Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

It has been a while since I wanted to try Brick Lane Curry House, the restaurant being on my list after I saw an episode of Man vs Food where the challenge was to eat the Phaal, a very hot curry, so hot that you need to wear a gas mask to cook it, the fumes of the ten different chili used being too intense. But it was not for the Phaal that we went, and the disclaimer below did not change my mind, even if I can get a free beer...

Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

Brick Lane Curry House takes its name from the neighborhood in London that is supposed to have the best curry houses outside of Asia. I have never been there, maybe one day.

Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

It is also a subway stop, so no wonder why you can see some subway signs (underground as they say in the UK) or subway maps.

Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

The place is like a labyrinth with three different dining rooms, the two main ones being separated by bottles of wine.

Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

As soon as we sat, they brought us some delicious papadum:

papadam at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

For appetizers, we decided to try some classic vegetarian dishes: pakora.

vegetarian pakora at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

These are vegetable fritters served with a tomato chutney that had a nice kick. The pakora were good, but missing a bit of crunch.

Then, we had aloo (potato) samosas:

aloo or potato samosa at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

Served with the same tomato chutney, it was just ok for me, as they mainly tasted the potato that was a bit bland.

aloo or potato samosa at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

The shell however was deliciously crispy.

Then, we shared the Chana Masala (Vegan):

chana masala at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

It is a dish made of chickpeas, tomatoes, onions and spices.

chana masala at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

I usually love chana masala, but did not like this one that was missing texture and flavor.

However, the lamb madras curry was perfect!

lamb madras curry at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

The waiter told us that it was spicy, but in fact, it just had a bit of a kick. The curry, made with a gravy prepared with mustard seeds, curry leaves and finished with coconut milk was very good and flavorful. I could have eaten that even without meat (the lamb was perfect), with just rice or better, with naan.

Both dishes were served with some rice:

pulao rice at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

And we also ordered some naan that was freshly made:

naan at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

As usual, I ordered a sweet lassi that was pretty good: thick but not too much and not too sweet, it was perfect to extinguish any heat coming from the dishes.

lassi at Brick Lane Curry House in the East Village, NYC, New York

The food at Brick Lane Curry House was just ok for me and I think that it is overpriced. I definitely prefer Baluchi's or The Masala Wala over this place.

Enjoy (...)!

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Restaurant Information:

* Restaurant Name

Brick Lane Curry House

* Overall

★★☆☆☆

* Neighborhood / Cuisine

East Village

/

Indian

* Street Address

306-308 East 6th St., New York, NY 10003

* Phone

(212) 979-2900

Lunch at Tamarind, Indian cuisine, in Tribeca, NYC, New York

Continuing our discovery of restaurant through Restaurant Week offers, I picked Tamarind, an Indian restaurant located in Tribeca. I saw that they offer an Executive Lunch for $25, so there was little risk for us to go there for Restaurant Week.

Sadly, the scaffoldings on the art deco building this place is located in are masking the restaurant, but, as soon as you enter, you cannot miss the fantastic decor and the space. 

Seating 175 people and setup on two levels bathed in natural sunlight, it has a classy and modern feel.

So we sat at a table close to the kitchen that opened into the dining room.

Before we ordered our food, they brought us some rice with mint sauce as an amuse-bouche.

This was a nice way to start, the dish being flavorful, with a bit of spiciness.

As a beverage, I ordered a mango lassi that was not too sweet and perfect to fight any heat that the dishes had:

Then, we ordered our appetizers. Jodi went for the spinach and watermelon salad:

It was composed, besides the watermelon and spinach, of grilled paneer (cheese), and drizzled with a tamarind-balsamic dressing. I really liked it as it was refreshing and the cheese and watermelon paired very well together, the cheese being chewy and the watermelon crunchy, giving a nice texture to each bite.

On my side, I ordered the crab nazakat:

It was made of lump crab meat, mustard seeds, curry leaves, lemon zest, honey and coconut, and was served with a papadum. I liked it although a bit watery: it was refreshing and had a nice balance of flavor, the sweetness of the honey balancing the acidity of the lemon zest. However, if it was not for the place and the papadum, I would not have associated this dish with Indian cuisine. 

Then, we had to pick two entrees. Jodi ordered the Potli Baingan:

It was eggplant smothered in a sauce made with potatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, cumin and coriander seeds. That was very good! I truly appreciated the fact that the eggplant was not overpowered by the sauce that was creamy and mild.

Her second choice was mehti paneer:

It was paneer (cheese) bathed in a thick sauce made with fenugreek leaves, coriander, yogurt, onion and garam masala. This was delicious too, the sauce being smooth and very tasty.

On my side, I ordered Murg Kali Mirch and Taar Korma.

Murg Kali Mirch were some pieces of chicken that were seasoned and grilled with a sauce that had white and black pepper.

This was delicious: the chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, with a nice char and the sauce thick and a bit spicy. Definitely a dish I recommend.

The second dish, Taar Korma, was lamb smothered in a tomato and yogurt sauce that had ginger juice and saffron.

That was another fantastic dish: the lamb was very good, and the sauce delicious. In fact, I could have eaten it with or without the lamb, simply with some naan bread, or with the five spice rice that was served with our dishes.

They also brought us the vegetable side of the day that was made with spinach and potatoes:

That was a nice addition to our meal, although I wish there was more potato (we got only one small piece).

They also brought us some naan that was fluffy, with some nice char.

Last was dessert. Jodi ordered the Mango Shrikand that was like a mango yogurt with pieces of mango on top.

On my side, I ordered Khubani Halwa:

It was made with apricot, almond and honey.

I really liked the texture and taste of it and it was not too sweet. It was perfect with the double espresso I drank with it.

