Tangra Masala

Always been my go to place for indo-chinese food. It is a cash only place so keep that in mind but that is literally the only downside. Been here almost 10 times over last few years and the food always tastes the same. The food has right amount of spice in it and wont leave you complaining.

I lived here in the early 2000s and visited this restaurant many times. 23 years later, the recipe is as tasty and consistent as it was when I was a kid. Love the quick service, keep cash on you in case their card terminal does not function. Soups and chili chicken gravy along with American chop suey is very popular and tasty! Chicken lollypop is an absolute must!!

The restaurant is known for its unique take on Chinese cuisine, which is infused with Indian spices and flavors. The atmosphere at Tangra Masala is casual and relaxed. The dining room is decorated in a traditional Chinese style, and there is a large bar area where guests can enjoy drinks before or after their meal. The service at Tangra Masala is friendly and attentive, and the staff is always happy to make recommendations. Overall, Tangra Masala is a great place to try Chinese-Indian fusion cuisine. The food is flavorful and authentic, and the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. The service is friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable.

I have been going to this restaurant since 2001. At that point it used to be only branch of this restaurant. Food has always been outstanding at this place especially momos. Service and atmosphere has a declined a bit since owners mostly concentrate on bigger branches of this restaurant. I still like this hole in a wall gem.

I’m shocked I haven’t reviewed this spot before. I love, love, LOVE this restaurant. I’ve been coming here for what seems like over ten years, but have only recently re-discovered it as I live in Manhattan and just don’t get to Queens as often anymore. It’s worth the trip. Every single time I visit I have been satisfied and filled up with delicious food. I usually get chili tofu and pakoras but I also get sizzling chili with tofu and vegetables. The only thing that wasn’t AMAZING was the hot and sour soup, it was overwhelmed by cilantro. But I highly recommend this place for vegetarian Indo-Chinese cuisine.

Great authentic Indian Chinese cuisine in Queens. Peter the proprietor and Melissa make you feel very welcome and the food is absolutely top notch delicious.

Great food. My family has eaten there 3 times. Everything we order has come out great. The only complaint I have is that the menu needs to be simplified and more straightforward. They have an electronic menu and some items are different than the paper menu and it can be confusing. So far our favorites are the crispy ginger chicken and paneer pakora.

Halal Food which is really tasty with a touch of spice.

I spoke with the waitstaff, and apparently, they have two other restaurants with the same name in Sunnyside and Houston. I was like, good to know because I've been to the one in Sunnyside. Once you walk inside, you'll see a sign that says CASH ONLY! So be sure to have cash on hand. I think they redid the space inside and the outside. There's no need to make reservations. The menu isn't too extensive, and just know that almost everything will be fried. I had to ask what wasn't fried, and the manager said the dumplings could be steamed. My friend and I got the dumplings to start off. The tofu with mixed vegetables, two bowls of rice, spicy shrimp salt & pepper which they made mild, and Thai iced teas. They adjust the spices according to how you like it. Overall, I wish there were some non fried foods, but everything else was good.

Sooo I've been to the Tangra in Sunnyside and had no idea there was one in Elmhurst. My friend and I shared a plate of steamed chicken momos that came with a spicy green condiment. I appreciate appetizers that come in shareable amounts. We also shared an entree of tofu and vegetables and another entree of the spicy salt and pepper shrimp. They came with bowls of steamed rice. The entrees were pleasant and delightful. We each ordered drinks the Thai iced tea. It was nutty and yummy but not what I usually get as Thai iced tea lol. The restaurant is not very big so it looks like many order take out or delivery. Btw it's cash only! No cards.

Pictured: Manchurian chow mein $12.50 and Chicken Tangra Masala $15.95 This Asian fusion restaurant had so many delicious options to choose from. We went with the manchurian chow mein and the chicken tangra masala. The chicken was very crispy and tender. Both dishes were packed with flavor and had a unique taste. If you love Chinese food with a desi twist this spot is definitely worth checking out. 8/10 Follow our insta: @nyc.halal for more halal food reviews!!

