff is incredibly warm and inviting. I went there to celebrate my birthday alone and truly left leaving fewling loved and full. I got the phuchka, beguni, kosha mangsho, malai chingri and doi. Everything was seasoned properly and the taste of mustard oil reminded me of Sunday lunches in my home. 10/10 on bringing Kolkata to Brooklyn
Along with all of the other NYC foodie lists, Masalawala & Sons appeared on ours as a "Must Try New Restaurants" for the past half-year, so we were delighted when there was alignment in the stars between their reservation availability and our own personal schedules. At 6:30 PM, the restaurant was almost completely filled with a nonstop rotation of reservations, which makes sense given the ambiance, service, and "yums" provided at this establishment. The moment you walk in, your senses are awakened and welcomed: the bright colours and beautifully decorated walls and ceiling; the perfectly blended aroma of South Asian spices that hit your nose receptors and tongue; the energetic but still gentle thrum of music. We knew we were in good hands. Service was quick and after perusing the menu for a hot second, our waiter came over with recommendations and we settled on the phuchka (Bengali panipuri), lamp chaap (slow cooked, falling off the bone lamb rib in cashew sauce), vegetable biriyani (potatoes, cauliflower and spices -- enough to feed 2 people with this dish alone), one mezcal drink, and another with gin. The phuckha was a table-service app which was really impressive, though taking one bite with that tamarind sauce made me worry for a second I'd choke. Pani puri is always such a fun appetiser/street food, so we were happy to have some small bites to start. The lamp chaap came next and was true to its description -- the meat was incredibly tender and flavourful, though it was deceivingly spicy. The yogurt sauce really helped. Last came the biriyani which was HUGE, so only order it if you come hungry. It arrives in a grandma style Earthern ceramic pot with lid, which felt like a warm hug from an auntie. I can't remember much about the drinks except they were well mixed and smooth. Overall, we had a great experience at Masalawala and would come back to treat ourselves, but it is a pretty penny. Just a heads up that promptly at 8PM, they blast the music to try and create ambiance, so I'd elect for an earlier reservation if you're particularly sensitive to noise.
Came for lunch, there was only a set menu option (was sad to not see phuchka on the menu for this instance- one of the best Bengali street foods/appetizers IMO). Went with the non-vegetarian option and everything was much better than I could anticipated. Kosha mangsho (braised goat curry) was really flavorful and not too spicy (my spice tolerance is mid and I handled this w/ ease) but not alot of meat. The cholar dal is BOMB if you're into lentil curries and paired well with everything else in the spread. Savory and a bit sweet altogether that serves as both a bit of a palette cleanser and a excellent combo bite kind of thing. (I hope I don't get roasted by the purists for doing this wrong, but this + the Kosha mangsho curry sauce + the fish fry in a single bite was flavor town personified) Anyways, I thought the menu was a bit unimpressive when I arrived and I'm glad I had low expectations cuz I was thoroughly impressed. I'd get this lunch again. Chef was also super hospitable, came through with some comped desserts at the end for our table. read more
1 year ago
Went in for the weekend thali but it was Mother's Day so they had a set menu for the day which didn't have one of the things (chingri malaikari) I wanted. In their defense, they added two other things (app and dessert). For a restaurant that charges for last min cancels and no shows, I expected a note during the reservation that this was going to happen. The decor is super desi and colorful. Very neat and clean. We also asked if we could join tables as our friends coincidentally walked in too and they were very kind. Now, the food - Everything was served family style which is great. But when they served the first course "fuchka" math came out to be 1.5 fuchkas per head. On principle, we asked if that was supposed to be the case and they said "no, more were coming". I appreciate it very much! This will work for anyone I guess. But you pick anybody (not just bengalis) who grew up in Kolkata and they will tell you how 1) fuchkas should be eaten one after the other not with a15min wait in between (I mean salivating like an animal isn't cool, right) 2) the aloo needed to be so much more flavorful 3) fuchkas are not made of semolina but atta. So was I disappointed - yes - I'm