When American Masala opened in April 09 we weren't sure if it was a club, a bar or a restaurant. But the host assured us the spanking new Indian eatery was open for lunch. The sleek lines of this new venue make it easy to confuse it with a club as does the groovy Rave music piped into the sound system. Spartan looking but comfy cafeteria style lime and tangerine chairs, tiny individual flower decanters and nifty lighting, Oh-so-city. Especially engaging is the wall art, blowup pix from the owner's upstate farm: pile of cardamoms, gangly goats, a dazzling array of chickens and emerald pastures.
Then there's the cafeteria ordering system where a diner queues to the counter, orders from the menu and seats him or herself. The food is brought to you minutes later, presumably already prepared from the kitchen. It's a rapid, if odd system. Given the attractiveness of the restaurant it might be more pleasant to be served while seated.
The menu is ideally short for the lunch crowd. Standouts include the Ribbon Fries - slivers of potatoes fried and spiced with condiments and herbs. The burgers are reliable however I find the curries oddly sweet and overly aggressive with aromatics such as cardamom. The Pistachio pound cake hits the right note and the Coconut Chocolate bars are delish. Takeout orders come in cute brown picnic boxes. American Masala does happy hour every evening as well, serving light Indian snacks with full bar cocktails.
American Masala
95 Greene Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
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