Hidden gem! My family and I decided to come here for dinner last minute and so glad we did! This is a fusion restaurant with an EXTENSIVE menu! I mean massive.. We got the gobi Manchurian, Paneer pakora, tangra masala fried rice, basil paneer entree, manchurian chow mein and rasmalai. The gobi was FIREEE! Highly recommend! Paneer pakora was okay, would skip. The vegetable entrees were great and well seasoned. I would recommend getting the fried rice and chow mein, it was spicy and well flavored!! Everything came out quickly and service was good. this is a great family spot for family style cuisine. Will be back!

Great halal food, lollipop chicken, mango lassi, Indonesian style rice vermicelli. The lamb was good but not my 100% favorite. I would try it once then try other stuff. I recommend this place if you want some spicy delicious curry.

its one of that thing every time i visit NY, trip is not complete without Tangra visit. love their food, its same taste for years. Ordered Manchurian fried rice, Hakka noodles

I tried it this after 14 years. Chicken pakora, chicken lollipops and Manchurian chicken was good and delicious. Thank God no more waiting period. I really miss chilled lychee's with ice cream it it was different. That was disappointing.

This place has recently had its 1 year anniversary. I am pleased to say that the food, service, and hospitality continue to exceed my expectations! Delicious foods! My favorite appetizer is Tangra masala fish fingers. We also really like the momos- both steamed and sizzling. Our grand abt likes the steamed veggie and the steamed chicken momos. We like the choices of manchurian(not spicy), hakka, and Tangra masala. There is something for everyone.

First time having Chinese Indian food and I was pleasantly surprised. Food was tasted so flavorful and well seasoned. It's definitely a change up if you want something different. The staff were so friendly, we weren't sure what to order and they offered plenty of ideas for us. One thing to note, the food can get quite spicy if you can't handle spice. But it is good it's worth the burn. Space is small so if you want to eat inside, I would suggest coming a bit earlier to get a seat. I would definitely recommend!

I've been going to Tangra for 12 years now, and the food is just so consistently fantastic. We've tried every Indo-Chinese place in the city and this still is our go-to. We truly love this style of food, I go to India every year for work and while there try to hunt down good Indo-Chinese; I'd say Tangra is better than 80% of what you find even in India. Our staples are Chili Paneer Dry, Veg Manchurian with Gravy (dry is good too, but we like some sauce), Tangra Masala Chow Mein, and of course the delicious lollypop chicken. Their hot and sour soup is also great, with a nice indo-chinese take on it. We've been driving there and getting it as takeout during COV19, eating it either in the car or right down the road in a park. Freshness is *key* for this food so eat it quickly!

Food was very delicious and tasty! Also, there is great customer service! Nice location and environment as well!

This is definitely a hidden gem in Elmhurst! I grew up in this neighborhood and my family and I have always loved their food. I typically get chicken momos, hot and sour soup, Tangra masala chow mein, fried rice, chicken Manchurian which are all delicious. And I always get their chicken lollipop with extra sauce, always a must! Keep in mind they accept cash only. It's a small space and clean enough but if you're looking for an aesthetically pleasing restaurant, they have a much bigger and nicer location in a Sunnyside. Def give this restaurant a try!

Glad I can cross trying Indian/Chinese food off my list! Dined-in on a Sunday evening for dinner around 7:30pm and got seated right away. We started out with the Chicken Hot & Sour Soup which was pretty good. My favorite was the Lollypop Chicken. The chicken had a beautifully crisped skin and I was lathering the chicken with the sauce that came with the dish. It was so good. We also got the Tiger Prawns with Ginger and Scallion and the Gobi Manchurian. Both were good but I think the overall meal was pretty heavy on the gravy, so I'd suggest diversifying. Definitely worth the visit!

We live in DC and had heard that New York has great Indo-Chinese food. So we did our research and chose Tangra Masala as the first stop on our trip (this was right before the pandemic). The restaurant is an unassuming hole in the wall, but Wow the food was fantastic! My husband and his family are from India and they had been craving Indo-Chinese for weeks, and they were all happy with Tangra Masala (I wish they would open a branch in DC!)

