[ad_1]
A new Indian restaurant has joined the metro Charlotte food scene.
Masala Bitez Indian Kitchen officially opened Monday, Jan. 12, on Mooresville Commons Way in Mooresville. The restaurant is in the former Chefry’s Blue Smoke BBQ restaurant space in the Lowes Foods center off Brawley School and Williamson roads.
Vishal Makkar and his father, Ashok Kumar, also own the longtime Sangam Indian Cuisine in Cornelius and Masala Mastee in Davidson. Makkar’s sister, Marina Makkar, is general manager of all three.
The family searched for a Mooresville site for some time before finding the perfect spot, Vishal Makkar told CharlotteFive at Masala Bitez on Thursday.
“We’ve been here almost 25 years,” he said. “I love Mooresville. We live in Mooresville, and this location, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Masala Bitez offers a 24-item, $14.95 daily lunch buffet featuring “a flavorful spread of freshly prepared Indian favorites,” according to its Facebook page.
Customers will find classic dishes and street-style offerings, plus vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The dinner menu, available all day, includes Tandoori, chicken, lamb, seafood, vegetarian and rice entrées, and appetizers, soups, salads, breads and desserts.
Masala Bitez has three chefs, each from a different part of India, Vishal Makkar said.
Malai Kofta, Aloo Baingan
Marina Makkar mentioned these customer favorites on the 96-item menu:
- Chicken Tikka Masala ($16.95): Tender chicken breast pieces cooked in its signature tandoor, then simmered in a creamy tomato sauce.
- Lamb Korma ($17.95): Tender meat pieces cooked in cashew nuts and almonds paste enriched with fresh cream.
- Malai Kofta ($15.95): Vegetable and homemade cheese balls cooked in an onion and creamy sauce with almonds, cashews and raisins.
- Tandoori Mixed Grill ($21.95): Combination of tandoori specialties like chicken, lamb, shrimp and salmon served with fresh vegetables.
- Aloo Baingan ($14.95): Potatoes and eggplant sautéed with ginger, garlic and freshly ground spices.
She also mentioned two of the 10 appetizers:
- Gobi Manchurian ($12.95): Cauliflower florets glazed in tangy sauce.
- Aloo Tikki Chat ($9.95): Spiced chick peas, potatoes and flour dumplings delicately tossed in the restaurant’s sweet and sour tangy sauce.
“We took part of the menus from Sangam and Masala Mastee and blended them together,” Vishal Makkar said.
The restaurant seats 60 at white linen tables indoors and 20 on the outdoor patio.
Both the menu and the restaurant interior have a “modern classic” design, Vishal Makkar said.
A wall displays original 25-pound decorative doors from 20th-century farmhouses in the Punjab region. Those were flown in, Makkar said. A mosaic of the Taj Mahal graces another wall.
Location: 134 Mooresville Commons Way, Mooresville, NC 28117
Cuisine: Indian
Instagram: @masalabitez_mooresville
[ad_2]
Tanasia Kenney,Joe Marusak
Source link
