Tangra Masala
“The only drawback is that they're cash only, but there's an ATM that gives out $10s at the bodega next door.”
“I usually get the lollipops, Tangra masala fried rice, chili fish, chicken Manchurian and the shrimp chow mein.”
“The fried rices are equally delicious in all the styles whether tangra masala, Manchurian or Singapore.”
Tangra Masala
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This hole in the wall serves delicious Indo-Chinese food. We originally came here because my Bengali friend said Tangra Masala was one of his family's go-to restaurant, with his favorite dish being the Lollipop Chicken One interesting thing is although the staff seems completely Indian, Tangra Masala is actually owned by Peter Lo who is of Kolkata Hakka descent. I did not realize at the time I went, but this explains the interesting dichotomy of flavors where the dishes had such a familiar Chinese taste, but were still Indian in nature.
We ended up ordering the following:
Lollipop Chicken- This was super crispy and juicy. Definitely a must order. We almost did not save my Bengali friend any because he was 40 min. late.
Tangra Masala Fish w/ Gravy – My favorite dish of what we ordered. The dish consisted of a breaded white fish in a somewhat sweet, savory red sauce.
Vegetable Manchurian w/ Gravy – I loved these little fried balls of vegetables. I had something similar at Nanking in Jersey City. I think the in Jersey City were better and had a stronger taste of cabbage, but these were delicious too. I can't tell what vegetables were used because it was pureed into some kind of fritter.
Hakka Noodles – Off menu and tastes pretty much like regular lo mein. I'd skip ordering this and just order lo mein at a Chinese takeout restaurant.
Beef and Broccoli – This was pretty mediocre. It almost has the taste of Beef and Broccoli from a Chinese takeout restaurant, but something is missing, probably garlic and ginger.
Overall, I recommend getting the Lollipop Chicken, any of the Tangra Masala dishes, and the Manchurian dishes. You can order the dishes as dry or with gravy. We went with gravy for most of them since I love ladling sauce on my white rice. I think the dishes are normally spicy, but we asked them to make it mild for my friend who cannot take spicy. The portions are actually somewhat small but the flavors were delicious and the food came out fast. I had a satisfying meal. I'm glad my friend introduced this place to me!
3.25/5
Chinese meets Indian @ Tangra Masala! Came here at 6PM with a friend, just before the place slowly started getting packed. We sat for a good 6 seconds before the waitstaff focused their attention on us and a waitress hurriedly rushed to hand us the menu.
I've never tried Chinese-Indian fusion food, so it was a pretty interesting experience. We ordered Lollipop Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, and Tangra Masala Vegetable Chow Mein. The waitress warned that the Vegetable Chow Mein would be really spicy, but it was pretty mild. The Chow Mein was rubbery, but the Indian flavors were there.
I wasn't a fan of the long-grained rice used in the Chicken Fried Rice. Yes, there's fusion going on here, but I felt that the rice didn't suit the other ingredients in this dish. Or it could be just that I'm more used to the wholly Chinese take on fried rice.
Lollipop Chicken literally resembled a lollipop. The meat was concentrated at one end of the bone, and sort of hard to chew. Although it is touted as one of the most popular items on the menu, I believe that most of the spotlight is owed to the accompanying sauce. It's sweet and spicy, and the consistency is like that of mayo. My friend asked the waitress what the recipe for the sauce was, but the waitress smugly replied that it was a secret. One of the most intriguing mysteries of life, that's what it is. :^)
What's admirable to me is that the food we ate didn't strictly resemble Chinese nor Indian, but was actually both. Tangra Masala is a restaurant that boldly goes all out in its execution of Chinese-Indian fusion food. All in all, the food was alright, and I had what I felt was a most thoughtful eating experience.
At first we were a bit hesitant to go in here because there was no one eating anything and the place looked a bit dingy and dark. However, usually the places that look the sketchiest have the most authentic food. In this case, it was true. I've never had indo-chinese food and it was a really interesting fusion. There was the spice from indian food and the homecooked flavors in chinese cuisine (I am chinese). I had the manchurian chicken curry and it was like asian gravy with chicken and fresh fragrant rice. I love curry because it warms my heart. This one really did with the kick in flavor. The staff were super nice and attentive. I am actually craving to have some more of this again soon!! Cash only place.
The best Indo-Chinese place in Queens. The entrance of this restaurant is very humble, while the inside is OK, and the waitresses are very friendly. Food is very flavorful, though a little small in size.
For starters, let me just clear up the fact that even though this location is a hole in the wall compared to the other location, the workers here are so much more friendlier!
I've been to the other location numerous times, and although the food is almost equally good in both locations, the customer service sucks! This location however, is the complete opposite. They include the service tip into your bill so that they don't have to rudely stop you and make you tip them a high amount like the other location does, and they are quite friendly.
Coming down to the food, it is amazing in both locations. I end up coming to Tangra Masala for their lollipop chicken appetizer, which is to die for! My boyfriend had the Tangra Masala soup with shrimp for appetizer and it was the best thing in the world! For the main course we had the Tangra Masala chicken fried rice and chicken sizzler and although the taste factor was there, I didn't appreciate the amount of oil the fried rice had and the weird consistency of the sizzler. Even though I hate the other location for their customer service skills, I do have to commend them for their food, it is a lot better compared to this location.
Regardless of the minor problems we had, all in all its a good restaurant to stop by and enjoy some asian fusion cuisine!
Cash only, so come prepared! Portions are generous, great for sharing. Price point is typical for NYC. Finding parking is a nuisance, especially on a busy Friday/Saturday. Seating leans towards a smaller space, so be prepared to wait for tables to open up during peak business hours. Food 8.5/10 times has been consistent, good quality, fresh tasting, good flavor. Food tends to be spicier than most asian-fusion spots, but that doesn't bother my palette. Their lollipop chicken is a fan favorite, and for a reason, its finger lickin' good! Their trangra masala fried rice is also one of my favorites, bursting with flavor, heat, spice and depth of taste! Manchurian chicken/beef always a hit too, saucy or dry, its flavors are really good, not just spicy, but has a good taste to it as well. Their chicken thai soup, hot and sour soup has always been really good too. Def a fan of this place!
I love this place. The BEST lollipop chicken I've ever had. And the sauce, it's incredible. The food is fast and consistent. The service is great. The servers are patient and nice. Its a small place, with big flavored food.
Get : masala fries, lollipop chicken, chicken pakora, hot and sour soup, general taos chicken, chili chicken, all the chow mein ( its lomein), Manchurian beef or chicken, I honestly can go on. Everything is delicious.
Not many wud know of this place, but when it comes to Indian style Chinese, they do it the best. A small rather dingy looking place (from exterior), Tangra has some strong flavors to deliver. Their dumplings were soft and nicely filled. The Tangra Masala Chowmien was a bit greasy but the Manchurian Gravy was flavorful. Definitely a nice place to savour Desi Chinese.