Love Indo Chinese? I recently discovered a hidden gem for really good Indian and Indo-Chinese food. Located in the heart of the residential area on Amman Street in Al Nahda 2 Dubai, Masala Wok was founded by Mr. Shareef, a diehard foodie and experimental home cook who decided to try his luck at becoming a restauranteur.
The restaurant has been running for 2 years now, and Mr. Shareef and his team and astounded by its phenomenal success. Despite being tucked away in a quiet residential area, the restaurant boasts of having the highest rating on Zomato in the Al Nahda area and has been drawing in the crowds from as far and wide as Marina, Sheikh Zayed and even Fujairah.
If you are on Zomato Gold, you have yet another reason to visit Masala Wok… you get to redeem the ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ offer on all their dishes!
The ambiance at Masala Wok is invitingly colorful, complete with antique furniture juxtaposed with bright hand-painted tiling and quirky quotes.
It was a Saturday afternoon, and the place was packed! We were lucky to get a table right away. Best to make a reservation if you’re planning a weekend visit.
Being big fans of Indo Chinese cuisine, most of our ordering swayed in this direction.
We started off with piping hot bowls of Chicken Manchow Soup. This is a really flavorful soup, and the crisp noodles on the side adds texture to each spoonful.
My daughter loves Indo Chinese Chicken Lollipops, and the ones at Masala Wok were given a big grin of approval by our little critic. It comes with a spicy ketchup that made me eat more than I was planning to.
We were recommended the signature Masala Wok Special Chicken Kebab. It comes in a smoking brass urn and made quite a dramatic entry to our table. This kebab is very different from your regular tikka. It features succulent rolls of chicken breast that has been stuffed with spiced chicken mince and skewered in the tandoor. The meat is delightfully moist and loaded with flavor. Highly recommend this myself!
We also tried the Prawns Koliwada, a platter of generously large, juicy prawns battered in a spicy coating and deep-fried to a crisp golden brown.
Given the hot humid weather outside, we opted for cool, lemony drinks. I actually downed two glasses of the Shikanji, a traditional Indian lime juice with a hit of spiciness. My daughter had the Lemon Mint Mojito and commented that it tasted like the fresh mint leaves she once harvested in her grandfather’s garden.
For our main course, we went for the Triple Schezwan Fried Rice with Chicken. This dish is an entire meal on its own and features a bed of crispy noodles topped with thick chicken gravy and Schezwan-tossed rice. It is deliciously spicy, and if you like it even hotter like I do, you can ask the friendly staff for an extra serving of Schezwan sauce on the side.
Ending on a sweet note, we decided to share a serving of the Sizzling Brownie with Ice-Cream. True to its name, this dramatic dessert comes sizzling onto the table. The brownie is doused in sizzling hot chocolate sauce, and a large scoop of ice-cream is seated on top. This dessert was cleaned up in record time.
As we were stepping out of Masala Wok, we noticed a number of patrons ringing the brass bell on the way out. It is there to cheer on the staff and to let them know that you appreciated the experience. My daughter gave it a loud three rings.
Masala Wok is the perfect choice for great Indian and Indo Chinese cuisine. The pricing is very reasonable, and the portion sizes are generously large. The ambiance is colorfully welcoming, and the service is excellent to boot. Will surely be back with a bigger crowd next time!
The Tezzy Files 