Masala Theory | Surry Hills
Hold on to your hats and possibly small children, because we are about to tell you something you probably don't want to hear. The Indian food we are all accustomed to, the food which we have been purchasing from our local restaurants for years has been nothing but a LIE! Okay well maybe that's a little too bold, but it most definitely does not taste like the authentic Indian flavours we witnessed at Masala Theory.
Located in the trendy Surry Hills, a side which we did not know existed until recently ~ Masala Theory has taken the theme seriously. With hip menu, grunge style interior and it even has a bike hanging on the wall for the finishing touch. It has a nice blend of Indian and hipster culture which creates an oddly unique dining experience.
Thums Up
We love trying new and unusual menu items when we dine out, it's all part of the fun of food blogging and it really adds to the charm of a restaurant. When we questioned what exactly "Thums Up" was, the waiter could not stop smiling while saying it was better than Coke and explaining how it's popularity in India was phenomenal, so much in fact that Coca-Cola bought out the company just to enter the Indian market. It has a remarkably similar flavour to coke, but without the lingering sweetness that Coke leaves your with. Two thumbs up from us!
Lime and Jasmine Botanical Brew
This was not what I was expecting. I actually questioned if this was an alcoholic beverage or not! The Lime and Jasmine brew was brewed using the botanical brewing technique i.e. combination of infusing, blending and fermentation of natural ingredients. What a delicious drink!
Three Sisters Chaat
We had seen the Three Sisters Chaat pop up on Instagram every so often. The look of this dish intrigued us so much that we had to try it. When we actually sat down and ordered however, we were a little perplexed by the idea of crispy fried spinach, garbanzo beans and black chickpeas. It didn't sound appealing whatsoever. We asked for recommendations and this option came back on the table, so we thought.. why not. Thank god we did because this was a special treat for us!
The sweetened yogurt, tamarind chutney and mint chutney all mixed together really made for one epic flavour sensation. It had the backs of our throats tingling from the flavour, it was awesome!
Wada Pav
Butter Chicken and Garlic and Cheese Naan
Butter chicken has been our household go-to Indian dish since I can remember and we have been fixated on a particular taste of whatever our local restaurant was at the time, often comparing them to one another. This was nothing like the butter chicken we know and love, but infact much MUCH better. Let's start with the chicken, perfectly moist and tender with a hint of smoked flavour throughout from the clay pot. The curry sauce however is where your mind will be blown away. Was it thick and creamy? nope. Was it extremely sweet? nope. Masala Theory uses the traditional cooking methods and therefore doesn't add any sugar, but only sweeten it from the flavours of the vine tomatoes. This results in a curry that is more watery, but oh so good. Paired with their house special garlic, cheese and chilli naan is simply perfection. We also had rice and mixed it in with the remaining sauce, to soak it all up and make sure not a single drop remains! Hats off to the chef!!
The market for top quality Indian food is quite limited in Sydney. Masala Theory deserved to be leading the pack on the taste of their amazing traditionally prepared food. While expensive for the portion sizes, you can't put a price on quality food.
The market for top quality Indian food is quite limited in Sydney. Masala Theory deserved to be leading the pack on the taste of their amazing traditionally prepared food. While expensive for the portion sizes, you can't put a price on quality food.
Disclaimer: Snapshots of Food dined as guests of Masala Theory and Co Create Communications