Excite your senses with Indian fare in Bothell

When you’re dining out and you hear someone at the next table say to the waiter, “Oh, yes, it was the best I ever had,” you know you’re probably in for a treat.

This proved true for me and my two dining companions at Masala Bar & Grill, where ev

erything we ate happily met or exceeded our expectations.

Though the restaurant, formerly Priya Indian Cuisine, is technically in Bothell, it’s only about two miles south of the Mill Creek Town Center on the Bothell-Everett Highway and just a mile north of Thrashers Corner.

Our meal in the cozy, well-appointed space started with three complementary papadums, crisp-baked Indian graham flour wafers as big as salad plates. They were fresh and delicious and dotted with flavorful cumin seeds.

I particularly enjoyed the bold, beautiful flavors of the two colorful chutneys served on the side, a spicy mint and a sweet tamarind.

Our gregarious if somewhat over-eager server strongly urged us to try the featured appetizer, paneer pakora ($6.99), homemade cheese deep fried in graham flour batter.

Nine delicately battered, golden bricks of airy paneer arrived quickly, served on a bed of shredded cabbage. We greedily snatched them up, dipping them in our remaining chutneys and savoring the tiny bit of salt sprinkled over the breading.

I ordered the butter chicken ($11.99), a house specialty of boneless chicken seared in a Tandoori oven, then braised in a creamy tomato sauce seasoned with cardamom, coriander and paprika.

It was aromatic and rich, but not heavy, and went beautifully with the fluffy basmati rice presented in a beautiful metal bowl. Each piece of chicken was tender and full of flavor.

This entree is so popular chef-owner Sanjay Sharma has shared the recipe online (tinyurl.com/sanjaysharmabutterchicken), but I suspect we home cooks would be hard pressed to replicate the dish without an Indian oven and the secrets found in Sharma’s kitchen.

My only complaint about the dish is that it should have been heated through more thoroughly. It was almost lukewarm and I think it could have won the night if it had been piping hot.

My companion’s dishes — along with three kinds of garlic naan (regular, paneer and spinach) — made up for any shortcomings.

Wow.

I was soon shaking my head and rolling my eyes in wonder at all the fantastic flavors.

Masala’s vegetable korma ($10.99) and mixed grill ($16.99) were perfect 10s, paired with delicious garlicky, spinach-stuffed naan ($4.99), my new favorite naan.

Every juicy, flavorful piece of the mixed grill — Tandoori chicken, shrimp, fish, chicken tikka and lamb — was cooked nicely.

And they were hot. In fact, they were sizzling wildly like fajitas on a hot cast iron dish topped with tender grilled onions.

Most excellent was the white fish. Even the Tandoori chicken drumstick, an easy thing to dry out, was tender and delicious, especially when dipped in the ever-so-slightly sour masala, a tomato-based onion sauce served on the side in a cute metal cup.

And, now, onto the finale, the vegetable korma, a dish I may end up dreaming about for the remainder of the year.

Tender cauliflower, zucchini, peas and carrots came together so beautifully in the gravy of this dish, I can now completely understand vegetarianism. I would trade a lifetime supply of bacon for this dish.

The spicy, yellow, creamy curry creation went well with the rice, but I was happy eating it on its own.

I’ll admit, I am partial to korma dishes anyway — and I’ve been known to speak in hyperbole about food from time to time — but this was special, something I would have to order on all future visits to Masala, along with the mixed grill.

If it’s been a while since you’ve had Indian food, treat yourself at Masala tonight. If you’re in the Northgate area, you might visit Chef Sharma’s sister location in Seattle, Masala Cuisine of India, 539 NE Northgate Way, a stone’s throw from the Best Buy-Target complex.

I wish I lived closer to the Bothell location, which opened in 2009.

It has a beautiful bar area with karaoke on Thursday nights and belly dancing and music on other nights. There is an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet every day ($7.99) that I’d like to check out, too.

This place could easily be your neighborhood hangout if you lived nearby. I’m truly jealous of those of you who do.

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.