a tad crazy about fuchkas Spence this long rant! Please ignore me. But hey, now you know what's Fuchka (vs other fuchka variants eg pani puri, golgappa ) Everything else was pretty dang awesome. They have really nailed the fish fry although all the "biyebaris" I went to served breaded fish fry not the batter fry thing they have on the menu. Not complaining at all just noting :) the green chutney layer in between is the cherry on the cake The luchi and daal were good. The rice and mutton were good. The beguni was good. Extra snaps for the mutton kosha - all my Fuchka sadness was gone with the first bite. It's flavorful, spicy, hot (yes, different from spicy), and nostalgic. They have absolutely nailed this dish. Many thanks to the chef for maintaining this bit - this is the other things bengalis from Kolkata are a bit cuckoo about ;) Rasmalai was fine too! Overall, I did have a great meal, may go back for the mangsho itself, but please Please please do a proper Bengali fuchka stall read more
1 year ago
I've been around long enough to remember the original Masalawala (back when there was no "& Sons") and how mid it was. How times have changed! Since then, Unapologetic Foods went and got a glow-up, a Michelin star, and a whole lot of NYC restaurant prestige. Even then, I probably wouldn't have bothered schlepping to deep BK for Masalawala the Comeback Kid if it weren't for the fact that my friend's boyfriend befriended Chef Soham Deshpande on a recent visit, and he invited us back for a special homecooked Punjabi feast. So take this review with a huge dash of ghee: We didn't have anything from the actual menu. instead, we got a Thali-esque feast of perfectly simmered Laal, a rich and hearty Daal Bati, perfectly fried Chili Pakora, decadently spiced Shrikhand, and one of new favorite things to eat: Churma. Everything was scrumptious, hugely portioned and made with obvious love. Our Punjabi friend said the Churma, in particular, is impossible to find in the US and tasted like his hometown. So....thanks for reading this useless review that won't help you navigate Masalawala v2 unless you too befriend the chef. read more
1 year ago
I was very excited to bring my Bengali mom to eat Bengali food from someone else's hand. We grabbed brunch on a Saturday morning. Half the restaurant was empty. I feel the $35 no-show fee is pretentious. It makes it feel like it is so hard to get in and/or the cuisine is not attainable elsewhere. There is also no phone number to contact with questions which is odd. Tables of four or less are bookable with Resy, despite the means and space for them to make tables that seat more people. There is an email address but I find that bizarre given it can have a wait time. I asked whether or not the food was halal and it seemed like the server had no idea what I was talking about until I repeated it a few times...it was very difficult to communicate in general with the server. We were never offered the dessert menu, seemed like the staff just wanted to move on to getting ready for dinner service at 5pm. It was very warm in the space as well, we were stuffy and needed fresh air once we finished eating. We were also unaware that the brunch menu was pre-fixed. I think that $38 in New York for all the food we got isn't shabby at all. However, the mocktails priced at $12 is steep. ELAACH 365 - consisted of zero-proof gin, orange, cardamom, clove! smelled like cardamom but no cardamom flavor, drink was overly sweet PARK STREET & 5TH AVE - consisted of zero-proof tequila, green chile, lime and was VERY strong which I liked but not everyone's cup of mocktail, this was worth $12 NON VEGETARIAN Thali - 1. BIYEBARIR FISH FRY - really good, the batter is crispy and there's a green sauce in between the batter and fish it's which was really nice 2. KOSHA MANGSHO - very spicy and flavorful 3. CHINGRI MALAI CURRY - the malai was malai-ing, it masked the shrimp 4. LUCHI - solid 5. GHEE BHAT - very comforting 6. MANGO PICKLE - on the sweeter side, also had nuts in it! I tried the cholar daal from a friend's vegetarian thali and it was my favorite item. read more
Had a restaurant week dinner here last Friday and the variety of food, portion size and value was truly incredible. For $45/person it's such a steal! We even had enough leftovers for another dinner the next night at home. Our server Niryand also provided the best service! She was so warm and explained each dish with care. Took off a star just because I thought most of the food was overly salted - chili gobi, biryani and kosha mangsho (lamb). They also packed a lot of heat so if you can't handle spice I wouldn't recommend the gobi or lamb. Otherwise still very tasty but again a bit too heavy on the salt. The mains also came with free sides of paratha and luchi - both were amazing. Again, what a steal. The best dish was definitely the fish fry, which was perfect. It came out piping hot so needed to wait to enjoy it but highly recommend this one. Love that we got to try so many dishes, including the yogurt dessert. If you've been meaning to check this place out restaurant week is the perfect time to do it. read more
