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| - Madras Masala is Banjara's (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/banjara-indian-cuisine-toronto) less popular, South Indian cousin. It's in the same building as Banjara, has the same owners, and prices are similar, yet it's not nearly as busy.
The space is a little awkward; it's in a former donut shop and it shows. It has that nice-ish feel that's common in Indian places; proper tablecloths and napkins, nice decor, attentive service, and so on. The waiter was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable.
We had Chicken Xacutti ($11), Lamb Hyderbad ($11), Masala Dosa ($8), Paratha ($2.50), and Steamed Rice ($2.99). Both curries were good and the meat was tender, but I found them a little lacking in spice and flavour; maybe they toned things down for us whiteys. I'm not a huge dosa fan, but I enjoyed this version. It's huge and has a small ball of potato and onion curry in the middle as well as a variety of sauces for dipping. While the paratha was great, I wasn't huge on the rice, it was dry and didn't taste fresh.
I love that the food doesn't feel nearly as heavy as the North Indian fare at Banjara. I assume this is due to less cream in the dishes.
Given that the mains were $11 each, plus the cost of rice or bread, I just didn't feel the quality was quite deserving of 4 stars. Next time I'll ask them to make the dishes as though they were making them for themselves, i.e. more flavour and spice, and I may give them another star.
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