I really liked my lunch at Tamarind: I think this restaurant is really embracing the concept of restaurant week by making people discover their cuisine, proposing them not one but two entrees as well as an amuse-bouche and an additional side. Needless to say that at the end of the meal I was full, content to have a good deal, and looking forward to going back for dinner to discover other dishes.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Tamarind Tribeca
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	TriBeCa / Indian
	* Street Address
	99 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013
	* Phone
	(212) 775-9000

Dinner at Tulsi, Indian restaurant in Midtown East, NYC, New York

Recently, we were invited to Tulsi, an Indian restaurant located Midtown East. I quickly discovered that it was not your average Indian restaurant! First is the team in the kitchen, composed of:

•  Executive Chef Hemant Mathur who is also co-owner. Chef Mathur has an impressive resume, working in restaurants such as Dévi (awarded a Michelin one-star rating in 2007 and 2008), Tamarind in Tribeca, as well as Bukhara  in the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, India. 
• Tandoor Master, Dhandu Ram, who also worked at Bukhara in New Delhi, where he met Hemant Mathur.
• Executive Pastry Chef Surbhi Sahni, who is also the wife of Chef Mathur, known for her incredible dessert creations, such as her Ginger Panna Cotta that was nominated one of the “Best Restaurant Desserts for 2011” by Esquire.

Then I got to meet with Vijay Rao, who is co-owner and we were taken care of by the General Manager Suneel Devgan who did a wonderful job hosting us.

The second hint that Tulsi (meaning "Holy Basil") was different was the menu: clearly not your regular one! For instance, I could not find any Chicken Tikka Masala, that is one of my favorite dishes. Instead, they serve the savory banana dumplings, sea scallops with Manchurian cauliflower & eggplant chutney or lamb chop with south Indian potatoes and peach chutney. Clearly, some mouth watering dishes and I was excited to see what we would get served!

The last important characteristic of this place is its decor: modern, elegant, but not stuffy. When you enter, you end up in the bar area (nice green lighting) with its small lounge.

Then there is the dining room.

We went early because it is the best time to take photos of a restaurant and at that time, we were the only ones, but several minutes after, people started coming and this long table you see was for instance full of patrons avid to taste that food. 

We got seated in one of the "booths" that they setup, giving the impression of privacy to customers, especially those who did not understand that the only separation between them and the next table was a thin curtain.

To start off, I ordered a mango lassi.

Not too sweet and smooth, it was the perfect drink to prepare my palate and eliminate some of the heat few dishes had.

We started off with the appetizers. First, came some street food or chaat:

The first one was Avocado Jhal Muri:

It was made of puffed rice, avocado, red onion for a nice kick and vermicelli noodles. It was delicious: a bit crunchy, thanks to the rice and red onion, and smooth, because of the avocado.

The second one was Papadi chaat:

It was refreshing, with a sweet and savory taste, but I was expecting it to be a bit crunchy and did not really like the texture.

Then, we tried the Manchurian cauliflower:

I tried this dish at The Masala Wala few months ago and was thrilled to have it again. It was fantastic with its sweet and sour taste and a bit of crunch, definitely reminding me of Chinese cuisine. It was Jodi's favorite dish of the evening.

The second appetizer was Haryali chicken tikka:

The chicken, cooked in a tandoor oven was incredibly moist, tender, flavorful and had this nice char all around. I admit that I had difficulties not finishing that dish (it was only the beginning). I am often disappointed by chicken tikka because the meat tends to be dry, but it was definitely not the case there. The pieces of chicken were sitting on top of a delicious tomato chutney that gave an additional dimension to the dish.

The last appetizer was Dilli wali Aloo tikki:

These potato cakes were made, besides potatoes, of yellow split peas, cashews and raisin stuffing. It was my least favorite of the appetizers, being slightly blend if not eaten with the sauce that went with it.

At that point, I ask for a sweet lassi:

It was not as thick than I am used to and had the perfect amount of sweetness.

Then came the entrees. The first one was their signature dish: savory banana dumplings.

These dumplings were stuffed with figs and cashew, smothered in a very good sauce that was creamy and reminded me of the tikka masala sauce. It had an interesting texture that was the result of having figs in it, giving the same sensation as when you eat dried figs. The quinoa was a nice addition, having a bit of cumin in it, a flavor I do not remember having experienced in Indian food yet.

Then came another of my favorite dishes: tandoor grilled lamb chops.

It was a great dish: the lamb was perfectly cooked, with some areas covered with this nice char that I love so much in grilled meat. It was tender and flavorful, the perfect dish if you love lamb. It was served with South Indian potatoes and a nice plum chutney that added a wonderful sweetness to the overall dish.

We also tried the Mangolorean Chicken Curry that was quite spicy, but delicious with a moist chicken that I had difficulties not to eat, despite my mouth on fire:

And some Indian cottage cheese with spinach, similar to Palak Paneer:

That we ate with plain basmati rice:

as well as plain parantha and rosemary garlic naan breads that were very good and fresh.

At that point, I started to get full, but could not resist to try their desserts and was so pleased to see them bringing their Indian bread pudding!

Nice creation considering that bread pudding is not common in Indian cuisine! It was made of brioche bread that was soaked in what I believe was a sugar syrup and covered with some sort of condensed milk and nuts. That was spectacular and we definitely finished the plate! It was definitely sweet, but so good! I wish I had the recipe (wink wink!).

The second dessert was their pistachio kulfi:

It was a delicious ice cream with a subtle pistachio taste that became more prominent when reaching the middle of the pyramid, where a layer of it was present.

To help digest this feat, I ended up getting a Chai tea...

We had a good time at Tulsi: great food and great service for sure. I would definitely come back to that place to try some other dishes. They really succeeded in crafting a fantastic unusual Indian menu.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

My nephew culinary visit: day 7 / part 1: Indian food at The Masala Wala in NYC, New York

Talking with Valentin, I was not sure he ever had some good Indian food before. So I picked The Masala Wala: good food and reasonable prices, especially with their lunch special. I discovered this restaurant back in August and promised Jodi that we would go there to try some street food, as they serve some amazing dishes there.

We sat in the bright dining room dominated by the gold coin representing one of the owners, Satyen Mazumdar, and decorated with paintings representing street scenes in India.

We decided to share the different dishes we ordered and started off with the Dahi Puri, these little semolina puffs filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas, tamarind, mint and yogurt. 

These one bite puffs are very good and extremely refreshing, thanks to the mint and yogurt.

Then we shared a vegetarian samosa and some veggie pakora that are sort of fritters.

The samosa was delicious, filled with spiced potatoes and peas that added a nice texture, on top of the crispiness of the shell. The pakora were good, slightly greasy, but crispy and kind of comforting.

Then we had one of my favorite Indian dishes: chicken tikka masala that Valentin ordered.

