Masala Tree — Restaurant in Edmonton

We decided to visit this restaurant on New Years Eve at about 5pm. It was our first visit to this place. We did see a buffet set up but as the servers did not offer it as an option to the menu, we thought it might be set up for a private function, and only found out after that it was available to the public. Disappointing for us. We would have certainly opted for the buffet. That being said, our server (Pinky) was helpful in choosing the items on the menu and gave us ideas for what to choose on our next visit. She’s very friendly. The chicken coconut curry was exceptionally delicious, and the noodles were very flavorful as well. Large enough portion for 2-3 people for sure. We also had a couple orders of naan which were very good. Try the stuffed one. Highly recommended. I had tandoori half chicken. Not really a half chicken as the breast was missing. Just the drumsticks 🍗 and thighs. I found the chicken a bit dry, but the flavor was there. Good spice level. Nice fresh vegetables in the (Indian salad.) No lettuce or dressing so not really a salad. More of a veg plate. For a westerner like me, the menu could be more clear in its explanation. Just getting into Indo cuisine, so I’m not entirely sure of what I’m ordering all the time. A more detailed menu would be appreciated. All in all we really enjoyed our dining experience at Masala Tree. Just a few misunderstandings along the way but that’s part of the journey. We recommend Masala Tree, and for those westerners like us. Ask lots of questions. The servers are knowledgeable and happy to help. Just a note or two for the owners. -You should not be running out of diet drinks. Especially on New Year’s Eve. Trying to cut down on sugar due to high blood sugar. Also, all your beverages should be given with ice automatically. Customer should not need to request ice in their water, or sodas. if buffet is available. Offer it to your customers verbally. This takes the work load off the kitchen as I’m certain they were busy for New Year’s Eve rush. We would have ordered buffet as an option had we known. Thanks for all your help pinky! We...

If you are looking for proper Indian food that’s loaded with spices and not toned down for a North American palate, this is the restaurant you’ve been searching for. I was recommended to me by a friend who learned of it from Ramneek Singh, who scoured the city for the best butter chicken and crowned this one. We ordered a bunch of items, and I quickly understood why this restaurant received such a distinction. The butter chicken was rich and savory, but that’s as far as the similarities go between that and regular butter chicken because this one was an explosion of spices unlike any other. The paneer pakora was, by far, the best pakora I have ever had, with a light crispy shell full of flavor from spices and a high quality, fluffy paneer inside. The naan bread was the perfect thickness, with a pillowy exterior and a crisp crunch from the tandoor. The other standout was the pav bhaji, a rich vegetable stew laced with butter and served with a dinner rolls grilled in more butter that soaked up all the gravy from the dish. It’s not a staple that’s found at all Indian restaurants here, which I appreciated as it helped showcase the authenticity of the place. I could go on and on about this place but you really have to come here yourself to experience the quality of the food. I should note that there were several Indian families eating here, which points to the outstanding quality of the food. Both our waiters, Jaspreet and Happy, were immensely attentive and checked on us several times throughout our meals. Happy in particular wanted to ensure everything was perfect and you could tell he really cares about the quality of the food and the diner’s experience. This is definitely a hidden gem in Edmonton that’s worth the drive out no matter where you’re...

I have nothing but ridiculously positive things to say about this restaurant. What an absolute hidden gem in Chappelle and I'm still thinking about our meal days later and might have to go back ASAP to satisfy this non stop craving. It's been burned into my brain!

So for some backstory, the reason we went here is a person I trust, Ramneek the food reviewer, is on a Butter Chicken Odyssey this year and rated this Butter Chicken as one of the best in the city and holy crap he was NOT wrong. I am by no means a butter chicken expert but I know good food and this was by far the best butter chicken I've ever had in my life and quite possibly one of the tastiest food dishes I've had in recent memory, period.

It was near perfection. I literally can't stop thinking about it. Do yourself a favour and get this butter chicken STAT. We paired it with some garlic naan and coconut rice and that gravy paired with it all just made my entire plate sing like angels. We also grabbed some kebabs and Momo's which were also good, but I don't know if anything will ever top that butter chicken.

The place was busy around 8pm on a Saturday night but we were able to find a table immediately, but I would still recommend reservations on a weekend.

The service was great. We were so impressed so we got to chat with the chef and the owner and they were so appreciative of Ramneek's review and made sure our entire experience was positive. I should have taken pictures but I was way too into the food to be bothered but I'll update this post next time we go with some proper photos.

This is definitely going to be our go to Indian restaurant as it's local (for us) and they go above and beyond to make sure their customers are happy. Did I mention that...