8 months ago
Enjoyed visiting the Masalawala and sons - a short jaunt from the metro station in Park Slope. We went on a cold winter afternoon, without a reservation, and were able to be immediately seated. The inside is small but with quirky art and Bollywood references. We ordered the thali - and for some reason this was so hyped up for us, we didn't enjoy it as much as we wanted to. The biyebari fish fry was not what we thought it would be and felt quite bland. I liked the cholar dal - simple but tasted like the way I'd prepare it at home. The kosha maangsho was the highlight though and if we were to return it would be for that (and the mishti doi). Overall I wish there was some more bold flavors - bangla cuisine is woefully underrated and I would've loved to see some more nuance in flavor. Masalawala and sons address a very specific craving and I will be back when I next want to indulge in luchi maangsho and don't want to cook my own cholar dal. read more
Masawala & Sons serves Indian Cusine & is located on 5th Ave bet. 5th and 6th St. in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. It is near a hosts of other places including Ginger's Bar, Hawa Smoothie & Bubble Tea, Chela, 390 Social, Flatiron Steakhouse, IL Giglio Nail Salon, Stone Park Cafe, etc. Masawala has both Indoor & Outdoor Backyard Patio Seating. Both the Interior and Exterior are have vibrant / colorful decor in variations of orange, blues, hot pinks (patio area), etc. which give a festive aesthetic. Masawala also has a bar area. We had the Biyebarir Fish Fry which is a wedding style batter fried Barramundi w/ Kasaundi. The Biyebarir Fish Fry as well as the Macher Dim were good. Staff are kind & our server was patient while answering our multiple questions regarding menu items. We visited sometime ago & have intentions on trying other current dishes the next visit. As per their website, Walk-ins are seated in their Outdoor Dining Area, unless there is an Indoor Reservation cancellation. Hours of Operation - Wed. -Fri. - Dinner - 5pm - 9:30pm Sat. - Brunch - 11:30am -2:30pm / Dinner -5pm - 9:30pm Sun. - Brunch - 11:30am - 2:30pm / Dinner -5pm - 9:30pm Website - masawala.com Instagram - @masawalanyc read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
Beyond amazing food!! I had this for lunch and was blown away. I highly recommend this place. The spices and flavor were so deliciously perfect. read more
Food was overall very good. The Phuchka was so good. Great contrast of flavors and textures. The saag was incredibly spicy. Service was ok. Vibe was also ok. Would recommend the food but keep in mind it's pretty spicy. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
Amazing food and ambience! I came here for the first time and had a great dinner. The atmosphere is beautiful and casual. Started off with some tasty cocktails, both were unusually flavored. Our waitress was really helpful with ordering and I asked about the CHILI GOBI cauliflower and she highly recommended it. We ordered it spicy and OMG was this dish delicious. It was defiantly the perfect amount of spice for a spicy dish, I would consider it med/high level. For entrees we had BHAPA MAACH banana leaf wrapped whole branzino with mustard sauce, KOSHA MANGSHO braised goat and LUCHI deep fried flour flatbread. Everything was so good, the fish was flavorful and cooked to perfection. I absolutely loved that goat, Wow, I dream about that dish! We were stuffed so didn't get dessert. What a great meal, Kudos! We will be back soon. read more