I love the color of the sauce and its creaminess. At that point, I did not really care about the chicken and could have eaten the sauce without it. It had a slight kick that was perfect.

Jodi ordered the Shahi paneer (pressed Indian cottage cheese cooked in a rich cashew-almond cream sauce). In fact, it is not on the menu, but as I mentioned that I tried it last time and could not find it on the menu, they proposed to make it especially for us: that was very nice!

And the three of us were so happy! They should definitely have this on the menu: although a bit spicy, the sauce was heavenly creamy with a smooth taste.

We ate these dishes with some white rice:

And some Naan bread (we picked the Naan basket, my favorite being the butter one):

On my side, I ordered the chicken tikka, cooked in the tandoor oven:

It was good, but I found the chicken a bit dry and did not like the rice that was served with it.

Valentin and I ordered a mango lassi, that is a meal in itself and was perfect to counteract the spiciness of the dishes. 

This was a delicious meal and The Masala Wala is a great place for some good Indian food!

Enjoy (I did)!


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Hoboken Dhaba, Indian street food! - Closed

Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

When Hoboken Dhaba replaced The Hummus Bar, I was thinking: what? Another Indian restaurant? How many do we need? Think about it: we had plenty of restaurants serving Middle Eastern dishes, mainly focused on falafel and hummus and now, only few of them are still standing. So Indian? Ok, India on the Hudson that was my favorite closed recently because of rent increase (hopefully they will relocate!), but there is still Bombay West, Matt & Meera and Karma Cafe. So I was wondering what would make Hoboken Dhaba different. It was time to check that out!

I discovered what Dhaba is after I went for a press dinner at The Masala Wala in New York: it is a street side shed where people can eat some food sold by street vendors. Now, looking at the decor, it make sense! They have the equivalent of booths that are in fact representing dhaba.

Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

It is a very colorful restaurant, with bright colors on the walls, banquettes, pillows, and with tables being used as a display for spices that are pretty common in Indian cuisine.

If you go there, you will also notice the lamps hanging from the ceiling that are made of forks, knives and spoons!

Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

So, there are two things that characterize Hoboken Dhaba: the street food and the all-you can-eat formula of the week end, that is potentially equivalent to the buffet at Karma Cafe and India on the Hudson. We decided to try both at two different occasions. The first time was the all-you-can-eat. 

They propose two versions: vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Jodi picked the first one and me the second. It is not a buffet: they bring you their selection of the day at the table, starting with the appetizers.

vegetarian appetizers at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

The vegetarian appetizer was, besides a small salad, vegetable pakora (fritters) and chili pakoda (green chili lightly battered in a chick pea flour and fried). So, both were fried, but not greasy. The pakora was very good. the chili was good too (a tiny bit spicy), although not my favorite.

On my side, the non-vegetarian appetizer was made of the same salad, tandoori chicken and some chicken smothered in a chili sauce.

chili chicken and tandoori chicken at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

The chicken was good! The chili one was not as spicy as I thought when I heard it was a chili sauce and it was both sweet and sour. The tandoori chicken was very good: still moist, with a beautiful red color, a bit of char and the delicious taste of spices.

Then came the main dishes. For Jodi, the vegetarian platter.

vegetarian thali at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

It is what is called a Thali, a selection of dishes served on a tray, concept that I discovered years ago in Mumbai and that is also served at Bombay West. It was composed of:

• Rajma (top left): this was a special made with beans that was also on my thali. A bit too spicy, it had the consistency of a thick dahl (lentil dish).
•  Aloo Gobi (bottom left): potatoes cooked in spices (spicy).
• Eggplant with paneer cheese (top right): another special of the day. It was very good and not spicy this time.
• Cauliflower in a chili sauce, very hot (bottom right).

On my side:

meat thali at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

It was composed of:

• Rajma, similar to Jodi's dish (bottom left).
• Cauliflower in a chili sauce, very hot (top left).
• Chicken Tikka Masala (top right): this was my favorite! Very creamy, not spicy, I could eat that sauce with a spoon!
• Another chicken dish that was spicy.

What was disappointing is that I asked them to point out on the menu what the items were and they were not that forthcoming, explaining why I could not retrieve the name of the dishes. I think what was a bit disappointing for my thali is that they served two chicken dishes: I would have preferred two different proteins. Also, they served two vegetarian dishes that are not on the menu: I personally would probably serve dishes that people can order when they come back or recommend if they love it.

With the meal, we got some delicious fresh naan:

naan at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

And they were nice enough to bring us some raita (no charge) to extinguish the fire caused by the spices!

raita at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

My other weapon against spices is always lassi. This time, I decided to go for a sweet lassi, although it was not on the menu.

sweet lassi at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

Lassi is a yogurt drink where water, spices and sometimes fruit is added to the yogurt. Depending on the restaurant, it has different levels of thickness. The one I ordered was thick, not too sweet and had some cinnamon on top. I really liked it, but it was very filling!  The second time I went to Hoboken Dhaba, I chose the mango lassi.

mango lassi at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

It was delicious: creamy with this wonderful taste of mango. Again not too sweet but very filling!

Then, we got dessert! And it was my favorite: gulab jamun!

gulab jamun at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

Gulab Jamun is a cheese ball that is fried and then dipped in a sugar syrup. This was fantastic: cooked all the way through, sweet, it was served slightly warm.

Even if my first experience at Hoboken Dhaba did not meet my expectations, we decided to go back, but this time to try the street food!

We started off with the vegetarian sampler.

vegetarian sampler at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

For $8, there was surely lots of food! It was composed of:

• Vegetarian samosa: light and crispy, with a bit of spiciness.
• Chili pakoda, similar to the first time we went.
• Batata Vada: battered fried spicy potatoe balls, similar to croquettes, but with Indian spices and spicy!
• Veggie pakora: a bit greasy and overcooked this time.

Then we ordered the Bhel Puri or crispy puffed rice mixed with chutney and spices.

Bhel puri at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

I was a bit disappointed: it was not as crispy as the one at The Masala Wala and not as good either. I did not eat too much of it...

Then, the Dahi Puri that are lentils shells filled with veggies and yogurt.

dahi puri at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

This was very good, but not as spectacular as the one I tried at The Masala Wala (sorry, I repeat myself, but it was a memorable dinner!!!).

dahi puri at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

This is a one bite thing and I loved the different layers, from the lentil shell that was very crispy to the veggies and yogurt. We ate it all!

