Masala Indian Kitchen - Novi — Restaurant in Novi

Not really my cup of tea. The prices are a bit outrages for the portion sizes. I wanted to like it all, but maybe I’m just not big on Indian food. It wasn’t even a matter of being too spicy- I just felt like everything was a bit bland and again- sizes were just not justifiable for the prices. I paid over twenty dollars for two small cups of food and a side of rice. It just seemed really really cheap. I also thought it would be more like a sit down and eat restaurant considering the place was pretty busy when I got there- but even the people who chose to dine in were eating out of take out boxes which I found strange. Not a complaint but if you have your entire menu served in carry out boxes you will be producing a lot of waste rather quickly with the volume of foods going out per order. As such, the dining area and trash cans were starting to overflow which doesn’t make you want to eat your food. Waited about a half hour and finally walked back to the counter to make sure my order didn’t get lost( I used a kiosk instead of ordering at the counter at their suggestion) maybe cause it was busy. The staff seemed a little standoffish but not rude….I did feel like I was being stared at quite a bit though. Maybe it’s a cultural thing but being leered at over the counter when I’m just trying to get the drink cup l paid for was super uncomfortable. I asked politely “could I please have a medium cup?” It’s what I ordered with my meal- and the guy goes “no you didn’t order that.” Honey buns I have my receipt which I’m pretty sure was 2.99 for a drink so PLEASE stop trying to shake me down with your eyeballs LOL it should be on the kitchen screen, too but whatever dude let’s be combative. Nobody seemed to be keeping up with clearing tables, either so the whole vibe of the place seemed kind of dumpy and dingy. I wouldn’t say it was dirty but I wasn’t impressed with the cleanliness at what I wouldn’t even consider peak hours. I think I just came in expecting more from how much praise I had heard about this place. While I won’t be back, I won’t discourage anyone from coming here if they like the cuisine or culture. Not super impressed...

I never really know what to expect when trying a new Indian restaurant, being from an Indian background, of course I've got my own inherent biases to consider... that said, I've been really pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy Masala Indian Kitchen!

I happened to find Masala the old fashioned way (I drove past it a bunch on my commute), and decided to propose it as an option one day when some friends and I were looking for an Indian restaurant. I usually don't tend to go out for Indian food, since it's really hard to get to the level of homecooked food, but I'm glad I took the leap to try out the restaurant!

The menu is vast... I mean vast as the ocean vast. It's a toss up as to whether or not this is a detriment to them, as it's going to mean that the average non-Indian person could get lost in the sea of options, but for the huge Indian demographic in Novi, this is a big plus as they have many niche dishes that cater to particular tastes. Additionally, they offer takeout, and even online ordering. For those that are particularly human conversation-averse, you can order directly from a kiosk while at the restaurant. I haven't had a bad dish in the time that I've been to Masala, but I'll wholeheartedly recommend their Biriyanis and their Chicken 65. The Chicken 65 isn't quite what I'm used to (different part of South India), but it's still good enough to make me want to go back just to have more of it.

I could wax poetic about the merits of this restaurant, but if you've endured the long-suffering so far, I think you should do yourself a favor and give it a try for yourself. I'm really hoping for the best for Masala Indian Kitchen, as it might just be an indication of the renaissance of Fast-Casual Indian...

I would rate this restaurant a 5 taking into consideration customer service and decent taste . On 03/26 around 9:20 pm I ordered Paneer Mughalai got home and was surprised that the dish was very salty (this sometimes happens in the restaurants). Since they were closed couldn’t call them same day. Called them on Saturday to share the experience. This is were this restaurant struck me in a good note.

A gentlemen picked up and apologized for the experience we had. He offered to make any entree on the menu So since the price was same we went for chicken chettinad and then I went to pick up the order to my surprise again in addition to that they gave me again paneer Mughalai , extra naan’s and mango Lassi. They insisted I have to take those and They apologized Again.

This time both the curries tasted good. There are many restaurants that gave me bad item in one off situations. More than the extra food they gave , their genuine attempt Above and beyond to make sure I was happy is what struck me. I have seen very few restaurants reacting so nicely to customers. Most of the indian restaurant’s curries Flavors seem to be close but for their extremely good customer service me and my wife decided to order from them for few months when ever we want an indian dish. I really hope Masala to go a long way.

I try different restaurants and never wrote reviews but the above experience pushed me to write a review for them, because they deserved it. Keep continue the good work and be kind to one and all (like you have been with me). :)

Based on the above experience, I would request you all to give them a try once and from there after up to you. Nice people deserve atleast one...