Well, drove 40 miles to Jersey City, took the path to SOHO, then the subway to Brooklyn, and walked 15 minutes to come here, because my wife is Bengali and she has been craving good Bengali food for a long time. It is from the same group which runs several of New York City's absolute best restaurants of any kind, including Dhamaka, Semma, and Adda. The owner opened the original Masalawala on the Lower East Side. It is owned by Rony Mazumdar and his father, Satyen Mazumdar. They put lots of dishes on the menu from their native Kolkata, in West Bengal. The menu is almost entirely Bengali. They have three portions category in their menu and prices are set accordingly so make sure you check what you are ordering. We ordered from the medium category. You can see the price difference. * Lamb Chaap: so it's not your usual Lambchop, it's CHAAP. The big fat juicy mutton piece covered in gravy comes with paratha. Well, have it while it's hot as the fat part gets cold after some time and it's not fun. - 4/5 * Biyebarir Butter Fish: Some recipes have been around for generations -- like a roasted eggplant finished with scrambled egg -- while others are more recent innovations,. One of them isbiyebarir fish fry, a technique that only became popular in the '70s and '80s as a celebratory wedding dish. too good- 5/5 * Chilli chicken: Usual Kolkata style chili chicken - 4/5 * Ghee Bhaat: Too much ghee for me. I wanted to try their Kosha Mangsho (Mutton Curry) but no space left in my tummy. There are many other entree-sized options, starring things such as spicy chicken, rice and lentil porridge, eggplant, mutton, and fish heads, all of which are delicious, but don't skip over the snacky starters at the top of the menu to get there. Some dishes they serve in a kadahi, I guess they cook into that, and the same kadahi is brought up to your table. Ambiance: The dining room is colorful, bright colorful paint, beautifully decorated with a few chains of paper marigolds. The space is not that big, kind of congested when it's crowded but still, that should not stop you from visiting this. read more
TLDR: Incredible coastal Indian cuisine! The non-veg thali is a must order. Every part of it was cooked super well and bursting with flavor. The chili chicken was tasty but was burning our mouths by the end of it. We needed to wash it down with the rose lassi read more
This place is a TOTAL representation of Bengali cooking right from my mom's kitchen. The flavors hit right, the ambience is cozy and the staff is incredibly warm and inviting. I went there to celebrate my birthday alone and truly left leaving fewling loved and full. I got the phuchka, beguni, kosha mangsho, malai chingri and doi. Everything was seasoned properly and the taste of mustard oil reminded me of Sunday lunches in my home. 10/10 on bringing Kolkata to Brooklyn read more
Along with all of the other NYC foodie lists, Masalawala & Sons appeared on ours as a "Must Try New Restaurants" for the past half-year, so we were delighted when there was alignment in the stars between their reservation availability and our own personal schedules. At 6:30 PM, the restaurant was almost completely filled with a nonstop rotation of reservations, which makes sense given the ambiance, service, and "yums" provided at this establishment. The moment you walk in, your senses are awakened and welcomed: the bright colours and beautifully decorated walls and ceiling; the perfectly blended aroma of South Asian spices that hit your nose receptors and tongue; the energetic but still gentle thrum of music. We knew we were in good hands. Service was quick and after perusing the menu for a hot second, our waiter came over with recommendations and we settled on the phuchka (Bengali panipuri), lamp chaap (slow cooked, falling off the bone lamb rib in cashew sauce), vegetable biriyani (potatoes, cauliflower and spices -- enough to feed 2 people with this dish alone), one mezcal drink, and another with gin. The phuckha was a table-service app which was really impressive, though taking one bite with that tamarind sauce made me worry for a second I'd choke. Pani puri is always such a fun appetiser/street food, so we were happy to have some small bites to start. The lamp chaap came next and was true to its description -- the meat was incredibly tender and flavourful, though it was deceivingly spicy. The yogurt sauce really helped. Last came the biriyani which was HUGE, so only order it if you come hungry. It arrives in a grandma style Earthern ceramic pot with lid, which felt like a warm hug from an auntie. I can't remember much about the drinks except they were well mixed and smooth. Overall, we had a great experience at Masalawala and would come back to treat ourselves, but it is a pretty penny. Just a heads up that promptly at 8PM, they blast the music to try and create ambiance, so I'd elect for an earlier reservation if you're particularly sensitive to noise. read more
7 months ago