I also wanted to try the lamb samosa.

lamb samosa at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

I love lamb, but, unfortunately, this did not meet my expectations: the lamb was dry and the shell was overcooked.

Last was the chicken lollipop:

chicken lollipop at Hoboken Dhaba, New Jersey NJ

It really looked like lollipops! But again, it was a miss...The problem was that they left the skin that was  not fried and gave a gelatinous taste to the dish. They would have removed it, or even fried it, it would have been a great dish.

So, at this point I am really on the fence after these two visits: I liked the classic dishes but disliked most of what we ate...I will probably go for a third time to make up my mind and will stick with some classics.

Enjoy (...)!

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Dinner at The Masala Wala in NYC, New York

I was recently invited to a Press dinner at The Masala Wala, an Indian restaurant located on the Lower East Side, few steps from Katz's Deli in fact. The place, opened in November 2011 by Satyen and Roni Mazumdar features traditional Indian dishes from different regions with a focus on street food. We met with Satyen and his son, Roni, and they contributed to make this experience very enjoyable, not only for our palates! 

Before I talk about the food, let's talk about the restaurant itself: it is a medium sized restaurant that can accommodate 28 people inside and 8 people on the sidewalk. 

We ate inside and I liked the atmosphere that had some warmth, thanks to the dark wood and exposed brick. The room was surrounded by beautiful paintings of street vendors highlighting the underlying theme of the restaurant! It also had high ceilings one of my favorite fixtures, apparent bulbs, that are, I guess, both old fashioned and trendy!

One of the walls had Indian artifacts, some of them being a reminder of the Indo-Chinese culture (especially the dragon sitting on one of the shelves).

Then there is the gold coin featured at the beginning of this post and below:

First of all, gold symbolizes wealth and prosperity in India. Then, the face is no celebrity (yet!): it is Satyen Mazumdar! On the right side is their motto: "taste above all".

Their menu, created by Chef Abdul Junel, features cuisine from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka...). You find of course the classic dishes most Indian restaurants serve: Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, biryani...Interestingly, they propose for the most classic ones, their vegetarian version: chicken tikka masala & paneer masala, tandoori chicken & vegetable tandoori are good examples.

Coincidently, the dinner occurred on India Independence Day! We were therefore greeted with their Independence drink: mango lassi.

The mango lassi was delicious and a nice way to prepare our palates. We were lucky to be able to try several dishes from their menu, some of them being soon new additions. It was split between two culinary experiences: street food bites and Indian signature dishes. I was very excited to try all these dishes, especially the street ones!

So we started with the street food bites:

We started off with Bhel Puri:

Bhel Puri is made of puffed rice, spiced tomatoes, chickpeas, curry leaves, mustard cheese, onions and chutney. It was pretty good and interesting because I never had puffed rice besides the famous cereal! It added a nice crunchiness to the dish that made it different from any other rice dishes I ever tried.

Then came one of the most interesting dishes and one of my favorites: Dahi Puri.


These are small semolina puffs filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas, tamarind, mint and yogurt.
Roni explained to us that it is a one bite appetizer. So I ate it at once, opening my mouth as much as I could. Clearly, trying to eat it in several bites would have been catastrophic and I would have ended up with some on my pants!!!

So you put it in your mouth and then when you bite on it, it is like an explosion of flavors, where you taste each ingredient before they merge together, the yogurt and the mint adding some freshness. This is a fantastic dish that I strongly recommend!

The next dish was Mumbai samosa:

Samosa are crispy turnovers that can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. These were vegetarian, filled with spiced potatoes and peas. I was really happy to see samosa on the tasting menu as this is one of my favorite Indian appetizers. They were delicious: crispy, not greasy and very flavorful, the peas adding some texture to the filling.

Then we got a surprising dish: Kolkata Gobi Manchurian.

This is an Indo-Chinese dish made of cauliflower florets that are tossed in ginger, garlic and spices. This dish comes from Kolkata, aka Calcutta, that is the capital city of West Bengal. Looking at it, it reminded me of the sweet and sour sauce that we can find in Chinese cuisine. It was really good, not spicy, with some sweetness to it and a bit of texture provided by the sticky sauce that had a wonderful red color.

The next starter was chicken tikka. It was cubes of chicken marinated in a red tandoori mixture and grilled in a tandoor oven.

The chicken was very moist and the tandoori mixture very flavorful. A nice dish for sharing for sure.

The last starter was lamb Kakoti Kebab:

The ground lamb was grilled in a tandoor grill until soft. It was mixed with spices and there was like a citrus-y taste to it. I was a bit disappointed as I found that the bold flavor of lamb was a bit lost, overpowered by the spices.

Then, they served us their signature Indian dishes! They brought all the dishes at once so we could share, not thinking about the mayhem it would cause! Imagine six food bloggers trying to take photos of 10 dishes spread over the table! It was crazy and funny!

We tried the following dishes:

• Nawabi Chicken Biryani: basmati rice, saffron, spices and chicken. This dish had a nice spiciness to it that built up slowly in the back of my mouth!
• Baingan Bharta: roasted eggplant cooked with ginger and cumin. This is one of my favorites: I love the particular taste of eggplant, smooth but a bit spicy at the same time.
• Vegetable Jalfrezi: vegetables with paprika, tomatoes and coriander. It was an ok dish for me. Nothing great about it.
• Shahi Paneer: one of my favorite entrees! It is a pressed Indian cottage cheese cooked in a rich cashew-almond cream sauce.

That sauce was fantastic! Creamy, it was very tasty and perfect with some rice or naan! I could have eaten the entire bowl. The cheese had this great chewy texture and I surely did not mind loving a vegetarian dish!

There was also:

• Chicken Saagwala that is slow cooked chicken with creamed spinach. I am not the biggest fan of spinach (Popeye, you did not convince me!), so this dish was just ok for me.
• Lamb Pasanda: sauteed lamb cooked in yogurt, cream, tomatoes and cashew. I admit that I am not even sure I tasted that one! Dammit! I love lamb! Well, you know what? I just need to go back to  The Masala Wala to try it!
• Kerala Fish Curry: it was tilapia served in a sweet and tangy creamy sauce, with onions, tamarind and fenugreek. That was a nice dish that made me think that I should order more often fish in Indian restaurants!
• Shrimp Konkani Curry: South Indian curry with red cayenne pepper, coconut milk and coriander.