Great service! The waiter was very attentive and waited for us to finish our appetizer before bringing out our entrees. We were the only table on a Friday night at first but the place quickly filled by the time we got our entrees. Food was really good and tasty!

This is an Indo-Chinese fusion restaurant, a cuisine that is enjoyed in Indian communities around the world. I went here for lunch with a friend and it was an okay meal, but not great. We had the chilli chicken, chilli tofu, and vegetable pakora as an appetizer. The quantity of food they give is not that big, but their prices are very reasonable. The chicken and tofu dishes were both good. Chilli chicken is made with crispy breaded chicken (similar in texture to sesame chicken) covered in a spicy sauce. The meat here was fairly moist. The chilli sauce they used for the chicken and tofu was the same and is fairly spicy - definitely not for those who can't handle spice. The vegetable pankora was very bad though. It was very hard and dry and was obviously old and microwaved.

The last time I went was probably over 10 years ago. It hasn't changed, the food is still delicious & the pricing is still right! Real authentic food from Tangra.

I'd rank the chicken tangra masala with gravy and the manchow soup as the must-haves here. If you're in a mix and match situation, the ideal would be get a spice buzz with the dazzling flavors here, and perhaps one mellower dish like the vegetable manchurian. Even if you do some Yelp homework, the menu may seem surprisingly vast, but the service here is outstanding and they're really happy to explain the choices and help you out. For example, years ago, I came with a bunch of work people and naturally everyone chose the "gravy" versions of the dishes over the "dry." They suggested picking one dry option for variety and it too was great. I've often identified as dessert-agnostic, and after eating 2,300 calories at dinner I planned to skip dessert, but my generous dining companions hooked me up with some of their lychees with ice cream and rasmalai, which are both fine choices.

This has been my favorite place to order delivery when I'm craving indo Chinese. I start with 4 stars because I feel like portions are a little small. In addition it is not consistent with spice levels. However I still love the place and recommend it completely. Tasty food and lots of options on the menu. It does the job when I'm craving this cuisine. I recommend the gobi manchuria over the vegetable manchuria. Salt and pepper baby corn is amazing! Ras malai is average, a bit too sweet and not the classic taste.

I had to take photos of the menu because I wasn't able to use there QR code. Restaurant requires a mask and vaccine card & ID upon entry. However we order takeout. We ordered the Thai soup with shrimp, chicken lollipop, the vegetable lo mein not spicy, the fish and beef dish and a salt and pepper shrimp. The food had really good flavor. My favorite was the salat and pepper shrimp, must try.

great food, flavorful, indo-chinese dishes spicy, lots of flavor try their gobi manchurian, vege kofta bao, pakora, tofu manchurian, vege noodle in tangra sauce.

Everything is average here, food and service both.. For a place like NYC they need to do much better to get customers to re-visit them. I will visit somewhere else instead..

Me and my beautiful wife love this this beautiful hole in the wall. Amazing Indo-chinese fusion entrees served up as you like from a friendly staff. Extremely warm hearted owner. My wifey like the mixed house noodles. I love the chili chicken dry, chicken lollipop, and the Tangra masala fried fish fritters (hidden gems). Their hot n sour soup is well balanced and aromatic, probably the best in the city...try it... Meal for two will set you back $30-$40. Go during lunch for their value-based lunch combos. $7-$8 an entree, can't beat it.

Service was quick and polite because it was not busy at all. Appetizer Lollipop Chicken was excellent. We ordered "extra spicy" Chicken chilly and chicken Manchurian. they ignored "extra spicy" and served us regular. Chicken smelled bad and some of the pieces tasted weird so chicken was actually stale. prices per dish is also high and they want "cash only". their website says they accept all credit cards but their waiter said that's for other location. Stale food, high price, limited portion and "cash only". Bad experienc.

The OG chili chicken. Period. But have to get it dry. Manchurian chicken is also delicious as well as the chicken lollipops and the vegetable pakora (very good). Hot and sour soup is also the best hot and sour soup I've had. Other stuff isn't bad either but we keep our orders to what we like. The staff is great too as it's a local family run business for decades.

