Masala Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in McLean

Went there for the first time a bit early for dinner so it wasn't too crowded. Hostess was nice and greeted our family with a smile. Ambience was very family-friendly and generally casual. We're vegetarian, so there were plenty of selections in appetizers and main course. The complementary snack and three chutneys were a nice touch. I enjoyed the fact that there was a selection of both traditional and modern choices on the menu. For appetizers, the spinach cheese cutlet had an interesting flavor profile and tasted best with chutney. We also ordered veg momos and Gobi Manchurian. The momos were okay, family liked them more. However, the momo chutneys were pretty tasty. The Gobi Manchurian was made just perfect with the right flavors, texture and spices. For the main course, we selected the Malai Kofta, Paneer Tikka Masala, Black Daal, and Bhindi. I was a bit skeptical of Quinoa for malai kofta, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this dish tastes. It was my favorite. Kids of course really enjoyed the paneer tikka masala. The bhindi was cooked soft with good flavor. The daal was also very nice. To complement the dishes, they served rice and we ordered naan and parathas. They were made fresh with butter and the parathas were just as expected. For Desi folks, I believe ordering "spicy" is the right way to go. This level is not too hot and not too mild either. For those that don't like too much spice, then just go for "medium spicy", so you get the flavor, but not the extra heat. Our server was very nice and accommodated our requests. Overall, the service and food were excellent. The dish presentations were also excellent. However, I would recommend they not top the dishes with orchid flowers as orchids are not only expensive, but they are part of a living plant and should be displayed at the table as a living plant rather than placed on the dish. Not even sure if that is the best choice for hygiene either. For that, the slightly steeper pricing was worth it. We certainly will return. I just hope they can keep up the same...

The Good: Lots of easy parking, friendly staff, we didn't have to wait to sit down on a Friday night. The food was absolutely delicious - contender for the best Indian food I've ever had. The staff was exceptionally quick and attentive on refilling water. When there was a mistake (mentioned below), they were quick to correct it without any fuss.

The Bad: After ordering, we waited over 30 minutes for our appetizer to come out. We also ordered Goat Cheese Naan with our entrees and they gave us Garlic Naan by mistake. I ordered my meal "very spicy" which was the spiciest of the options given by the waitress, but I would call what I got more like a touch above Medium.

Overall, I gave 4/5 stars because of the couple of negative things, but I will definitely be going back. My wife and I both thought it was some of the best Indian food we've ever had, and the price is reasonable. The wait staff was attentive, polite, and very friendly. Next time I go I'll stress that I want much more spicy than what they consider...

A Nepalese Indian restaurant with a combination of delicious momos & Indian food. We had the vegetarian Jhol Momos and they came with a sesame tomato sauce and were delicious. Do know the soup is a cold and the momos are hot. It was an interesting combination. We also had the Dal Bhukara which is like a dal makhani and the bindi amchur both dishes were delicious. The dal bakhura is a little different than a makhani but still good. We also ordered an assorted Naan basket which came with Roti, Butter Naan & Garlic Naan. The garlic Naan was our favorite and was absolutely delicious. I’d highly recommend to order with any of your entree. We also ordered the Kalakand that is a milk sweet usually never offered as dessert in a restaurant. But they did have it and it was pretty decent. My husband liked it but I thought it was ok. Oh, we also ordered the East Indian lemonade but it was very heavy and was not something we could finish. Overall, great food...