This dish was fantastic! Very creamy, the sauce was tasty and velvety, not spicy, with nice size shrimp. This was also one of my favorites.

The last dishes were dal.

There were two kinds: Dal Tadka, made with yellow lentils (photo above) and Dal Makhani, made with black lentils. Both were good, but my favorite was the Dal Makhani that had a more robust flavor.

These dishes were served with rice pulao and some naan bread, butter or garlic (the butter one was so good...):

It was so puffy with some nice char on the outside, a bit like a Neapolitan pizza! 

To cool our palates whenever the heat started to build up (most of the dishes were mild to slightly spicy). There was raita:

As well as sweet lassi, a drink I always order when eating in an Indian restaurant!

Then, it was time for dessert! At this point, we were all stuffed, but we could not pass on it, especially after seeing how appetizing they were!

The first two were kulfi, traditional Indian ice cream. There was pistachio kulfi:

The second one was mango kulfi:

Then there was my favorite Indian dessert: Gulab Jamun.

These are cheese balls that are fried and then dipped in a sweet syrup. The way they served it is dry, meaning that they did not serve any of the sweet syrup with it.
Before we started, Roni told us that we should start with the ice cream first, so this is what we all did. The kulfi was very good: creamy and not too sweet, my preference went for the pistachio one. The gulab jamun were delicious too and not too sweet with a perfect texture. Definitely, the desserts were a hit!

We finished the dinner with a chai tea that was very good:

It was definitely a great tasting and I was excited to show the photos and tell Jodi how it was. It gave me the opportunity to try some spectacular dishes, the vegetarian ones being as successful as the non-vegetarian one (maybe some vegetarian restaurants should check out Indian cuisine so they understand that vegetarian food does not need to be bland!). The Masala Wala is not just another Indian restaurant in New York City and is worth a visit!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post or the photos, feel free to share it using the toolbar below or to write a comment! 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Benares, Indian Restaurant in NYC, New York

I am a big fan of Baluchi's, an Indian restaurant that serves fantastic and delightfully tasty Indian cuisine. So I was a bit disappointed when I saw that their Midtown location was replaced by Benares, although another Indian restaurant! Baluchi's had this great lunch deal (50% off) and an amazing crab curry that I could have eaten all day (ok, I exaggerate a bit). I heard from a former Baluchi's employee that they simply sold the place, maybe because it was not profitable enough. So, I decided to go to Benares, with an open mind...I went twice in fact!

The decor is totally different: although Balucci's has a more traditional decor, Benares looks more modern. 

There is no more lunch deal, but a buffet instead for close to $13. 

The buffet proposes approx. 9 different dishes, some vegetarian and some not. 

This is what I ate:

Gobi Masala - Cauliflower Curry

Matar Mushroom

Saag Paneer -  a very common dish, I found it a bit overcooked.

Shrimp Moilee - Pretty good with thick sauce that had a nice flavor.

Chicken Tikka Masala - This is the dish I always try in an Indian restaurant. It was just ok for me.

Lamb curry - I'll pass on that one! The curry had a weird taste and the lamb was tough! Not the best part used for sure!

Tandoori Chicken - I liked it! The chicken was well cooked, still moist and not spicy with nice flavors. It is not on the buffet table: they will bring it to your table.

Veggie Pakora - good and crispy, this is a nice appetizer.

Yellow Daal (lentils) - very good: I liked the thickness of it and it was flavorful. Great vegetarian dish.

Gulab Jamun - Gulab Jamun is my favorite dessert! It is a deep fried milk dough that is then immersed in a sugar syrup. At Benares, the consistency was perfect, but it was way too sweet!

Ras Malai - It means literally Juicy Cream. It is a sweet dessert made of cheese balls (to simplify the explanation...) simmered in milk and cream. It was quite good and not too sweet.

Naan bread - they will bring the naan bread to your table. Both times I was at Benares, the bread seemed to have been pre-made: it was a bit hard and dry. 

I was clearly not wowed by Benares and the feedback I received from my colleagues seem to confirm the opinion I have of it. If you want to eat for less than $20 with tax and tip, this is not a bad deal, but do not expect some incredible Indian food: it is just ok and seems to be inconsistent. I wish Baluchi's was still there! Come back!

Enjoy (I barely did)!

  

Press Dinner at Mint, an Indian restaurant in NYC, New York

Recently, I have been invited to a press dinner at Mint, an Indian restaurant from Chef Gary Sikka, located Midtown East. 

So, before you read this post, remember that it was a press dinner, meaning that the restaurant knew I was a blogger. 

I was really excited to go there as I love Indian food! I started to discover it while traveling to...Hong Kong. But, later, I was lucky to be able to go few times in India, in Mumbai and then later across Rajasthan. I know that a lot of people cannot stand the spices, but not me: it is so tasty and there are so many different dishes to discover with a wide range of flavors.

The restaurant is definitely modern with a nice decor from the bar to the dining room. It has a private room that can accommodate approximately 10 people.

Courtesy of Mint

The dining room is very colorful with its drum lamps and Indian paintings, that definitely confirm this place proposes fine dining and is not just casual food.

Courtesy of Mint

The service was very nice and we got taken care of by the "Wine Director" as they called him! He proposed to either choose some dishes from the menu or to let the restaurant pick for us. We chose the latter. I looked at the menu anyway and noticed that they offer a large selection of regional Indian food, with lots of options if you are vegetarian. In fact, if you are, Indian restaurants are great spots to get delicious and flavorful vegetarian dishes!

I started of course with my usual Sweet Lassi.

Lassi is a yogurt based drink, made by mixing yogurt with water and Indian spices. It is a great drink to counteract the fire of spicy food! I was a bit disappointed because the sweet lassi tasted like buttermilk with sugar. 

We started of with the Chilly Fish:

The fish (tilapia) was smothered in a thick sauce full of spices and bell peppers. They told us it was spicy but in fact there was just a nice kick. The fish was a bit crunchy and it kind of reminded me of a General Tso fish, in a way, without the sweetness. The Chilly fish was a fantastic dish and one of my favorites of the dinner!