Food is great, service ok. Recommend the vegetable pakora appetizer. Took one star off because it's CASH ONLY and they charge tax....

Amazing service and food. We had soups, Manchurian , flagship Chicken Masala , eggplant masala. She gave us fried rice on the house. We were asking a lot of questions when trying to decide what to get. I couldn't believe how patient she was ! Lychee desert with ice cream was great too. Pretty decor

Not my favorite but a great a spot for big family dinners. There are plenty options on the menu and the restaurant is accommodating with different diets. Giving them four stars because of their legacy status - they're one of first restaurants to popularize Indo-Chinese food in Queens. I remember going there quite frequently back in the early 2000s and have some great memories there. There is parking across the street (under the subways tracks) that is free after 7pm and enough street parking around the area. It's family style dining so the portions are generous. Biggest flaw of this place is the ambiance and decor - used to be a seafood place and their never changed anything in the last 10+ years which is a shame! They certainly get enough business and could afford to renovate. The decor is very gaudy with gold facets, dark tiles and random paintings. It's very poorly lit inside, a little too dark for my liking. I hope they improve the decor in the near future. Aside from that food is decent, lots of space for a nice family meal. If you're in the area and looking for Indo-Chinese food I would recommend this spot.

Food was delicious! Just surprised they had 15% gratuity included in 2 people's service. I'm not used to this as I'm from California or I don't think even in NJ other places have that. It's usually for 5+ people.

Bad experience. Unfriendly staff.....In this modern times specially when the country is going through Covid crisis , they are so inconsiderate of the business transactions, still have cash only policy, Refused to accept credit card, asked me to go to next door to the ATM machine to get cash. Who gives their customers hand written receipt, I don't recall any , I find it intriguing! Do not recommend nor will I and my wife will visit again!

I have been going here with my family for more that 16 years or longer. The food is always delicious, the servers are very nice, pleasant and so humble. The owners of this place is very kind. There is always complementary food or drinks for us. The best tasty Indian/ Chinese food is @ Tangra masala.

We ordered a take out today. The food was exceptionally good. No issues with that. I'd only give 3 stars just coz of server's (a lady aged 40-50, looks Nepalese) behavior. This place is cash only. It's hard for everyone to have a lot of cash especially if your bill is about $80-100. This is even worse during this pandemic when we are scared to go to public places like banks and ATMs to get cash. When we asked the server why don't you except credit card? She answered us in an extremely loud tone, "Why are you asking me? I'm a worker!" Then I told her it's not your fault. The owner should understand that it's inconvenient for customers to get a lot of cash handy. Despite just talking, she becomes very furious and mentions, "Our old customers already know and they're ok with it and business is also ok with that" We just ended up leaving the restaurant in a dismay!

I came 3 times with friends and brought business to this place. I simply asked for water and LEMON and the server brings me lime. Instead of coming back and saying sorry sir we don't have lemon she brings me what she wants. Good customer service....last time I or any one of my parties are coming here.

they have the worst service ever and you can't even tip them according to your choice because the service fee is included in the bill. I didn't like the taste of the food. I had to order another dish and chef got the order wrong

This place needs to get more props. Their pricing is very generous, especially with the portion size. The food is excellent and it really hits the spot!

This location is the best Tangra of them all. My second favorite would be the one in Curry Hill (due to convenience). My favorite dishes to get are the chicken lollipop, manchow soup, tangra masala chow mein, and the chili chicken with gravy. Once in a while, I enjoy the sizzling goat/ lamb. Remember, this isn't authentic Chinese food, so don't expect that. Sometimes you just want something spicy and different.

Never eat here if you are a vegan/vegetarian!!! Found a bone in my chili tofu!! Called them up and they refused to help stating that it's not their problem. Terrible service and terrible people!!!

This is a must eat place when visiting NY!! Small restaurant but abundant flavour and always a great time!! Very welcoming ambiance and love the new renovations!!! Food is always delicious, great quality and quantity size is good for sharing as well. My favorite here is their hot and sour soup and veg pakore! Always hits the spot!!

