One of the Lower East Side’s favorite Indian restaurants is getting back on its feet in a brand new neighborhood.
Masalawala was a highly popular Lower East Side restaurant that specialized in Indian pantry staples. The restaurant was established in 2011 by Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya. Roni is well known as the founder of Unapologetic Foods, the company behind recognizable spots like Adda Indian Canteen, Dhamaka, and Rowdy Rooster, and has been partnering with Chef Pandya since the very beginning of their endeavors.
Originally established at 179 Essex Street (which is now home to Gazab), Masalawala operated at the space for nearly a decade before the pandemic rendered their operation untenable in 2021. Not one to stay down for long though, Roni immediately began building up his plans for Masalawala’s revival while continuing to develop exciting new concepts elsewhere in the city. Recently, Roni announced that he would finally be bringing Masalawala back to life and moving across the East River to Park Slope.
The new revival, which has been dubbed Masalawala and Sons, is envisioned as a more family-oriented concept that will also offer a retail shop for classic Indian pantry staples, and will be opening up at 365 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn. Roni discussed his new concept with Eater, and revealed that his menu was inspired by dishes prepared by his father while he was working in Calcutta. Guests can expect a plethora of Eastern Indian dishes like spiced up coconut prawns and daab chingri, as well as a few new dishes that never made it to Masalawala’s original kitchen.
While the news of Masalawala’s revival is exciting, it isn’t the only pot that Roni has on stove. WhatNow NY previously covered Roni’s proposal for Kebabwala, a kebab-themed spin off of Masalawala. Currently expected to arrive at 82 Second Avenue, Kebabwala isn’t expected to launch until 2023. Additionally, Roni’s popular restaurant Adda will be relocating from Long Island City to Manhattan, where it will be opening up in the former Jeepney space at 201 First Avenue. While the restaurant transitions, the original space remains open for business and will eventually be transformed to a commissary kitchen for Unapologetic Foods once Adda is properly settled into its new home. For updates on all of their latest projects as you continue to await further details, you can follow Roni and Chef Pandya on Instagram.