Then, we got the Chicken Malai Kebab:

It was pieces of chicken marinated in herbs and spices and served with a mint sauce. There was also a nice kick to the dish! The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. Definitely a great appetizer.

The next appetizer was Aloo Methi Tikki:

These are spicy potato (Aloo) and fenugreek cakes seasoned with herbs and spices. In fact it was not the cakes that were spicy, but the onions! I liked it as it was tasty, not heavy and not greasy.

Then came the entrees. First was the Chicken Tikka Masala (cubes of tandoori chicken cooked in a fenugreek tomato sauce).

It had a wonderful color and I just wanted to dive in it! This sauce was so good and creamy! I could have eaten the whole plate of it! Not spicy at all also! This is my test dish whenever I go to an Indian restaurant!

The second entree was Lamb Pasanda (lamb cooked in a cashew sauce):

I did not really like this specialty from Kashmir: the lamb was tough and the sauce was lacking flavors.

Then there was the Saag Paneer (homemade cheese with sauteed spinach):

I have never been a big fan of that dish and the only time I liked it was at India on the Hudson in Hoboken. This one did not change my mind...However, I liked the homemade cheese...

What I surely appreciated was the garlic naan bread!

It was freshly made, fluffy with a bit of butter and did not have too much garlic. Simple but delicious!

Of course, to finish, we had to try traditional Indian desserts. It is interesting to think that a lot of people ignore Indian dessert because they do not think they have some or do not know what they are. For sure, you need to like eating sweet! But there are several desserts that I love eating! On the top is the Gulab Jamun,  deep fried milk dough that is  immersed in a sugar syrup.

It was sweet, but not too much. It had a perfect consistency, not too firm, but not mushy, and was served warm. I inhaled it!

The second dessert is Ras Malai.

It means literally Juicy Cream. It is a sweet dessert made of cheese balls (to simplify the explanation...) simmered in milk and cream. I loved it too! Not too sweet and the cheese balls had a nice texture.

If I were to go back, my meal would be: Chilly fish, Chicken Tikka Masala, Gulab Jamun and garlic Naan. The question is: would I go back? I enjoyed most of the dishes, but expected more as the description of the restaurant was Indian dishes with a modern flair. I wish for instance that there were twists to traditional dishes that are Chicken Tikka Masala or Saag Paneer (a deconstructed version?). So, yes, I would go back, especially to try their weekday $12 buffet, as well as other dishes they are proposing that seem to be delicious (pricier though). And if you are vegetarian, you will surely enjoy the wide selection of vegetarian dishes. 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just Want To Eat!

Delicious dinner at Matt & Meera in Hoboken, NJ - Closed

I guess that if you follow this blog, you realized how much I like Matt & Meera in Hoboken! That place is fantastic and serves an amazing food! So we went back for dinner...again...Yes, I would like to try everything on their menu!

We started off with the spiced meatballs:

Spiced meatballs at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

They are lamb meatballs with a flavor profile similar to the meat samosa, lamb burger or lamb dosa. Don't get me wrong: the fact that there is the same flavor profile in many different dishes is not a problem: it shows the diversity in ways of serving this delicious spiced meat! The sauce, although a bit spicy was the star of the dish: thick, tasty with a hint of spice that builds up little by little in your mouth. They serve it with some naan bread (maybe not enough as I wanted to just get some sauce on the bread and it it, meatless). This was a nice twist on Italian meatballs. 

The next dish was Vietnamese Spring Rolls.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

These are raw spring rolls. They contained tofu, vermicelli and peppers for a bit of crunch. The sauce was raita. It was delicious and fresh!

The last dish was Singapore noodles.

Singapore Noodles at Matt and Meera in Hoboken, New Jersey NJ

This was my least favorite dish so far: not tasty enough; a bit bland.

I have to say that the more I eat at Matt & Meera, the more I like it! Even if I do not like all the dishes!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

Hummus Bowl at the Hummus Bar in Hoboken, NJ

How many hummus joints will open in Hoboken??? Well, after I guess a tough competition, two of them already closed: Ibby's falafel and Maoz. I have been a big fan of Mamoun's falafel and was eager to try his competitor, The Hummus Bar, located not far from it! I was more eager when one of my colleagues, Sonnali, mentioned that she went there and had some Indian flavored dish that was apparently delicious. So I was wondering what the menu would be as I imagined before, that a Hummus Bar would simply serve the traditional Middle Eatsern dishes: hummus, falafel, shawarma...Looking at the menu, I realized that it was not the case and that they showcased some interesting combination: Italian, Indian, Greek...

So we decided to try it. We picked two different Hummus bowls. A Hummus bowl is a the equivalent of a plate rather than a sandwich where the bottom of the plate is spread with hummus (classic, black olive and herbs...). You can even decide to replace the hummus by guacamole (not sure I would try that there) or babaganouj. 

Jodi ordered the Hoboken Hummus Bowl with classic hummus.

 It was made of avocado, chickpeas, fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, olives, cucumber and pineapple. This was delicious and very fresh. But they could have put a bit more salad in the bowl. The pineapple added a nice sweetness to the dish that matched the acidity of the tomatoes. Delish!

On my side, I ordered the Lamb Tikka Hummus Bowl.

It was lamb marinated overnite and grilled with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices. It was good and flavorful but they did not use a great part of the lamb. Tasty though. I noticed that it is off the online menu and that they now serve the chicken tikka: it might be better.

Concerning the star of the bowl, the hummus, I have to say that I loved it: it was creamy and delicious, as good as the one at Mamoun's...

I would probably try something else next time as their menu offers plenty of interesting choices and combinations!

Enjoy (I did)!

South Indian Dosa at Matt & Meera in Hoboken, NJ - Closed

Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

I have already written a post about Matt & Meera, an American-Indian fusion restaurant in Hoboken, NJ. Since they opened, I went few times and I have become a huge fan of this place. So, I was somewhat curious to try their brunch menu!

Jodi and I decided to try the dosa, a lentil crepe from South India. The first time I tried it was many years ago in Mumbai, during the Ganesh festival. The one I had was vegetarian and delicious from what I recall!

Jodi ordered the potato dosa.

