db Eats: Masala Grill

The standard of Indian cuisine in London has never been higher. While Tamarind in Mayfair was the first Indian restaurant in the capital to win a Michelin star in 2001, Karam Sethi’s Trishna in Marylebone and Gymkhana in Mayfair have recently followed suit and raised the bar even higher.

Londoners are now spoilt for choice for fine dining Indian options, meaning stalwarts such as Chutney Mary need to raise their game in order to convincingly compete. Opening at the less desirable end of the King’s Road in Chelsea in 1990, Chutney Mary helped introduce the concept of contemporary Indian cuisine to well-heeled Sloanes. The restaurant recently upped sticks to a central London location in St. James’s. Taking its place in Chelsea is the more casual Masala Grill. In addition to a name change, the space has been made over and filled with tapestries, trinkets and Indian treasures.

Visiting on a rainy Wednesday with an author friend, we were ushered to a table in the brightly coloured conservatory, which transported us to India’s sunny skies and spice-filled streets, helping us to temporarily forget the drizzle. The domed roof of the conservatory is hung with red and amber bunting to make it look like a circus tent, while giant silver fish swim along the window sills and regal purple cushions adorn the beige banquettes in a mishmash of cultural influences. The focal point is a tree magically growing in the middle of the room bringing the outside in.

dahi puri

Keeping things more casual than Chutney Mary’s courtly cooking, dishes at Masala Grill include street food snacks, tandoori chicken and pan-Indian curries. The restaurant’s ethos is a simple one: to serve authentic contemporary Indian cuisine with top-notch ingredients.

But while the food might be casual, service is formal from the get-go – on entry we were greeted by a lady who took our jackets and sopping umbrellas with a smile. The restaurant resides in the basement, and while almost empty on arrival, by the time we left it was abuzz with banter.

Cocktails like the peach Old Fashioned twist on the classics. In need of refreshment, I went for the hibiscus Bellini, which riffed on the Italian classic by swapping the traditional peach with the tart and altogether more serious hibiscus.

Sharp and thirst quenching, it whetted my palate for the feast that followed. Urged to try the dahi puri puffs, the four little parcels didn’t disappoint. Filled with lentils, drizzled with yoghurt and tamarind, and dotted with pomegranate seeds, they exploded in a creamy eruption combing sweet, sour and savoury.

While the crispy fried squid looked like rings of fire crafted by Lucifer himself, they were far milder in nature than their angry red appearance implied, the spice almost too delicately handled, leaving me wanting to stoke the flames and turn up the heat. In a hat tip to India’s love of cricket, the Chicken Sixer consisted of six strips of succulent chicken served with a fiery sauce that packed a punch and made up for the meek squid rings. To pair with it, a crisp, mineral 2013 Sancerre from Domaine des Vieux Pruniers tamed the flames with its clean citrus flavours.

chicken sixer

For my main event, the butter chicken rang my bell with its cubes of tender chicken swimming in a rich, spicy sauce made better by butter and a steaming bowl of aromatic lemon rice with cashew nuts.

Intense and instantly gratifying, the curry served as the perfect central heating on this unseasonably chilly night. Sides of fluffy garlic naan and crunchy cucumber roti were comforting and cooling in equal measure.

Electing a Château Gaudin Pauillac from the acclaimed 2009 vintage, it delighted with the vintage’s hallmark opulence and sheer deliciousness, singing with perfumed notes of mulberry, black cherry, pepper and spice wrapped around ripe, velvety tannins, proving that you don’t always have to wait a decade for Bordeaux to shine.

To round the evening off, our waitress insisted we try the gulab jamun, donut-like deep-fried milk balls coated in cardamom and rose water syrup served with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. Boasting a similarly sticky texture to baklava, it reminded me of Middle Eastern sweets and gave me a serious sugar high.

While a night at Masala Grill won’t set your world alight, there is a lot to love about the relaxed neighbourhood restaurant. Service is friendly and attentive and dishes are largely executed with skill and care. While the squid was too dry for my liking, very little else could be faulted with the food. There isn’t anything daring or revolutionary about the cooking, but for those seeking a contemporary take on classic Indian cuisine in a beautiful setting, Masala Grill hits the spot.

Masala Grill, 535 King’s Road, London SW10 0SZ; Tel: +44 (0)20 7351 7788