THE VERDICT
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Setting & Atmosphere
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Food
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Service
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Value For Money
OVERALL SUMMARY
Most unique Indian
From India with love… When it comes to Indian food if you had to subscribe to one thought, opinion or theory, consider subscribing to Masala Theory. What is Masala Theory? Simply put, imagine tasting the exotic mix of an ancient past and the contemporary present all in one mouthful; with an oompf of flavour, a pizazz of spice and an enchanting sprinkle of tradition. Welcome to Masala Theory.
SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE
While nothing says ‘hip’ like a terrace house restaurant on Crown Street in Surry Hills, Masala Theory blew me away left, right and centre with its hipness and overall cool vibes.
Dining at Masala Theory is a sensory experience that starts upon entry, where an infusion of spiced aromas and incense fill the room and the vibrant colours set the mood for a fun, light hearted night as well as an equally colourful culinary experience. Up on the wall hangs a hot-pink neon bicycle and Indian pop art with the interior as a whole having an overall look and feel reminiscent of the brightly coloured tuk tuks that roam the streets of India. It’s casual and pretty rad and manages to squeeze all the colours of Bollywood into one restaurant.
FOOD
Welcome to neo-Indian cuisine. If you haven’t guessed from the décor, the food at Masala Theory is anything but typical. While maintaining the traditional integrity of Indian Cuisine, Masala Theory reinvents Indian food by shaking things up, pushing the boundaries and exploring progressive ideas and concepts. What you’re left with is a hip, creative and fresh new take on Indian food.
Oh- and if you’re a creature of comfort, don’t worry, all the signature stuff is still available on the menu.
My experience at Masala Theory was made even more unique when we were served a complete Gluten Free menu. I had bought a friend with me that cannot eat gluten, and I was surprised at the number of options available to us. Even with a gluten free menu, Masala Theory’s motto “taste above all” still rung true.
For entree we started with the Masala Dosa, the Kalonji Chicken Tikka and the Bollywood Bhutta. The Masala Dosa had great flavours and is gluten free so long as you don’t eat the chutney’s that come with it, instead, order a raita for an accompaniment. The Kalonji Chicken Tikka in particular was super succulent and juicy with a great kick of flavour.
For main, the Butter Chicken was delicious. The Eggplant Bharta was also tasty, but a little bland in comparison. We washed it all down with a Lavender Lassi – I was very happy to find this and many other unique lassi flavours on the menu – and a rose lemonade.
To finish off a wonderful night, we tucked into a traditional indian dessert with a modern twist – the deconstructed Motichoor Ladoo with saffron rabdi and dried fruits.
SERVICE
Prompt, quick, polite and most importantly, very educational. You can tell that all staff are very passionate about their food and they take the time to really explain every dish to you in detail – wonderfully delightful for a foodie like me!
Value for money
A little pricier that some Indian places but still very reasonable especially considering the location and quality of food.
The Details
Where:
545 Crown Street Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Contact:
(02) 9699 9444
Opening Hours:
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun: 12pm – 3pm and 6pm-10pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 3pm and 6pm – 10:30pm
Find Them Here:
Please note that this was an invited food tasting