I first came across Masala Zone entirely by chance - I was caught in an unexpected rainstorm in the middle of Soho with the boyfriend and we simply looked for the nearest restaurant to dive into - luckily Masala Zone was something of a surprise hit!
Masala Zone is (at the moment) a London based chain, with restaurants in Soho, Covent Garden, Earls Court, Camden and Islington and is probably best described as the Pizza Express or Wagamama of Indian food.
Prices are very reasonable, service is generally average but ok, and the setting is cheerful and buzzy - modern with an open kitchen. But the food itself is where I really rate Masala Zone - the name makes this place sound cheap and tacky, but the food is really good - better than many Indian curry houses I've eaten in.
The menu is based around Indian street food and the best value option is a Thali - a plate giving you a starter, chicken or lamb curry (you choose which one from the various options available on the menu and can 'upgrade' to king prawn curry for a surcharge), poppadom, chutney, rice, daal, and a vegetable dishes. The hungry among you can opt for the grand thali which includes a couple of extra side dishes. I remember the first time we visited Masala Zone, it was so busy we ended up sharing a table with another couple from India (they're not a communal dining restaurant like Wagamama, but this was a really busy time and we didn't mind) who in chatting to us told us they thought that this was the most authentically Indian food that they'd tasted in London.
My most recent visit was to the branch in Covent Garden right opposite the Royal Opera House which has a ceiling decorated entirely with colourful Indian puppets. Although there was quite a queue it moved quickly, we had to wait for about 10 minutes to be seated. We were given a good table away from the door and our order was taken quickly. Service on this occasion I have to admit was a bit patchy - our main waitress was very good, coping well with what was a really busy restaurant, but some of the other staff seemed rather clueless - one lady tried to give us someone else's meal (just one between two of us) and didn't seem to understand when we said it wasn't our order, just leaving it on our table and walking away. This was sorted out by our waitress, but then we noticed the same lady then give the table behind us their food (they arrived a good 15 minutes after we did). We didn't think too much of this until our waitress then walked by, took one look at their food, one look at our empty table and rolled her eyes. She must have worked some magic in the kitchen as we got our food less than 10 minutes later, but service clearly depends largely on who is serving you.
We both chose a Grand Thali which was a special offer that night as we were dining before 6.30pm - only £8.50 as opposed to about £10 normally. I chose a Chicken Mangalore which was full of flavour, the chicken was lovely and tender - not always the case in curry places! The thali arrives on a giant silver platter with the rice in the middle and small silver dishes containing the curry and all the side dishes. The side dishes are all named for you by your waiter when they are served so there's no wondering "what is this I'm eating?" The pea and spinach concoction was a particular hit with me. Portions are generous but not so much so that you end up uncomfortably full - even with a Grand Thali I still had room for ice cream (although to be honest, I can always make room for ice cream!)
Price wise this was one of the most reasonable meals out I've had in a long time - the total bill (including service) came in at £34 for two Grand Thalis, a beer, a glass of red wine, ice cream and a coffee - for central London, that really is great value! It was also a quick meal which is a great plus in my opinion - the main time I visit reasonably priced restaurants like Wagamama or Pizza Express is when I know that I have to have a quick meal, usually because I have to get to the theatre afterwards. This was the case here too and I was happy that we managed to have our meal in just over an hour, without it feeling at all rushed - the fact that with the Thali, starters are served with the main is great for this!
I would highly recommend Masala Zone for anyone looking for a quick and reasonably priced meal in London - it's not a special occasion restaurant, or fancy dining, but it's just good food at good prices.
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