On the former site of Chutney Mary on the King’s Road now lies the newly opened Masala Grill offering regional Indian cooking. The main restaurant is decadently designed with a vibrant, airy conservatory bursting with colour and air filled with Indian spices. An assault on the sense alright…
We began our meal with Pani Puri (whole wheat puffs filled with lentils and drizzled with tamarind chutney) and were advised to pop them whole in our mouths. Not a problem, if they were small. Delicious nonetheless but trust us, you don’t want to be ordering these on a first date. Much smaller in comparison was the griddled scallops in a sweet coconut sauce. Perhaps a little short on the portion size (there could do with being more than two) but they certainly set our tastebuds going.
For mains, we ordered the rich Kerala Green Chicken Curry and from the grill, the tender Chicken Malai Tikka marinated in ginger and white pepper teamed with sides of Saag Aloo (spinach and new potatoes) and Peshwari naan. We unnecessarily ordered desserts – the chocolate cake and strawberries – but they weren’t what we expected and didn’t match the quality of our mains so we’d say if you need something sweet go for a scoop of ice cream or better yet, finish with a cocktail.
Desserts aside, Masala Grill gave us exactly what we wanted from an Indian restaurant: traditional, homely Indian cooking full of flavour. Top marks for the service too. You’ll find it hard to find a better Indian restaurant in SW10.
535 Kings Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0SZ
www.masalagrill.co