Mysttik Masaala
“I don't always love to chat while I'm grabbing some lunch but Yuvaraaj was so pleasant and funny I could have hung out all afternoon.”
“I really wanted palak paneer, but they ended up running out of paneer, so I settled for just palak and lentils with the vegetarian platter.”
“On Friday, I had the Meat Curry Special of the Day, Chicken Vindaloo with basmati rice, lentils, red beans and salad for $7.”
Mysttik Masaala
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Great food, super nice owner. Had the chicken vindaloo, as well as the chicken seekh kebab – neither disappointed. The chicken in the vindaloo was tender and the spice was just right; the kebab was also seasoned nicely. The 'meat meal' came with a serving of lentin stew (yum) and basmati rice, and since this was my first visit, he threw in a sample of the chole (chick peas). Needless to say, this won't be my last visit.
We were on the road so thought of having a quick grab n go. Found mystikk masala on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Reviews were pretty good and enticing. We tried chicken biryani, chicken samosa and dahi vada. Biryani was not bad, even though it was not technically a biryani but chicken gravy on rice. I liked it nevertheless. One small plate cost $10 which is probably the most expensive plate of rice and chicken on any cart in the NYC. Samosa was very average and oily. Dahi vada were also average. Overall, not bad but not awesome either. The only thing awesome about the cart was the man inside the cart! He had great attitude.
I have not cooked in over ten years (nay, not even boiled an egg for myself). I read recipes like I read science fiction; I get to the end, smile to myself, and say: "Ah, this is not going to happen in real life!"
It goes without saying, then, that a home-cooked meal is a rare treat for me, which I relish whenever the opportunity befriends me. The food from Mysttik Masaala is the closest to home-cooked Indian food that I've had in New York City. It is not the kind of food that blows me away, but that is not what this business seeks to do; it rather is the kind of food that leaves me perfectly satisfied and very happy, which is the effect that home-cooked meals have on me.
The chicken samosa is my personal favorite among the appetizers / snacks. The chicken is seasoned with black pepper, which gives it a nice kick without making it overpoweringly spicy. The vindaloo is not as spicy as I've had elsewhere, but then, this business caters to the Midtown East lunch crowd that needs to go back to work after lunch, so a less spicy vindaloo probably is a blessing for our stomachs. The bhindi masala (okra) is cooked perfectly; it is not excessively slimy, and is well spiced. Oh, and I really like the aaloo tikkis (potato patties) too!
The platters consist of very generous servings of meat and vegetables (or different kinds of vegetables, if you choose a vegetarian platter), and the price is quite low for the quantity of food you get. Yuvraaj, the owner, is very convivial and welcoming, and provides helpful recommendations for meat and vegetable pairings for your platter.
The food is cooked earlier in the day, and transported to this location to be served out of a cart. This presents certain limitations, which one must accept when eating from a food cart. As the day draws on, the samosas lose some of their crispness, and the naans become increasingly chewy as they lose some of their freshness. This is not an issue for me, because I am mindful of the fact that this is a food cart, and I should not expect naans to be scooped out of the tandoor right as I place my order.
Did I just give a street food cart a 5 star rating? Why yes, indeed, I did. Why? Because a fair review would measure a business against its peers, not compare a food cart to sit-down full service restaurtants, which are not even in the same league. As far as Indian food carts in New York City go, this is, in my view, as good as it gets (exactly aligned with Yelp's rating guidelines)!
Anyone who loves Indian food must try this!! Best Indian truck food ever and friendliest food truck owner who clearly loves his job and shows it. The owner even called me sweetheart… awww.
We had chicken vindaloo, chana masala, and aloo gobi. He threw in an additional item for us to try. Everything was so flavorful and I was literally savoring every bit of it. The owner said that he makes his curries from 5-10am everyday. Also gave me a little spiel about his previous life: he used to sell jewelry and found his passion in doing this instead. I say good decision.
Tried the Aloo Tikki (a mildly spiced potato croquette) en route to our office destination. The seasoning was good but Tikkis tasted slightly freezer burned.
I had to try this food cart spot it's so convenient for me since it's right next to Grand Central Terminal. Great prices the guy even threw some free bread and pea soup in there and it was fantastic. I'm very open to trying new food and this didn't dissappoint me not one bit.
Came today specifically for their lassi as I was informed that the lassi has been refilled for all flavors. Picked my favorite flavor – rose. It was great. Just that the calories contained in one bottle is kinda scary! Still got the chicken kabab roll, love it as last time.
I hereby nominate the guy who runs this cart, to be the nicest guy on the New York street food scene. If you're having a crappy day, go order some food from here. Not only will you come away with a tasty, filling and unique style Indian dish, but you'll also come away with a smile for sure. And the next time you go back he'll be happier to see you than your own mother would be (granted of course, that your mother still even likes you). "What's happening bhai!!". I swear, I just want to throw money at his truck.
My go-to here is the naan roll. The naan is softer and fluffier than any restaurant naan I've ever had. The biryani is also pretty good. I'm determined to eventually try everything on his menu. Chaat for lunch?? Why the hell not…