Authentic Indian cuisine in cozy, personable Masala

Ave. Justo Arosemena, between 44th and
45th streets, next to Los Arcos Hotel
Tel.: (507) 225-0105/ 0106
Food: **** ½
Ambience: ****
Service: **** ½

Koreena and Cesar Marín are usually present at their small Indian restaurant Masala in Bella Vista. In fact I have never been there when they have not. They greet their many regular customers, which are made up of just as many Panamanians of Indian descent as those who are not, and many foreigners living in Panama who enjoy being spoiled by fantastic Indian food. Some may not know (I didn’t) that the type of food served at Masala, and the grand majority of commercial Indian restaurants throughout the world, hails from northern India, a region that has the best and most distinctly rich flavours.

We tried the house specialty drink, Mango Lassi ($2.00). It is sweet, made with yogurt and mango. When I realized that someone else in the party had ordered a nice bottle of wine, I asked the waitress to pack up my sweet milky drink to go. I never do that, its just not my style. But I realized it was worth stepping out of my box when I drank it for breakfast the next morning. MMM!

We snacked on two types of Samosas, the most common appetizer in India. The breading is stuffed, folded in a triangle and fried. The Sabzi Samosa ($3.25) was filled with vegetables, potatoes, peas and spices and the other, called Gosht Samosa ($3.75), with ground lamb. These morsels came served with four sauces for garnishing, all of them good.

Our main course was accompanied with two generous portions of Sabzi Biryani – Vegetable Rice ($6.75), which is 100% long grain basmati rice with almonds, peas and raisins. It was nice and hot and cooked to perfection. We also had one delicious, soft, fluffy naan bread ($1.25) each.

For the main course we had Gosht Shahi Korma – Royal Curried Lamb ($16.00). This dish is from the northern Muslim part of India, and came in a nice heavy sauce containing butter, cumin and masala (which is a mix of ground spices including cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black peppers and fenugreek seeds). Such richness can be expected in any Indian dish containing the word “shahi” in its name, which means royal. It was the only meat dish on the table this particular evening because we were eating family-style with a vegetarian, which would be simply impermissible at another restaurant, but at Masala it was just fine.

Baingan Bhartha – Charcoal Smoked Eggplant ($9.00) was next. It had great texture, which is achieved by roasting the eggplant and then mixing it with a paste of cumin seeds, onion, garlic and tomatoes with the masala spice and red chilies powders. It was not gooey or acidic, as some eggplant dishes turn out when they are not prepared correctly. It was very, very good – bangin’.

Sarsoo Ka Saag – Blended Mustard Leaves ($9.00) is not quite a main course, but it was a tremendous accompaniment. This is the most common dish in Punjabi, a place in the far north of India named for where five rivers cross. A lot like spinach, it had great texture and flavours enhanced by the spices and herbs.

Finally, we also had Vegetable Jalfrezi ($9.00). This included cauliflower and other mixed vegetables in curry. It was the most simple dish that we tried and had the least amount of flavour. Not bad at all, but quite overshadowed by the other standout options on the table in my opinion. I had a some more spinach – I mean mustard leaves – while our vegetarian finished off this dish, praising its “simplicity and perfection” with little waves of her hand in the air as she looked toward the ceiling with each bite.

We enjoyed Gulab Jamun for dessert. It is a fried sweet cheese ball, which is really a treated milk, closest to cottage cheese in preparation – but nothing like it. It is golden brown on the outside and white on the inside, served with a sweet syrup. The Masala Tea is the best way to round out a meal here. Made with black tea leaves, its really the cardamom that gives this hot beverage its kick and revitalizes diners after a wonderful experience.

Service is attentive and the small space is ornately decorated with drapes and pillows in rich colours accented with sensual lighting – all that one comes to expect from an Indian restaurant. There is even a private, carpeted section for those who wish to be seated on the floor and really live the experience.

Article courtesy of The Visitor Newspaper, Panama’s Tourism Newspaper.

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