Next Week’s Restaurant Review: Chutney Masala in Irvington
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- August
- 15
Chutney Masala opened a coulpe months ago where Flirt Sushi used to be in a brick building by the railway tracks in Irvington. It was a complete overhaul. Judith Hausman visited and found she quite liked the atmosphere and the food.
How have your experiences been at Chutney Masala? Let me know in the comments section and I’ll choose a few of your comments to print in the paper next to this review on Wednesday.
Baigan Mirchi Ka Saalan, an eggplant and green pepper dish, with basmati rice and nan, at Chutney Masala restaurant in Irvington, photographed Aug. 13, 2008. ( Seth Harrison /TJN )
Judith’s review, after the jump…
Judith Hausman
For The Journal News
Chutney Masala, the new Indian bistro in Irvington, is understated and attractive. Sure, the few tables out front are more or less in the parking lot, but they do offer waterfront views. But walk inside. The entrance is painted lime green and hung with bells. There’s an exposed brick bar to one side, and the small but airy downstairs dining room is painted a soothing ochre. The second floor holds a larger space, where black and white photographs of the Raj Period of Indian history are echoed in the dark wood accents.
Open about three months — and replacing Flirt Sushi — Chutney Masala is not your usual Indian restaurant. It has no buffet lunch, and it’s not Indian fusion, either. Rather, you feel you are eating an authentic and carefully considered cuisine with complex, not mouth-curdling, spicing. The region of origin of the dish is noted in many cases, as is free-range meat and poultry, organic and local produce and wild fish. You can drink Indian beers, choose from a decent wine selection or opt for a mango lassi with your meal.
Vegetarians will feel like royalty. We sampled a spectacular eggplant dish called baigan mirchi ka saalan. Tiny, whole, round eggplant and green peppers were combined in a chunky, sweet and sour sauce similar to a relish, and flavored with sesame and peanuts. Other tempting dishes were crispy okra with mango powder and cauliflower with peas, tomato and garlic masala.
Manager Raj Nagpal says customers love Indian appetizers for bar food, such as samosas, stuffed with potatoes and peas or with ground lamb. Dosas (puffy rice and lentil flour pancakes), available for lunch only, enclose a potato filling or meat and are served with a coconut-tomato condiment called sambar. Fluffy basmati rice and the traditional array of warm breads supplement veg and non-veg meals alike. There are many options: tandoor-baked, chewy nan or garlic nan, paratha filled with mint or potato or puffed poori.
And non-veg options are many, too. Nagpal reports that chicken tikka makhanwala, chicken in a creamy tomato-fennugreek sauce, and jheenga dum anaari, shrimp in pomegranate powder, are especially popular.
Curries range from a creamy Northern-style korma of lamb with mint and cilantro to West Coast-tropical Goan clams with coconut and chilies. Tandoor selections are wonderfully varied as well, such as lamb infused with ginger or crisp chicken seasoned with cardamom and mace. We found the chicken curry with fennel seed and curry leaves to be mild and elegant.
We also shared a well-meaning signature salad, which combined greens with sprouted mung beans, pine nuts and thin shavings of chicken tikka. The orange mango dressing was too sweet. Next time, I’ll stick with the house specials next time, such as rice-based biryani or thali, the classic meal-in-one platter that includes dal, vegetables, heaps of rice, sometimes paneer, curry and kebabs.
We finished without sweets but mango ice cream, coconut sorbet, saffron rice pudding or rasmalai can all provide a soothing, milky end to this Indian feast.
Try answering heat with heat and head to Chutney Masala while some summer remains.
(18 votes, average: 3.94 out of 5)
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on Friday, August 15th, 2008 at 12:47 pm by Liz Johnson.
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My wife and I have been to Chutney Masala 4 times since it has opened. We thoroughly enjoy the food. We feel it is the best Indian Restaurant in Westchester. We have recommend Chutney Masala to friends and relateives.
Chutney Masala Bistro has raised the bar for other Indian restaurants in the tri-state area. Careful planning has gone into every aspect of the project. The interior has been cleverly recreated to take you back to the British Raj days.
The chef owner, Navjot has shown his mastery in putting together a menu that is well balanced and thoughtful of those not used to a heavy hand of spices and basic curries.His creativity of cooking is counter balanced with a very appealing method of presentation of all their dishes. It is like feeding the eyes first before your stomach. I am glad that Chutney Masala has set a standard of excellence for others to follow. It is well worth the wait. Cheers !!
I walked in with a friend last friday and was pleasantly surprised with a wonderful feeding experience! The food was out of this world, absolutely the best Indian food I have ever had! The owner Navjot and his wife are especially nice and made great recommendations…I have told all my friends to try it.
Visited few weeks ago and had a great time. Chutney Masala offers fanatastic food! The ambience is warm and welcoming – check out the pictures in the restaurant!
The owner, Navjot, extends a very warm welcome to everyone – I have recommended this place to many of my friends.
I have nothing but good things to say about Chutney Masala. We visited the restaurant when it has just opened and really enjoyed the food. We loved the food so much that we had them cater 2 parties for us. It was without doubt the best food we have had outside of India. The service has always been exceptional. I strongly recommend this place.
My husband and I own a nearby restaurant and we couldn’t ask for a better neighbor. Navjot is a charm, and his food superb. We recommend Chutney Masala to our friends and customers all the time. Looking forward to my continuing education of Indian cuisine!