5 STARS for the Bengali chicken biryani and the phuchkas!!!! I have high expectations when it comes to biryani so you have to get this. My fav biryanis in the city are now this and the one at Semma! The food has a kick tho (I have a higher spice tolerance and love spicy food so if you're like me this place is perfect! Was pleasantly surprised by this spot due to things I heard about it being too spicy but glad I tried it! Don't listen to the nytimes. I would come back to just have those 2 things again. I am not even a fan of pani puri really and I LOVED the phuchka. It's prepared table side and each one is bigger than usually but was hoping that more than 4 would come in a serving. The serving for the biryani is large and can easily feed 3! If I could order this to go I would! We also tried the bhekti paturi - this didn't have enough favor for me and had a fishy taste. I would try some of the other fish dishes next time. Decor is super cute with a bunch of spices written in hindi and the servers are great!! Will be back!! read more
I went here with one of my many groups back in June. This is one of the many restaurants by Unapologetic Foods and is one of the more difficult ones to get into and I can partially see why. Yes it's pricey but it's a trendy Indian restaurant in a very wealthy neighborhood so I'm not exactly sure what you're expecting. The inside of the restaurant is nice and the service was friendly and helpful. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol so I got a house made ginger beer which I think was $10. Our first dish was the Sabudana Vada for $11 with tapioca pearls, peanuts, spiced potatoes, and a yogurt chutney. This is one of the cheaper dishes here so of course it's one of the smaller ones but this was one of my favorites. The texture of the vada was nice with some crunch and some chew. I would recommend it We were going to choose between Macher Dim or the fish fry depending on whether the former was available and as it was, we went with said dim. Said dish was $23 and consisted of seasonal Bengali fish roe, kalajeera rice, egg yolk, ghee, and green chili. The dish almost looks like a seven-layer dip but of course the flavors are very different from that. The dish has an odd pastiness to it and I wouldn't have minded putting it on pao or some other bread as I think it needs it. There was a bit of spice to it but not too much. If you want something spicy and you don't mind the taste of offal, the Keema Kaleji for $19 with goat mince & liver, black cardamom, cloves, soft egg, and pao is one of the better dishes. The flavors were excellent with the offal being balanced by the egg but I will know that it is very spicy. My only complaint would be that they barely gave any pao but this is a general complaint for most of the restaurants where they are very stiff with bread. If you don't want goat, the Beguner Khagina for the same price with roasted & smashed eggplant, cumin, soft egg, and pao is a good alternative. The eggplant was nicely roasted and mixed well with the egg. I wouldn't mind if this dish replaced baingan bharta in other spots. Just alright was the Bhetki Paturi for $19 with banana leaf wrapped bhetki (fish) and mustard-poppy paste. I presume they are using the word bhetki to make it sound fancy but it's barramundi. The mustard was too strong but the fish was soft. Our only larger plate was the Kosha Mangsho for $34 with braised lamb, ginger, coriander, and green cardamom. There was an odd bitterness to it and I found the lamb overcooked. I'm unsure if we got a bad version of it because it appears this is loved by everyone else but that's unfortunate. As per tradition, they overprice their rice and their breads because they can get away with it. The Ghee Bhat is just rice with ghee and it's $5 and the chapati while excellent is $4 for a few pieces. I don't care how well prepared it is but it's unreasonable as always. Outside of the main dish being a disappointment, the food here was pretty solid but definitely overpriced. If you're looking for a fun creative take on Indian food and you don't mind some serious spice and a hole in your wallet, I would recommend this spot. Mid/upper 3. read more
1 year ago
I'd like to report a robbery: I ordered Chicken Biryani and it was actually very good, but I couldn't believe how small the portion size was for $31. I mean we're talking a laughable amount of food for that price, that's what I get for ordering a $31 plate I guess. This is the first and hopefully only review I'll ever write in my life, but if I can stop even one person from feeling the sadness that engulfed me when I tore open that brown paper bag (probably about $15 worth of sadness) then I'm happy I did it. read more