Potato dosa at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

When it arrived, it looked fantastic! It was served with some chutney, one of them being the tomato mustard chutney that is amazing! It is certainly a big portion if you compare to the knife and fork on the photo.

Potato dosa at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

But not the entire dosa was filled.

Potato dosa at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

The filling in the potato dosa was very tasteful and a bit spicy, with some nice sweetness added by the onions that were deliciously soft.

I decided to go for the lamb dosa.

Lamb dosa at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

I love lamb and it had the same flavor profile as the samosas or the lamb burger that I still crave! It was packed with spices that exploded in my mouth!

Lamb dosa at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

In this dosa too, they added some onions that added not only sweetness but also texture to the dish. I loved it!!!

Of course, we had to finish with dessert. I was intrigued by their dessert menu as I love Indian desserts! We shared the caramel kulfi, that is a kind of ice cream.

Caramel Kulfi mousse at Matt and Meera Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ New Jersey

It was succulent with an great caramel taste. The texture was denser than ice cream and a perfect way to end the meal!

That was a great brunch and I will definitely try other traditional brunch dishes that I am sure have a nice Indian twist such as the Huevos Rancheros or the steak & Eggs!

Enjoy (I did)!

Matt & Meera, American-Indian restaurant in Hoboken, NJ - Closed

I have discovered this little gem in Hoboken that replaced Kati Roll a month ago: Matt & Meera. At first, we were not sure what we would get there as the name did not really indicate anything in particular. I was not even sure it would be a restaurant! 

We went a first time and it was so good that we came back! The first time, I was lucky to meet one of the owners Chef Hari Nayak who wrote several cookbooks. He told me that the idea was to put together American and Indian cuisine, bring Indian spices and twist to American classics. In fact, the name itself is made of a common name in the US (Matt) and a common name in India (Meera): these people do not exist and only represent the fusion the Chef wanted to create.

I like the place: simple and warm with its bricks and wood.

They have a communal table in the middle of the dining room and a large shelf full of sauces you can purchase. I bought their Habanero mustard and really like it!

The service is fast and courteous. At first, I thought it was a fast food, because you order at the counter, but in fact, they will bring the food at the table, in plates, like in any restaurant. They also pay attention to the presentation as I hope my photos will show!  The nice and sometimes playful plating gives another dimension to this place that you could not have guessed considering the prices displayed on their menu! At the time of this post, the most expensive item on the menu, the soft shell crab sandwich is $9! For sure, not all the items are full plates as the principle is to share, but still!

Looking at the menu, you will definitely recognize some authentic Indian specialties, such as the samosas:

Samosas are crispy turnover filled with this time either potatoes, vegetables or meat. We decided to try these three fillings, but you can pick which one you want. They are served with a tomato mustard chutney.

The potato and the vegetables samosa were delicious, packed with spices! As the vegetables are cut in small pieces and not pureed, you get a different flavor at each bite.

The meat samosa was amazing! The meat was definitely lamb and it was also packed with spices that reminded me of kefta that are meatballs you find in Oriental cuisine. 

This with the delicious tomato mustard chutney was awesome! I also appreciated the fact that the samosas were crispy and not greasy at all! The shell was perfectly cooked and not doughy.

Then we tried the Meera's Chicken TikkaMasala  kebab:

I love chicken Tikka Masala! So I was thrilled to try this! The chicken is pan seared and dipped in tikka masala sauce. It was a bit tough to remove the chicken from the skewer and the sauce was missing some depth. It was just ok for me.

Then we got their most ordered item: the "Naan" Chos.

This is the perfect example of the fusion between American and Indian cuisine. The chips are made of naan and there is some melted masala cheese all over it, with a scoop of cream cheese, some chutneys and some guacamole (for sure the guacamole was not fresh). I thought it was a great idea! The naan chips were crispy and their dryness was complemented by the melted cheese, sour cream and guacamole. The dish had a nice little kick! Overall a great idea.

The second time we went, we ordered again the samosa and I decided to try the lamb burger.

I thought it would be a smaller size burger, but in fact it was pretty big! It came in a metal bucket that gave a nice touch to the presentation. The bread was a soft toasted brioche bread and there was some lettuce, tomato and red onion with the lamb patty.

I asked for the burger to be cooked medium and it came at the perfect temperature! The meat was juicy and very tasty. With the lamb, they put the same spices that gave that particular taste to the meat samosa. There was no need to add any cheese, ketchup or mayo. It was incredibly good!

For one more dollar, we added some homemade crispy masala chips that were the perfect side to the burger.

Jodi ordered one kati roll:

It is like a wrap made with a thin bread that I believe was a roti. She picked the tofu roll. It was pretty tasty and there was a nice eggy taste thanks to the omelet they laid on the roti before rolling it.   

The third time we went, we decided to try more classic dishes to see how the Indian influence translated to.

First were Matt's calamari.

They are crispy calamari served with a mustard tomato chutney. This was delicious: the calamari were perfectly cooked, meaning that they were not rubbery; it was crispy and not greasy with a hint of spices that slowly builds up in the back of your mouth, but is still not strong.

For the spiciness, I went for the grilled chicken wings.

These are red chili wings cooked in a tandoor. If you like spicy, this is definitely for you! Although my mouth was on fire, I loved it! Very tasty. The spiciness hits you right away and the only way to diffuse it is to dip the wings in the sauce they serve it with. Not sure what is was made of, but I certainely could taste some pepper.

The last dish was their naan pizza.

The pizza looked very appetizing and was fantastic! You can even try to make it at home after buying naan bread at the supermarket. Yes, the dough is replaced by some naan bread that is very thin and becomes crispy during the cooking process. They do not put any tomato sauce, just cheese and the different ingredients. I did not really care for the spinach and did not taste the mint at all. However, the flavor of the mushroom and pepper gave some freshness to it. Both were blended with the cheese (I hate when mushrooms are added at the end). Overall very good!

Each times, we got some fantastic dishes at Matt & Meera and we will sure go back there! My only regret is that they do not serve sweet lassi that I love and have no desserts. They do serve mango lassi and a cucumber cooler that I have tried and was delish, but they cannot replace a good sweet lassi! They told me that they will soon start proposing a dinner menu. I will for sure try it!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Curry in a Hurry: please slow down!

