Shahi Masala — Restaurant in Salford

While walking along Manchester, I decided to try out Shahi Masala, a charming Indian restaurant that caught my eye. The moment you step inside, you are welcomed into a basic and simple setting. The decor is straightforward, lacking any frills, but it provides a clean and comfortable environment for dining.

Our meal began with an order of Chicken Tikka for starters. This dish was a fantastic introduction to the flavors of Shahi Masala. The chicken was incredibly tender and juicy, marinated in a delightful blend of spices that made each bite a burst of flavor. The grilling process added a perfect char that enhanced the taste, making it a dish I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the restaurant.

Following the delicious starter, our meal continued on an exceptionally high note with the Lamb Nehari. This dish was a revelation of flavors. The lamb was cooked to perfection, tender and succulent, and the rich, spicy gravy had a depth of flavor that spoke of hours of careful preparation and the perfect blend of spices. Each bite was a delightful explosion of taste, warming the palate with its subtle heat and fragrant undertones. It was, without a doubt, one of the best versions of this classic dish I have ever had.

Accompanying the Lamb Nehari was a serving of Pilau Rice. The rice was light, fluffy, and wonderfully aromatic, with the distinct flavors of saffron and subtle spices. It paired beautifully with the robust flavors of the Nehari, making each mouthful a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. The rice was cooked to perfection, each grain separate and perfectly seasoned, enhancing the overall dining experience.

To complement our meal, we ordered Mango Lassi. This traditional yogurt-based drink was refreshingly delicious, striking the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness. It was thick, creamy, and packed with the natural flavor of ripe mangoes. It served as an excellent palate cleanser, soothing the heat from the spicy dishes and providing a sweet contrast to the savory items.

However, not everything was perfect during our visit. We decided to try the Keema Cheese Nan, expecting it to be a delightful fusion of flavors and textures. Unfortunately, this dish was a letdown. The nan bread itself felt undercooked, lacking the typical crispness on the outside and fluffiness on the inside. The keema filling was sparse and did not contribute much in terms of flavor, and the cheese seemed almost nonexistent. This dish felt bland and underwhelming, especially in contrast to the vibrant and well-executed flavors of the other dishes.

Despite this hiccup, the overall experience at Shahi Masala was enjoyable. The simplicity of the decor does not detract from the quality of the food. In terms of pricing, Shahi Masala offers a fair deal. The prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of food served. Considering the meticulous preparation and the flavors that burst forth in each dish, I found the pricing to be quite justified. It's clear that a lot of thought and care goes into both the food and the dining experience as a whole.

In conclusion, Shahi Masala offers a delightful culinary journey with a few minor bumps along the way. The Chicken Tikka, Lamb Nehari, and Pilau Rice are standouts that should not be missed, and the Mango Lassi is a perfect accompaniment. While the Keema Cheese Nan did not meet expectations, the overall experience, coupled with fair pricing, makes Shahi Masala a worthy destination for anyone looking to enjoy authentic Indian cuisine. I look forward to returning and trying more of their extensive menu, hopeful that the keema cheese nan was just an off day in an otherwise...

Having read some of the other reviews I was doubtful about eating here, however when my first choice of places to eat fell through and it was getting late I thought I would give it a try. Fisrt the positives; the restaurant was clean, service was friendly, quick and efficient (however it was a very quiet evening with few other customers waiting to be served when I arrived). The popodoms were good as was the naan bread. Now the not so positives; the tandouri chicken starter whilst just about acceptable in size for a starter was not good. Although the chicken was cooked through, the marinade was still wet on the outside. Definitely not cooked in a tandour oven and lacked the vibrant colour distinctive with tandour chicken and to be frank lacked any real flavour at all. I had read many reviews criticising and the portion sizes. Sadly I have to support this vew. My main course was a chicken dish (I forget which but cooked in a mango sauce) and was disappointingly small. It looked as though there was maybe half a chicken breast cubed in a vast tray of sauce. The flavour was OK at best but not great. No real texture (the chicken seemed a bit soggy!) and swimming in more sauce than required for the quantity of meat. The pilau rice again was disappointing. Not entirely terrible, but certainly not good. However as mentioned the naan bread was good. But, if the best thing I can say about a restaurant is 'the naan bread was good' at a £25.00 bill you be be certain I wouldn't return. Incidentally, the bill would have been very fair had the food been good. Manchester has some amazing Indian/Asian restaurants. I suggest the team at Shahi visit Rusholme to see how it's done well, I'm sure Shahi could be great, but there's a long long...

Had to give 1 star as there is nothing lower than that to choose.

Anyways coming to the point, we are on holidays in Manchester and we visited this restaurant last night along with kids..

One of our friends kid was cranky and been crying.. no parents really want their kid to continue cry so obviously efforts were made to console her but in vain. While we are dealing with this and continued taking some pics to normalise the situation.. this restaurant manager came to us and rudely asking us if kid is ok and to take her out. The way if asking is quite rude and offensive..insensitive manager needs first improve his communication skills and way of talking..

food was served 30mins late , food quantity is very very very less like for £4.50 they served just 4 very thin chicken wings.. the food is not authentic.. the biryani is just a blunder .. they mixed few chicken cubes with knorr chicken stock kind of gavy and served. This seems to be a bangladeshi chef cooking indian food.. just a blunder!!

Even more , the staff doesn't pay attention to indians and are more inclined towards white skin people!! Not their fault seems they are influenced by their manager !

On the plus side , i will dedicate this one star to the waiters as they were very gentle and seemed naive. Hope they are not facing this rude behaviour of the manager 🤞🤞

Finally to the people reading this - you can imagine how worst the service and food could be that made me write such big review ! 😀 so I suggest never ever visit this place , its just...