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.

Tangra Masala is the epitome of quality Indo-Chinese food. They always have the right spices and seasonings in the dishes that I ordered. My favorites are the Manchurian fish, Tangra Masala Fried Rice and of course, chicken lollipop. They have three locations; all very good but the one on Grand Ave is closer to me. It's a must to try them!

I'm all about the food, so I'm not the type of person who would normally mention or even notice that the entrees were brought to us in beautiful serving dishes which were basically works of art. But in this case it was merely emblematic of the quality of this restaurant. What a great place. We had a memorable, magnificent meal. We had Tangra Masala soup, seafood Manchow soup, vegetarian Manchow soup, bao, lollypop chicken,Vegetable Manchurian with gravy, Tangra masala eggplant with gravy, Tangra masala chicken with gravy, fried rice, Lychees with ice cream, and Rasmalai. It was all amazing. If I had to pick one I'd say try the Tangra Masala chicken with gravy, it was incredibly delicious. The service was gracious. One of the owners came over and helped us from time to time. She treated us like we were honored guests. All the service was great. And amazingly the prices were extremely reasonable. For those of you who concern yourself with side issues, I would mention that -it's very convenient to public transportation -street parking is available within a block or two -it's cash only

My past coworker RAVED about this Tangra location and i love the Tangra on sunny side so I had to put it on my bookmarked list. Thankfully I got the chance to go when my family and I were around the area. Parking here, just like the other location, is tough. Be prepared. I went on Eid day so the restaurant was very empty. My parents and I ordered the same thing I order normally: -lollipop chicken (BEST LOLLIPOP CHICKEN EVER) -chili fish with gravy -tangra masala rice with chicken, vegetables and shrimp -tangra sizzling chicken I'm not sure if I'm being biased but I felt like the food wasn't as tasty as it is in the other Tangra. The dishes weren't as flavorful and the lollipop chicken wasn't too juicy either. It was good though! I feel like if I hadn't tried the dishes over at sunnyside, I would definitely think the food is great. So ultimately I feel as though this location has better service and wait time, but the food is a bit lacking while the other Tangra has amazing food but lacks everything else.

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 another 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 Bengali friend introduced this place to me!

Great place for Indo Chinese / Asian Fusion dishes. In fact, tastiest I have had in US, and I have been to many Indo Chinese places. Prices are reasonable, service is helpful.

Oh thank you Yelp for pointing us here. It was delicious and ever so filling :) Yes I was that rude person on the phone for 3/4 of our tasty meal but it was an overseas call and they just wouldnt hang up...So sorry!!! And it had nothing to do with the service or the food. Service was quick and efficient and all of our dishes were very good. It says Chinese Indian but i felt it was a lot more Indian with Chinese influences. *Lolly pop chicken: oh heck yea! rode the yelp wave and got the dish everyone raved about and guess what? It was delicious! I would totally get that again. Very tasty, well fried (crispety crunchety on the outside and moist on the inside) with a very good creamy spicy sauce to dip into. *Tangra masala chicken, gravy: spicy, juicy chicken smothered in a yummy gravy *Chilli fish, gravy: fish well marinated in spicy gravy, totally different flavor profile from the tangra masala chicken. tasty and mom loved it *Beef singapore noodle: just what i expected. well made noodle dish with great flavor and beef was good and not overcooked. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch here and know just where to go when in the area. Not the cheapest lunch (a little over $40 with tip) but well worth it since it was satisfying, very good and quick. Note: one of the CLEANEST bathrooms!!! Actually smelled great and was really clean. Nice bonus for an asian restaurant :)

This place is sooooo awesome! I love it so much! The Hakka noodles are delicious I definitely reccomend it and the lollipop chicken is good too. They also have multiple vegetarian options as well. Many options and very yummy.

Was just ok. The server explained that the chinese food options had indian flavors so was curious. The black bean dish was just like typical chinese food. No biryani so we tried the manchurian fried rice which at least had some hint of indian spices.

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.

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!