

Hours
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 5–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 5–10 PM |
| Thursday | 5–10 PM |
| Friday | 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5–10 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 365 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (347) 789-7820
Website: http://www.masalawala.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
If you are South Asian:
– Spice level and combination: good, but pretty mild. Not particularly memorable
– If you are of Bengali descent, this will seem reasonably authentic but probably the mildest flavoring you have ever experienced. The fish fry is excellent, the paneer pakora/cutlet is not (very thin paneer filling). The mustard/kasundi for dipping is on point
– Dal is as Bengalis would make it (slightly sweet), without the sliced coconut which would have added real authenticity.
– Kosha mangsho (lamb/goat curry) is just about okay though well-flavored – it lacked piquancy
– Bengalis will enjoy the drinks menu naming
If you are not of South Asian descent:
– enjoyable introduction to Bengali home cooking, and good conversation starter if you have Bengali origin friends!
– a medley of cool flavors and textures. The non-veg platter (thali) offers good value with prawn and red meat, and a fish fry. Fluffy bread (luchi) makes a nice tool for scooping up gravy too
– you will enjoy the cocktails and mocktails. The beer (mango flavored) is nothing amazing in a world of many flavored IPAs and saisons, but is a good enough accompaniment to the spicy food.
Photo of non-veg thali, “elaach” mocktail and mango saison attached. Overall 4/5 for adding Bengali food to the Park Slope repertoire!
We got the puchka and oh man this was prob the best I’ve had in the city, the potato was buttery and perfectly spiced and the pani is usually sweet everywhere you go but this had a nice spice to it which made it perfect. The biryani was so good, chicken was tender and juicy, egg wasn’t overcooked, it was so flavorful with a light spice. I will definitely be back!
I visited Masalawala & Sons in Brooklyn for dinner on the weekend. Service was definitely the highlight – top notch. I arrived around 30 min early for my reservation, and they were able to seat me within 5 minutes. The staff was polite, and food came out on time.
Food:
We ordered the Puchka, Fish Fry, Butter Chicken, and Kosha Mangsho.
Puchka (7/10): Great presentation – the server makes them right beside your table, which is a fun touch. However, they don’t provide the spiced water separately. Since all the puchkas are made and served at once, you either have to eat them immediately or they get soggy fast.
Fish Fry (7/10): This came closest to what I expected. The fish quality was good, and the texture between the fish and crust was distinct (though a bit mild). My biggest disappointment was the kasundi – it lacked the sharp mustard zing. It tasted like it had been toned down, maybe even mixed with yogurt, leaving it rather bland.
Butter Chicken (2/10): Easily the weakest dish of the evening. The gravy was overly runny, as if diluted with milk, and lacked the richness and depth you expect from butter chicken.
Kosha Mangsho (4/10): Traditionally, kosha mangsho is slow-cooked so that the onions and mutton develop deep flavor together. Here, it seemed they used onion paste instead of whole onions, which made the dish taste flat and one-dimensional.
Atmosphere:
The space felt too loud and cramped – tables are close together, the music is loud, and everyone ends up talking even louder to compensate. The decor was also confusing: the menu is distinctly Kolkata-themed, but the wall art and music were more generic Hindi. Not sure what they were trying to achieve with the confused aesthetic.
Overall, I appreciated the attentive service, but the food didn’t live up to expectations; especially for a restaurant that draws from such a rich culinary tradition. I really wanted to like this place, but aside from the fish fry (sans the kasundi), the dishes fell short.
When I walked into Masalawala I didn’t know what to expect- strolling in, we were immediately greeted with the most sincere and warmest welcome! There were two of us, so they sat us at the bar and we got to meet Zach! An absolutely amazing bartender, we were recommended several options and ultimately went with the spicy chicken and chaat along with a couple cocktails.
Stellar service! I can’t wait to come back!!