Intimate dining at Masala Dosa on Long Street

Blogger Jasmine and I were the first to arrive, to be joined shortly after by friend Melanie. The interior of Masala Dosa is visually pleasing - furniture is simplistic and authentic south Indian art, and memorabilia covers the walls inside. It's smaller than most restaurants in the Indian-dining category, but somehow the intimate setting of the place just works.

A six-course meal for two

Drinks came in the form of a Mango Lassi (R18), a Sweet Chai Tea (R16) and a Strawberry Lassi (R18). The Lassis were cool, smooth and yoghurt-like - perfect for a warm spring evening. The CityMob deal that Jasmine and I had is a six-course meal for two, for R160. This consisted of:

• Starter: Kebabs/potato dumplings encrusted with roasted spices, served on a cooling bed of mint and yoghurt relish
  
• Soup: South Indian pumpkin and chicken/coriander and lentil soup, cooked in aromatic spices
  
• Palate cleanser: Bang Lassi (lemon, ginger and spirulina), Masala Magic Lassi (banana, sweet spices, rose and cashew nuts) and Himalayan Forest Lassi (mixed berries with a touch of mint)
  
• Salad: Oriental fusion salad with crispy noodles and caramelised onions
  
• Main: Roti served lamb-and-potato curry, coconut, chutney and sambals
  
• Dessert: A block of Kulfi (Indian-style ice cream blended with sweet spices and cashew nuts) with a Sweet Dosa

Eating by hand

When the first course arrived we were a bit confused about the lack of eating utensils on the table. Our waitress then told us (when she came back) that the courses can be eaten by hand, which was good news as we had already started using our hands to eat! All six of the courses were decent. What I liked most about Masala Dosa's six-course offering, as opposed to other multiple-course specials advertised by competitors in the same market, was that there were hardly any recurring flavours throughout courses. At least one other Indian restaurant I've been to, which has offered a similar special, relied too much on one flavour to carry its diners throughout courses. This wasn't the case at Masala Dosa.

Melanie's main course was the Pizza Roti (with olives), which was awesome. I'm a complete sucker for all things Mediterranean and olives are close to the top on my list of favourite foods. A thin, mozzarella cheese-and-tomato base with a generous amount of olives - tasty.

Unfortunately the CityMob deal for Masala Dosa has now expired, but I would recommend you try this place out in any case. 7/10.

www.masaladosa.co.za

Previously published on www.citylifer.co.za