Amazing Indian food! Came here with some friends and it feels like we had the entire menu. We were able to snag an outdoor table (summer) in their back patio. Its a great small spot and highly recommend it if you can get one. The staff is very friendly and clearly well trained. They made sure to check in on us constantly and the food came out at a good pace. I honestly don't remember everything we ordered - but it was def. way too much food! Some highlights: Lamb Chaap, Biyebarir fish fry, Daab chingri and bhapa maach. There was also a bone marrow dish, usually not my thing, but I really liked this dish. Last, but not least - the pao bread... this stuff is addictive! read more
1 year ago
Great Indian dishes. Butter chicken and chili chicken were very good. Was busy on a Tuesday pm by 630 reservation recommended.. desert yogurt custard was a nice dessert! read more
3 years ago
Came on a Sunday night for an 8:30pm dinner. Didn't have reservations, but luckily, there were a few tables available, possibly due to the rainy weather. The host outside was super nice, explained the overall menu and recommended us dishes while we were waiting for the table to be prepared. Biyebarir fish fry was fatty. I loved this dish. The fish was a tad bit dry, but with the sauce and the cilantro chili inside, it was perfect. Keema kaleji wasn't as gamy as I thought it would be. The goat was quite tender, and the pao was a good pairing. Daab chingri was surprising. I thought the broth would be thicker, or that they would use coconut milk, but the base was coconut water. The flavor of the coconut and shrimp really permeated through. The shrimp however, was way too overcooked. It was mush in my mouth. The head was still very flavorful. Kosha mangsho was insanely spicy for me. The meat wasn't all too tender either considering it was braised, my least favorite dish of the night. The spice level was more than I expected it to be. All the indicated spicy dishes were all decently spicy to me. Bhapa doi was a great dessert, super creamy, and not too sweet. Should not be missed. If Masalawala and Sons was this good, I'm excited to try the other restaurants under Unapologetic Foods. read more
I had the vegetarian thali here. I enjoyed the different blend of flavors compared to other Indian restaurants in the city, and the fact that the food was served with puri instead of the standard roti or naan. The food is pretty expensive, but it's worth it to try food from a relatively less-familiar region of India. read more
Chintan Pandya and his crew can't seem to do wrong these days, and NYC is better for it. For the layperson, they have introduced regional South Asian cuisine that many people like me have not had the pleasure of experiencing. Before dining here, I would not have been able to name any Bengali dishes off the top of my head. We didn't have a reservation on the day we came, but we took advantage of a completely atrocious weather day back in December and were able to walk in for a party of 3 with a less than 30 minute wait. Chintan Pandya just happened to be there that evening working on his laptop at the bar, and he was so incredibly kind going around greeting everyone. He even gave us suggestions on the menu, and walked us through how to eat certain items. Some highlights were the bhetki paturi (fish with mustard paste cooked in a banana leaf) and the daab chingri (prawns cooked and served out of a coconut). The drinks and cocktails were no slouch either. Overall I would say this restaurant lives up to the hype. Places like Masalawala & Sons remind me how lucky we are to be able to live and eat in NYC! read more
Another great restaurant in the Unapologetic Foods portfolio. I do prefer Semma (which has the best cocktails of the whole bunch) and Adda, but would say this is tied with Dhamaka. Anyway, they're all good!! Set a Resy alert and got a weekday reservation. My boyfriend and I tried: + Tagore's lyric cocktail + Calcutta 71 cocktail + Rose milk with soy milk + Dahi vada - lentil dumpling + Daab chingri - tiger prawns + Biyebarir fish fry + Kosha mangsho - lamb + Ghee bhat - rice + Bhapa doi - yogurt dessert The lamb was the best dish we ate, followed by the fish fry. Rose milk is a must - it saved me amid the spice. Also loved the dessert! read more
As a Bengali, I was incredibly excited to finally land a resy here. I'll start but saying all the food here is really flavorful and the service is top notch. I came with a friend right when they opened and were seated right away. They were explicit about us only having our table for 90 minutes but even when we exceeded that they never rushed us out. Given that, the decor and atmosphere is super welcoming and vibrant. As far as spice levels go, I think their sister restaurant, Dhamaka is spicier and this felt a lot more manageable. In total, we shared the biyebarir fish fry, sabudana vana, kosha mangsho and the macher pulao. The fish fry came with a dipping sauce and that was delicious. A standout for sure. The vada was good but it was another fried item and in reality we probably just ordered poorly. The lamb was really tender and I was hoping to use the pulao to combine the rice and flavors, but the pulao had a lot of fish bones and I think it made it difficult to eat. The biggest draw for me was the menu and it's really exciting to see more upscale Bengali restaurants out there. I'd be willing to come back to try a few other dishes. read more
