Lexington, KY - My knowledge of the vast intricacies associated with Indian cuisine is very limited. I can tell you what kebab is (surprise, it doesn't always involve a skewer), but if you ask me to articulate the differences between chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo, well, the only sounds I'm going to make will come from my rumbling stomach. Fortunately, I make up for my ignorance with enthusiasm and curiosity, and Masala Indian Bar & Grille on Nicholasville Center Drive has many options to satiate the most inquisitive of palates.
The restaurant's menu offers a wide variety of chicken (entrÈes priced between $11 -
$12), tandoori ($12 - $15), lamb ($13 -
$15) and seafood (mostly shrimp, $15) dishes, as well as dozens of vegetarian selections ($10 -
$11). Each entrÈe is served with long grain basmati rice.
Along with the entrÈes, the menu boasts a few appetizers ($3.50 -
$8), such as vegetable or meat samosas (fried patties of potatoes, onions, peas and other goodies) and pakoras (sort of like hush puppies, only with more exotic fillings); a handful of soups; a few rice dishes; and a healthy selection of Indian breads - mostly different incarnations of naan (Punjabi white bread), paratha (unleavened layered whole wheat bread) and kulcha (flatbread stuffed with items such as onions and cheese).
The key to grasping Indian cuisine, in my opinion, begins with understanding that, unlike Western dishes, the meat is not the emphasis of the plate -
it's the curry sauce in which the meat or veggies are cooked that is paramount, all are unique and rely on an extensive roster of spices. There are a handful of traditional sauces in Indian cooking, such as the aforementioned vindaloo and tikki masala, and familiarizing your taste buds with a few of these staples can make a menu perusal less intimidating.
For our entrÈes, I ordered the goat curry (in a homemade sauce, $13) and my guest had chicken patia (a sweet and sour mango sauce). We both enjoyed our selections, but I thought the chicken dish had more pronounced flavors -
such as basil and tomato - compared to the goat, which had ingredients I had difficulty identifying. Dishes can be ordered mild, medium, hot or "Indian hot." I know you might think you like spicy food, but beware: This is not the type of heat you are normally accustomed to if you are unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. You've been warned.
We also ordered an assorted basket of breads (naan, roti and garlic naan). The breads are flat and crisp from being baked in a Tandoor oven (a clay apparatus), and, as the menu says, complete any Indian meal. They are delicious and a great way to dilute the spiciness of your dish if you're like me and order your dish too hot.
Our bill, prior to tipping, came to just under $60 and included an appetizer, an assortment of naan bread, two entrÈes and a couple of adult beverages -
a fair price to pay for the food we ate and the leftovers awaiting us in the refrigerator the next day.
Masala Indian Bar & Grille also offers a lunch buffet every day. They have a full bar, a healthy beer selection and a few wine selections. The restaurant is cavernous, but partitioned in an appropriate manner to keep the atmosphere somewhat intimate. There is a second location in the Beaumont Centre (3061 Fieldstone Way; 224-0001).