MasalaWala

"This is not your Grandpa's Indian restaurant," MasalaWala's website says. This new take on Essex specializes in street food, something of a hobby of ours, with a side of social media (orders are taken on iPads) and social responsibility (tableware is biodegradable and recyclable). 

We tried a paneer bhurji roll, with lighter than light cheese, and chicken 65, whose spices gave our own cheeks a pinkish hue. The less said about the bhel puri, the better. But redemption was back in the pakora plate, particularly with regard to the batter-wrapped paneer. And it's hard to mess up garlic naan. Someday perhaps MasalWala will turn into the destination restaurant for everyone but grandfathers that it so longs to be. For now, though, it remains a fine option if you're on the Lower East Side and craving Indian.