Indian Cuisine Enters Princeton's Dining Scene

Masala Grill

19 Chambers St. (609) 921-0500 Lunch: 11:45-3:00 p.m. Dinner: 5:00-10:00 p.m. Overall: *** Food: **** Decor: *** Service: **

Diners with a craving for curries search no further. Newly opened Masala Grill offers a full menu of Indian dishes within easy walking distance of the University.

The restaurant is the reincarnation of Twist Rojo, which previously occupied the same space on Chambers Street. Himanshu Patel and his wife opted to close Twist Rojo, which specialized in organic-based cuisine with global influences, and focus their culinary efforts on Indian cuisine instead.

Masala Grill offers "innovative Indian cuisine," which incorporates American influences to breathe new life into typical Indian fare. While curried and tandoori selections abound on the menu, many of the dishes are less traditional. Green salads are not usually seen on the Indian table, the menu concedes, but it offers two versions nonetheless. The Many Mixed Greens Salad ($3.95) is a simple mix of lettuce, cabbage, and carrots drizzled with a sweet saffron-orange dressing.

Patel explained that the restaurant reflects some recent changes to Indian food. While the cuisine was once very simple, he explained, it became more indulgent when it came to America because of the greater affordability of butter and cream. Owners of Indian restaurants were faced with the dilemma of adhering to tradition or "riding on the American cuisine bandwagon," he said.

Masala Grill solves the dilemma gracefully by melding traditional and nouvelle influences. Familiar Indian flavors of cardamom and tamarind add dimensions to many of the richer sauces while other dishes have an almost California-inspired emphasis on fresh and healthy ingredients. Organic touches dapple the menu, such as "hot organic coco," organic greens and organic raspberry sorbet. Patel expressed a readiness to substitute soy into some dishes and many menu items offer free-range poultry.

Even the restaurant's decor combined disparate elements, like natural wood tones and black tile. Mismatched pillows in pastel hues and prints perched atop the chairs were a lively addition. Tables are fairly close together, which may impede conversation, but overall the dining room seemed to put patrons at ease.

I was somewhat disappointed that papadam and its usual sauces and chutneys were not brought to the table as a friend and I pored over the menu. I saw that traditional accompaniments, such as mango chutney and yogurt-based raita, were only available a la carte, which seemed like the equivalent of charging extra for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Well worth the extra $2.50 was the naan, a flat bread served piping hot.

As with other Indian restaurants, Masala Grill can be counted on to provide a variety of vegetarian options. The Portabella Sizzler ($10.50) was a lightly spiced medley of mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and onions that arrived searing hot and sputtering — true to its name — direct from the tandoor oven. The dish had a smoky flavor and delicate tamarind sauce, neither of which overpowered the expertly prepared, crisp yet succulent vegetables.

A bit more filling despite its smaller portion size was the Navaratan Korma ($9.95), a nine vegetable curry. The dish had a balanced flavor, with the richness and spiciness of the sauce tempering each other well.

Service seemed to suffer throughout dinner with minor complications in the timing and sequence of our courses. The waiter addressed us with impatience and it often required a degree of assertiveness to get what we wanted.

The dessert menu was perhaps the best example of fusion cuisine, as it incorporated French and American influences. For example, a traditional Indian dessert, Gulab Jamun was available "a la mode," presenting a strange-sounding but tasty juxtaposition. The chocolate pate with organic raspberry sorbet ($5.50) was a definite highlight of the meal with intensely rich chocolate offset by the cool tanginess of the sorbet. American favorites, such as triplelayer chocolate cake and apple almond crisp, were available as well.

As it melds elements of different cuisines to add a fresh and enticing spin to Indian fare, Masala Grill is a most welcome addition to Princeton's dining scene.