I'm glad that I can say that I've been to one of the hottest restaurants in NYC in the midst of its peak. After seeing all the hype from local culinary commentary about Masalawala and Sons, we lucked out with a walk-in table just after opening. I guess the trick is to post up when the doors open on a weeknight, if you have the luxury. It's well worth the hype and the wait for a table. We ordered the dahi vada (fermented lentil dumpling with yogurt), befuner khagina (eggplant and soft scrambled egg in cast iron dish), biyebarir fish fry, and the kosha mangsho (braised lamb). The dahi vada was easily the best bite of the meal for me. Perfect combination of flavors. The fish fry was perfectly cooked with tasty and tender fish. read more
3 years ago
The Unapologetic Foods hospitality group has been on an absolute tear since 2018. Helmed by restauranteur Roni Mazumdar and chef Chintan Pandya, it specializes in hyper-regional Indian cuisine. Adda and Dhamaka (rustic pan-Indian), Semma (South Indian), and Rowdy Rooster (Indian fried chicken) all debuted to critical acclaim and netted a treasure trove of accolades including a Michelin Star for Semma and a "Best Chef New York" James Beard award for Pandya. Masalawala & Sons is their newest venture and highlights one of the best kept secrets in the food world: the dynamic cuisine of Kolkata, West Bengal. Both my parents hail from the city, so it was with a mixture of pride, nostalgia, and apprehension that I sat at the table. I hoped it would do the flavors justice. The space is small but lively, adorned with colorful streamers and wall art. Fair or not, I confess I found it strange that there were seemingly no members of the waitstaff of Indian heritage. This was particularly noticeable in the strained pronunciation of certain menu items, which no doubt affected the perceived authenticity of the experience. The service was otherwise decent enough. The three cocktails on the menu bore clever references to famous Bengali figures, but we found them rather run of the mill. My in-depth takes on the menu: Dahi Vada - known as "doi bora" in Kolkata, this is a spongy lentil dumpling soaked in a spiced yogurt. Here was a deceptively potent version of the beloved street snack that struck a wonderful balance between bitter and zesty cumin, refreshing mint, and sweet and sour dairy. Macher Dim - a stylized homage to a regional delicacy, the roe of the ilish (Hilsa) fish. While I am more used to consuming the eggs in a fried spherical form, here it is served as a sort of paste swimming in ghee (clarified butter) and mustard oil that you scoop up with a wooden spoon. I will be the first to say that this is an acquired taste. The roe is salty and funky and the mustard oil, which perfumes a number of Bengali dishes, is super pungent and tad bitter. I happen to love it, and the nostalgic flavor is well reproduced here. Biyebarir Fish Fry - "Biyebari" refers to a wedding reception, where fried bhetki (barramundi) is a fixture in Bengali tradition. This was an incredible version that captured the essence of the dish while elevating it. It almost borrows from fish and chips, in the sense that there were three distinct layers: super crunchy battered crust, followed by a steamy pocket of air, and then juicy well-seasoned fish. Amazing. The accompanying kasundi (mustard sauce) further bumped up the flavor. Bhetki Pathuri - fish caked in a paste of mustard, poppy seeds, and green chili and steamed in a banana leaf. Just incredible and as good as any I've tried. The flesh is moist beyond belief and the flavor is sharp, spicy, and sweet. Morog Boti - these neon red bone-in chicken bites are intense, rich, and spicy. The cool mint chutney is a necessary salve. Kosha Mangsho - a lovely take on the beloved and aromatic mutton (lamb/sheep) curry, oozing with ginger, garlic, and earthy spices. Not as good as my grandmother's, but can't hold that against them. Daab Chingri - this sweet and spicy coconut-based shrimp curry was heavy on aesthetics, coming piping hot in a hollowed coconut shell, but light on flavor. I found it to be flat and lacking in salt and complexity. Luchi - a deep-fried flat bread that is typically torn and used as a doughy vehicle for curries. Whether due to issues with construction or timing, the luchi came to our table deflated rather than in the characteristic puffed state, which was disappointing. My dinner at Masalawala & Sons was a memorable one, and I felt proud to share my regional heritage with my friends. The spirit of home cooking is there but with a more sophisticated touch and look. Indian Bengali cuisine has yet to really achieve a foothold outside of foodie meccas like New York, and I hope the success of this concept portends a future where that is not the case. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
