The only Indian restaurant on Nanluoguxiang in Dong cheng district offers authentic North Indian Food served up in well-designed surroundings.Visit our restaurant, sit down, relax and let's make your visit to Masala Indian Restaurant a unique experience. But don't forget that the food is prepared to your personal tastes and you are at liberty to order it mild, medium or hot. You will love the experience! Let us take you on a journey to culinary nirvana.

Turn Up the Heat

3.5/5 stars

Mirch Masala has returned to Nanluoguxiang with fiery Indian fare and new offerings that will lure us back to this tiny neighborhood joint again and again. Despite the hutong address, the restaurant looks like an American diner with a subcontinental twist. It’s worth mentioning that there’s an outdoor eating area, but you’ll have to contend with outdoor restrooms, too. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating, and makes recommendations tailored to individual tastes. The chicken tikka masala (¥45) eschews tandoori leftovers for fresh meat, and is a smooth, creamy dish punctuated by spiced chicken. While the cheese to spinach ratio of the palak paneer (¥40) is underwhelming, the piquant flavor is not. The tandoori offerings are neither as inspired nor as tasty as at Raj. The malai chicken is coated in a wonderful blend of spice and cream, but the final result is more hot wing than tandoori. A particularly bright spot is the drinks menu. Other than the standard mango lassi (¥15), we heartily recommend the saffron lassi, which is faintly sweet and tangy with a nutty aftertaste. Another great offering is the refreshing, ice-cold cardamom-infused thandai (¥20) which should go down well in the suffocatingly hot Beijing summer.

Lisa Gay