Masala Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Rexburg

Being Indian and cooking Indian food for the past 40 odd years, I can cook most dishes that were on the menu. I lived in England for about 18 years and eaten in many Indian restaurants in a hope to tug my heart strings with my memories associated with food in the country I grew up and I must say I was met with disappointment each time I tried a different restaurant in search for authenticity. The food was tasteless, bland, and expensive and driven me to a point that I gave up eating out in Indian restaurants. When I heard about Masala, I was hit with the same feeling as I had in England but because my kind American friends have invited my husband and I for lunch at this place, we decided to give it a go and since our friends never tried Indian food, this was an opportunity to introduce them to the flavors and spices of India. The ambiance was very nice and inviting. We were met by kind staff who showed us our seats and waited on us patiently as we explained the menu to our friends. My husband and I opted for chicken biryani ( I knew Western biryani’s are nowhere close to what we get/ cook at home), and I love butter chicken, so there goes our order. One of our friends chose chicken saagwala, which is made from creamy spinach? onions, garlic and fenugreek ( a herb widely used in Indian cooking and ha1s great medicinal and nutritional value with a combo of nutty and maple syrup flavor that add great flavor to the dish) and with zero heat level and my other dear friend chose chicken korma whose creamy sauce is made from nuts and flavored with cardamom (the seed of this herb/ spice has a complex flavor that is slightly sweet and peppery and adds gre depth to the dish) especially in desserts along with curries. Something that I loved about the restaurant is the offer of sides like naan, rice, and a choice of salad or soup of the day. served with our main We chose tomato soup, and our friends chose salad from the salad/ soup of the day. The tomato soup did not appeal both of us because it tasted more like eating salty and oily purée. The sweet corn in the soup didn’t add any taste value to the dish. But my friends enjoyed the crispy salad,and especially the dressing was delicious that had mango and yogurt. I was pleased that they enjoyed the dressing. Our main orders arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes. Each main order had a generous portion of plain naan of 4 pieces that were soft and fluffy. Being a naan lover, I was very impressed with the taste and texture of the naan. They went well with butter chicken. I must say the butter chicken was the best choice for my taste buds, and I am pleased with the portion size as well. Though I was skeptical about the taste with my previous experience, I think it was really delicious. The chicken was tender and absorbed the flavors well. I then tried the biryani and thought it wasn't too bad to what I tried in England. Maybe if Mr Chef .ould try dum biryani, the flavors of the spices would come out well,but then, I 1didn’t expect an explosion of flavors in my mouth like in India. But again,I loved the tender chicken, and portion of chicken was great,too! I think it could be made flavorful by adding some extra Garam Masala to the marinade. At least for the Indian diners who have known the dish for years. My friend enjoyed the chicken korma, naan and flavored rice. The joy of the flavorful chicken was clearly evident in her eyes ,and I was glad that she loved the spices she was not familiar with. But my sweet other friend looked a bit disappointed with the chicken saag which was like on the heat level and she couldn't eat. After waiting for nearly 15 minutes (it was a busy afternoon), a staff member took her request to change her order to Butter chicken after orecommendation. Her request was welcomed, and the staff were more than happy to make her choice of food by changing her order to Butter chicken. And that was a hit instantly. On the whole it was a good experience for our friends. We also had the leftovers to take home. Please don’t change the...

Oh, dear reader, prepare thine taste buds for an odyssey of flavor unlike any other, as I regale you with the tale of the most illustrious Indian culinary feast that hath ever graced my unworthy palate! Verily, from the very nanosecond I didst vacate my trusty steed, a.k.a. my automobile, I was assailed by an olfactory symphony that would make even the most stoic of noses quiver with delight—an aromatic assault of curry, ginger, turmeric, and other exotic spices swirling in the air like a fragrant tornado of bliss. Upon crossing the threshold of this delightful eatery, my senses were inundated tenfold by the fragrant embrace of Indian gastronomy, beckoning me with promises of sumptuous sustenance. My dining partner and I were seated with commendable alacrity, thanks to the bustling ambiance of the restaurant rush—which, if I may add, awarded us the serendipitous fortune of complimentary libations and heavenly desserts alongside our main courses. With our thirst quenched by the crystalline clarity of agua and the ambrosial Strawberry Lassi, a concoction so delightful it could make a deity weep, we embarked upon our culinary journey. We summoned forth a duo of Patia—one lamb, one chicken—each morsel a veritable explosion of flavor, prancing exuberantly upon our tongues as if they were participants in a delightful ballet, leaving us ensorcelled by their rich, harmonious essence. And lo! The garlic naan, that divine cloud of bread, was a perfect accomplice to the mango ginger curry sauce, creating a symphony of taste that would make even Bach envious. Forsooth, dessert arrived in the form of gulab jamun, warm spheres of sugary bliss swathed in a drizzle of coconut, reminiscent of warm doughnut holes that made my heart sing. The entire dining escapade was an experience so enchanting that even the gods would have left heaven for a taste! The staff, particularly our enchanting server, Nancy, was an embodiment of kindness and attentiveness, diligently ensuring our cups runneth over, and every whim was catered to with utmost precision. Methinks it would be a travesty of monumental proportions not to return for another encounter with this extravagant feast. I wholeheartedly endorse this establishment with a resounding 10 out of 10 stars, dear...

Updated: The food continues to be awesome. Have been there wayyy more than the wallet would like. In that note they recently updated prices so it is more pricey to eat at and I probably won't be going as much now. Also they got rid of their flourless tort which was my favorite.

Food: The food here is really good! The portions are large and they do not skimp on the meat. The chicken was extremely tender and very good/ the bottomless rice is a nice touch. You can tell a lot of attention goes into each meal. Quality food, quality ingredients, made to order. Rexburg needed this. Wish there was a kids menu.

Service: Our waitress was really sweet. You could tell she was new and overwhelmed, but she did a good job. That is to be expected on the 2nd day of being open... However, it is worth noting that no matter how new a resturant or server is, wait times should never be so long. We sat down at 6:45pm and didn't have our food until 8:20pm. We contemplated leaving but really wanted to support the business. We didn't see a waitress until after being sat for at least 20 minutes and then it took another 20 to get drinks. A table to the side of us sat unbussed the entirety of our 2 hour stay, and the table to the other side of us (that was sat before us) didn't get their food until we were leaving.. not sure if they were understaffed in the kitchen, or if the problem was simply due to the staff being untrained, but there seemed to be enough wait staff that drinks and general service should have been better. It would also have been nice if the staff had let people know before or updated customers about the wait times.

Atmosphere: You can tell they put a lot of work into the building. The table cloths were a nice touch as well as the linen napkins. The women's bathroom had a changing table as well as a decent chair for a breastfeeding mother along with 2 stalls. The whole facility was clean and background music was nice.

Will go back and give updated...