Masala Junction Restaurant — Restaurant in Nottingham

The first time we dined here, the dishes were exceptional. We had the Goan fish curry and Kashmiri chicken korma, both were spectacular. We can see why it's one of the top rated Indian restaurants in Nottingham. We had wanted to go back for quite a while and when we finally did, the second time didn’t quite match our first experience sadly. We ordered a prawn biryani and when it came, although it looked great, the odour was somewhat pungent. Not wanting to seem ignorant or rude, I decided that maybe my palette just wasn’t accustomed and I lacked familiarity with an authentic biryani. I do not usually like complaining, and not wanting to be fussy over smells, I gladly accepted my plate. Having gotten past this, I still enjoyed my meal to an extent. Though sad to say, I believe my initial assumptions may have been true after all, having had to go to the toilet twice the next morning, even after going the night before. I have no previous history of IBS or any other stomach issues, and as there were no other possible culprits, I’ve assumed that possibly the rice that was used may have been too old. I’m aware that it is a common and (generally) safe practise for businesses to use precooked rice, but perhaps this particular batch was left a bit too long. I still could be totally wrong, or it might have been a different ingredient entirely! Perhaps I will try my luck again one day and score a more positive result. In summary, I won’t let one upset stomach sully my opinions so I am still happy to give 4 stars, but just maybe, be a bit wary of the biryani.

TLDR: It's great and worth going to, but not so sure about...

Food — The quality and flavor of food was excellent. You can feel it's really fresh. I must say I have visited many restaurants in the UK and have reviewed the food and quality, but the freshness I saw at this hotel is at another level.

When you visit any Asian restaurant you will more or less have the same food menu and many paneer varieties. I have seen only one item of Paneer here and that has completely amazed me. The menu had a few items listed, but they were unique, and I can guarantee whichever you order it will definitely be at par quality and taste. You will regret having no Paneer item here.

Price - Reasonable price, it cost £82 for 5 people.

Location – It is on a high road, next to LIDL.

Reservation - We booked the table in advance to avoid any delays. I recommend a reservation. The restaurant is quick in responding to your queries.

Customer service – The service offered here is nothing less than a family welcome, brilliant staff, smiling face, happy to chat and offer any advice you want. The staff will come and ask for anything you want or if you need any help. The staff were extremely talented and trained to deliver 5-star experience. The food was presented and served hot.

The owner is from Pakistan and chatted with us in a friendly manner. The owner understand we have had a long day and were really tiered and hungry, and was very quick in delivering our food. He went extra mile, served with us Poppadom and chatni (highly recommended Mint and Apple Chutney) until the main course arrives.

Next time I visit Nottingham I will surely visit the restaurant...

Ive been visiting this restaurant since it opened. Ive been several times since it was sold to the current owner and for the most part the quality has been maintained, however, on my most recent visit I came away with a sense that something has changed. The service is still excellent but the food is not quite the same. Additionally, there is gaffer tape holding some of the leather seating together and if you catch in wrong its very sticky on your hands, not exactly in line with the premium price that is charged.

My wife and I both came away with a feeling of 'sort of'. Everything was sort of as we expected but just not quite the same. There have been subtle changes to the poppadum's and nan breads which definitely feel cheaper. Additionally, the starters and mains were 'sort of' what we expected but it just felt there were subtle changes that have impacted the overall quality of the food, the sauce for the Goan fish curry has definitely been changed and not for the better. Maybe there is a new chef or supplier, who knows, its just not quite the same.

The big problem now is 'do we go back'. Its not the cheapest restaurant around but we always viewed a visit here as a treat knowing we would get great service and outstanding food. On the basis the food quality has dropped, it's difficult to justify the additional expense for what was in reality an average meal.

Such a shame, because the staff are lovely and we usually enjoy the food. Hopefully this was a one off experience and things improve...