Taste Buds take on Indian food

Ian and Allen take on local Indian restaraunts, Masti and Biryani Pot.

Design by Ian Sands & Allen Liu

Ian Sands, Editor-in-Chief & Allen Liu, Managing Editor

Johns Creek is truly a melting pot of different cultures, tastes, perspectives, and walks of life; one might even say it's a Biryani Pot. In this chapter of the Taste Buds, we took the Vande Bharat Express to an incredibly vibrant, energetic, and sizzling blend of basmati rice, onions, ginger, lentils, paneer, paratha, turmeric, coriander, and much more: namely, Indian cuisine. 

Renowned in Johns Creek for its cultural authenticity and vast variety of establishments, Indian food has taken the community by storm. Around every corner lies a different combination of centuries-old traditions, local flavors, and family recipes passed down through generations. Every dish tells a slightly different story depending on the region, chef, and family behind it. Naturally, when two of Johns Creek's most beloved Indian restaurants, Masti and Biryani Pot, go head-to-head, the competition becomes much more than a battle of taste buds.

Nestled in the heart of Medlock Bridge, Masti wraps the buttery chicken goodness of the Regal Cinema plaza into its hearty naan-esque embrace. When we first walked in, a sea of South Asian culture washed over us like the waves gently lapping ashore in the Bay of Bengal. The restaurant is an excellent fusion of culture and cuisine. The spacious interior features a number of booths, tables, and a buffet, with room for cultural items scattered about. It’s the type of place where you know you’re getting a good meal before you sit down. 

We first ordered a mango lassi, a good benchmark to evaluate the quality of an Indian restaurant. It’s a drink that is simultaneously unique and widespread, with most restaurants serving a different take on the classic drink. When we took the first sip, it transported us to tropical regions. It instantly hit us with the fruity slap of the mango, tasting perfectly fresh, as if a worker bought them at a Mumbai marketplace that very morning and shipped them overseas just for us. As the flavors developed and mixed in our mouths, the creaminess became instantly apparent: an optimal mix between tarty fruit and soothing yogurt. We gave this delicacy a unanimous 9.5/10.

For our main dish, we ordered butter chicken. Just like the mango lassi, it is an undeniable staple of Indian cuisine, while maintaining its distinct heritage. When the dish came out, we carefully separated the rice from the sauce and scooped them precisely with the crispy yet soft garlic naan. The first thing we noticed after taking a bite was the noticeable lack of spice. We had differing opinions on how this impacted the meal. We felt that it enabled the flavor to shine through without overpowering it, but the lack of kick led to the taste falling a bit flat, remaining stagnant throughout the duration of our meal. The chef portioned and cooked the chicken to perfection, so the spice was our only point of contention with the meal. Ultimately, we gave it a rating of 8.5/10

Our next stop is the Deccan Plateau, south of the Satpura mountain ranges and north of State Bridge Road, home to Biryani Pot. The aroma hit us as soon as we walked through the swinging doors, a fragrant cloud of cardamom, garlic, and simmering sauces hanging in the air like incense in a bustling Delhi marketplace. A knee-high statue of Ganesha greets us at the entrance. 

As with Masti, we began with the most important test to Indian cuisine: the mango lassi. While Masti's lassi emphasized the bright, tropical sweetness of the mango, Biryani Pot's was noticeably thicker and more yogurt-heavy. The extra richness gave the drink greater depth, allowing the tartness and sweetness to mingle together in a more complex dance of flavors. Rather than a fruity punch to the face, it arrived in waves, each sip revealing something new. In our estimation, this complexity gave Biryani Pot a narrow edge in the lassi department, earning a stellar 9.7/10.

Naturally, the butter chicken was next. The presentation was familiar: tender chicken resting in a sea of velvety orange sauce, accompanied by fragrant rice and naan eagerly awaiting its destiny. However, from the very first bite, it became apparent that Biryani Pot was not interested in pulling any punches. Unlike Masti's milder approach, this butter chicken arrived with a noticeable kick.  Some members of our panel, namely Ian Sands, could not handle the increased spice level and found that it overpowered the dish's ingredients. For others, however, that same spice elevated the experience. The warmth lingered pleasantly and gave the dish a sense of momentum that Masti's version occasionally lacked. While opinions differed, we ultimately awarded Biryani Pot's butter chicken a 9.0/10.

The head-to-head contest between Masti and Biryani Pot is truly a divisive subject. With the quality of both establishments being so similarly superb, our ratings came down to the smallest intricacies of each meal. In the end, they came out to a tie. We were unable to decide between these two great Indian restaurants, which makes sense given the plethora of exceptional south asian cuisine in the Johns Creek area.