This restaurant is a 10000/10! I loved it so much! I had a nostalgic dinner with my family. Out of all of the restaurants the owners have in the city, this is the best! The restaurant lives up to the name (masala = spices.) All the food was spiced well. As a Bengali, this food reminded me of a good home cooked meal. We started with the Phucka which I didn't think would taste home made or like the street vendors. The tamarind sauce was perfection! Then we had the Biyerbari Fish Fry. I don't like eating fish but this was an exception. It was battered with green sauce It was crunchy yet soft. Surprisingly loved every bite of it and would order again. For mains, we got the Dab Chingri, Kosha Mangsho, Murgh Rezla, and Chicken Biriyani. The Dab Chingri is a coconut shrimp dish. Not sure about the cooking process but the waitress poured the curry out of the coconut and scraped the coconut meat out too. It was spicy, saucy, and went great with the biriyani. Wish there was more shrimp in it though. Kosha Mangsho is a traditional goat dish. I don't eat goat but wow the sauce was heaven. It reminded me of eating breakfast in Bangladesh with roti and curry. The Murgh Rezla is a chicken curry. It tasted creamy and spicy. I wish it had a little less salt but I still enjoyed it and would get it again. The chicken biriyani really surprised me. Big restaurants fail to get the spice level correct when they make biriyani. This biriyani however did not disappoint. It was spiced to the nines. I could've eaten this without any curry. We also got Luchi and Ghee Bhat that were great sides. Luchi goes well with the curries. Loved that the drinks were named after prominent Bengali artists and figures. The decor was beautiful and felt like I was attending a Holud party. I wished the decor had Bengali writings on it instead of Hindi. Nonetheless, the place ambiance was magical. I loved how the owners created this amazing space to introduce authentic Bengali food. I felt happy noticing people of different backgrounds enjoying our food. I definitely recommend Masalawala read more
4 years ago
Unapologetic foods does it again! I've been a huge fan of all of their restaurants and always look forward to trying a new one. The interior is adorable and authentic and you can't go wrong with an abundance of marigolds and beautiful Hindi writing on the walls (it's a bunch of spices written on the walls) Drinks were great and they were able to customize my cocktail to have rum instead of vodka. The service was quick and nice as well. For food, we tried the fish fry, kheema kaleji, tiger prawns and braised lamb. All were delicious! My favorites were the kheema kaleji and braised lamb. I loved the mustard dip that came with the fish fry as well. Everything was on a spice level of 8/10 so beware of that. Overall, I'm so happy I ventured all the way out to park slope for Masalawala and Sons! read more
2 years ago
Delicious Bengali eats imagined by the minds behind Unapologetic Foods -- having been to Semma, Dhamaka and Masalawala, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I didn't feel particularly strongly about the drink, but the food was DELICIOUS. Personal favorites are the Daab Chingri (so flavorful, they open it at tableside), Fish Fry (so flaky), and Bhetki Paturi (great flavor). Would definitely recommend making a reservation, as they get quite busy. The service was great and we had a lovely evening here! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
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365 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Park Slope
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Ask the Community - Masalawala & Sons
Is there anything on the menu that is not spicy for people who cannot take heat?
Realistically this isn't traditional Indian food. It's from West Bengal. Our food is not spicy but more fragrant, hope that helps
I have strictly vegetarian friends. Are there good options on the menu for them?
There are a few vegetarian options for sure but if your friends are vegan, the options are fairly limited.
