The art of Kathputli (Rajasthan puppetry) involves puppeteers who speak with whistling, squeaking, shrill voices which are interpreted by a narrator who also sets the rhythm. At Masala Zone in Covent Garden - the fourth in the good-value Indian group, soon to be joined by a fifth in Camden Town - the wood and cloth puppets clustering below the ceiling are given the soundtrack of a shuffle of show tunes occasionally punctuated by Indian ragas. "Oh, good. Sound of Music," said Reg.

The restaurant's situation opposite the Royal Opera House makes me think that music from opera and ballet would also be appropriate for the putli as they flutter and languorously spin in the breeze of air conditioning. Street food, thalis and an awareness of healthy eating is at the heart of the Masala Zone menu. Smiles from staff who kneel at the table to take an order may have been prompted by a manual but smiles work in every language.

The evening we try the Floral Street branch it is early days and thus sparsely populated, but the value-quality-tastebuds-tingle ratio is such that it is bound to fill up.

We start by sharing the grazing platter at £5.95 which is a round-up of those vegetarian snacks that utilise the piquancy of chutney, the cool of yoghurt, the re-assurance of pulses and potatoes to make diverting mouthfuls.

Reg chooses a chicken Madras curry with a side order of spinach and garlic. I order a grand thali based around a lamb Coramandel. The curries - both from spicy south-east India - are rich and the half dozen or more items on the thali defy me to finish. The spinach dish is beautiful, maybe the best of anything we try.

We finish with ice creams but there are kulfi, gulab jamun and rasmalai for a more Indian ending. Masala coke - flavoured with fresh mint, lemon juice and coriander seed - is a discovery. There are fresh juices that are less wicked and a well chosen short list of wines. Apparently the Masala Zone restaurants serve more than 500,000 customers a year. I'm not surprised.

• Price above estimates a meal with wine and service for one.