Masti Indian Grill

Masti brings London’s Brick Lane curry experience to NYC with a long list of thick and sweet curries popular in British curry houses. They do a good Rogan Josh and Achari curry, but we like to order the Chettinad curry for something less-creamy that's loaded with dry spices. Eat it with a thinner bread like a paratha or chapati, rather than naan or rice. You want something that’ll soak everything up to create a wet, sopping bite that melts in your mouth like one of those magical Listerine strips.

When we do want something creamy, we go with aamwali jhinga tikka, which you’ll find hiding in the tandoori section of the menu. Pop some individual shrimp in your mouth to try the pleasantly sweet coconut cream in its purest state, and then mix the leftover sauce with pretty much anything else on your plate like it's a chutney. Come with a small group, and you can order a couple of the bread-y chaat options as well. This restaurant is casual, but the bhel served in a neat tower like steak tartare and the chandeliers hanging overhead will give any low-key birthday dinner here a little sparkle.