Masala Indian Restaurant samara — Restaurant in Sámara

Great news. We actually found amazing Indian food in Samara. The food was excellent, but the price was higher than expected. Definitely, not Tica priced food. Three of us spent 45,940 colones which equates to about $90 US. This is more expensive than the states. Fortunately, we left with enough food for another meal.

We discovered this small restaurant with huge tables off the tourist beaten path.

Essentially, walk north out of town past the Pali and China grocery stores, then past the small bridge and another 100 meters down the main road. The restaurant is on the right.

What did we order?

Garlic naan - delicious and authentic. It came with three types of chutneys. Tamarind, mint and papaya (not sure about this one).

Traditional basmati rice. Cooked perfectly. They gave us a large bowl, since we had three people. The owner said this was difficult to find in Costa Rica along with all of the other spices.

Palak paneer - excellent flavor. The paneer tasted great as well. Just the right texture.

Aloo Gobhi - cooked perfectly, but too much salt. There is a fine balance between too much salt and not enough. When there is too much salt, it dominates the other flavors.

Pakora - This is the first time that I have had Pakora like this. In the States, it is typically deep fried mixed vegetables, versus a battered ball of dough and veggies. It was still delicious though. We used the mint and tamarind chutney on this dish.

Yellow dal tadka - just the right thickness and texture. The flavor was good as well, but still too much salt. We really wanted to enjoy the other flavors more.

Kashmiri naan - This is the first time I have tried this. It was delicious. Essentially, naan stuffed with dried fruit and coconut.

We asked for medium spice level. The food spice level met our expectations.

Would in return? Definitely, but I would probably order less to keep the total cost down. Possibly larger portions for these prices as well.

They automatically added the 10% tip. This was a bit of a surprise, since other restaurants include the tip in their prices. Seemed excessive.

I hope they are here the next...

Bad news is that it’s extremely pricy, one of the most expensive meals I’ve had since I’ve lived in the Costa Rica. The good news is that food is consistently delicious and they clearly use the best ingredients. You won’t find anything like this anywhere near Samara. The service is always so friendly and warm and well. This is a great place to splurge when you’re craving Indian. I do hope they stick...

We ordered a huge meal. 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 kids meals. All came out amazing. Even the kids meals were included homemade sauces. The wait for the food is definitely on par with Pura Vida but it’s truly worth it. The food was phenomenal and the atmosphere was gorgeous. Chefs kiss!...