I was very excited to go for Indian food in Curry Hill in NYC, New York. I was supposed first to go to a place called Tiffin Walla that proposes small plates. But, when we arrived at the door, we saw the famous or infamous letter B! As I have never been there, did not know anybody who already went and found this restaurant surfing on the internet, we decided not to go. As we were craving Indian food, we looked around and saw a place called Curry in a hurry. We looked at the grade and it was an A. This place is a fast food joint, as indicated by the name. They told us that they have a dining room upstairs where we could also be served. I thought that maybe they had a different menu and wanted to sit comfortably to enjoy what I thought would be an awesome lunch!

They have a big dining room upstairs, but let me tell you: the cleanliness was questionable. We sat to a table next to a big frame showing several photos of Russell Simmons and a typed letter where he praised the food. At first, I did not pay attention, but he mentioned the iced tea (on the photo you can see a bottle of Snapples) and the bottle of water!!! That was so funny!

Anyway, we ordered some food and I ordered a sweet lassi for a drink. I love sweet lassi and if an Indian restaurant does not know how to make it, you can be sure that the cuisine is not going to be good.

Their sweet lassi was perfect! So it was a good start.

We then got some samosas (I cannot believe I forgot to take a photo of it) and a cheese naan. The samosas were cold and a bit bland. The cheese naan was a naan with processed cheese on it! It was not even cooked all the way through.

I went for the combination platter. It came with Chicken Tikka (marinated chunk of chicken that are grilled), Sheek Kebab (lamb skewer), a tomato sauce with spices and rice. 

The lamb skewer was quite good although the spices were kind of overpowering. The chicken was not good at all!  It had a weird taste that had nothing to do with the spices!

The sauce that came with the combination platter was ok, a bit too watery. I guess the only thing I liked was the rice! And the plain naan that came with the platter.

This was a big disappointment! Of course, I did not even entertain the idea of having a dessert there: we ended up at Red Mango...

On top of that, the service was horrible and extremely rude! The waiter burped when bringing the bill! The food took forever to come to our table (I thought it was a fast food!), came cold and was overpriced. Be careful: the prices on the menu are not the ones reflected on the check.
Last, I was sure that this restaurant showed on its window an A grade. But looking at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, it seems that their grade is pending!!! I am finally not surprised as there was no way they could have had an A!

Enjoy (the post only)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Urban Spice - Indian buffet in Iselin, New Jersey

This week, with my colleagues, we decided to eat at Urban Spice, an Indian restaurant located in Iselin.  We went there few times and my friends of Indian origin consider it very good. We always go for their lunch buffet: good price and good food!

The restaurant is pretty nice and I was impressed by the two wooden doors located behind the buffet. The service has always been good and efficient.

The buffet varies and is always composed of:

- a soup

- some vegetarian entrees

- some meat entrees

- a dessert (why only one???)

They also bring some naan at the table.

This time, for the buffet, we got:

Vegetarian Pakora: 

Assorted vegetables dipped in a seasoned gram flour batter that is then deep fried.

Gram flour is a cereale flour made of chickpea also called chickpea flour or garbanzo flour. It is used in vegan cooking to replace eggs.

The pakora were good and not greasy at all.

Dal Makhni:

Black lentils slow cooked, finished with butter and cream.

One of my favorites!!! 

Kadai Paneer:

Cottage cheese sauteed with a julienne of tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.

This was delicious! Creamy and very tasty.

Methi Corn:

Methi is in hindi fenugreek. 

I unfortunately could not find how they made this dish. Too bad, because it was very good! I guess they are using sweet corn, because it had a nice sweetness to it!

Malai Kebab:

I am not sure what spices they put with the chicken, but it was tasty and moist.

Fish Curry:

I believe it was tilapia, prepared with herbs and coconut milk. The sauce was delicious, but I did not really like the fish.

Tandoori Chicken:

Tandoori is cooked in a clay oven. This was good but I hurt my palate with a bone as they cut the drumstick probably with a meat cleaver, leaving some sharp bones. I would have kept the piece whole!

Otherwise, it was good....

The last part of the meal is the dessert! The only regret I have in this place is that they only have one! This time, it was Dubble Ka Mitha, a sort of bread and nuts (I guess cashew) dipped in sweetened milk. If you like sweet desserts, you will like this!

On top of this delicious buffet, they had different "complements" such as raita. This was definitely a feast! If you are in the area, Urban Spice is a good place to go for Indian food (there are several restaurants in the area and an Indian market by the way).

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Bombay West (Hoboken, NJ)

I guess that now you understand that I like Indian food. So here is another experience that could have been great. It was food wise but not in term of service. What I really like with Bombay West is that they serve Thali, that is a selection of different dishes, served in small bowls on a round tray. I had my first Thali in India: it was my very first all vegetarian meal (yes, that's possible) and was all you can eat. I remember that I was drinking Chaas that is a buttermilk drink slightly more liquid than a lassi. It was delicious and I wanted more! In fact I had more as, remember, it was all you can eat!!! 

So I was very excited when I saw the menu of Bombay Palace: different Thali where you pick one entree (vegetarian or chicken or shrimp for instance) and they bring you a Poori that is a fried bread, three appetizers and a dessert. All of this for less than $20. One time, I had the bad idea to ask for a naan bread instead of a poori as I prefer the nan. They did not seem to like it...I finally got a chapati (flatbread). So, I went few times and all the time the same pattern: 

• The manager is not nice with the staff: who do you think you are? Gordon Ramsey? She should also be more welcoming as you have the impression that you are bothering her!
• The food takes a long time. I am wondering if they are not shipping it from India!

Fortunately, the food is good! They always serve you a papadum that is a kind of cracker. Good way to make you wait for your food! Their dahl is delicious, the chicken tikka masala very creamy and flavorful, the Chanaa masala perfect, the naan very good. In term of dessert, the rice pudding is ok; however, the gulab jamun are awesome! So, food good, but the whole experience is spoiled by the bad service! Too bad! 

So if you go to Bombay West, keep in mind that the food is good and imagine you are watching Hell's Kitchen!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Bombay West
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	New Jersey / Indian
	* Street Address
	832 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
	* Phone
	(201) 653-0011

Restaurant Review: Akbar (Edison, New Jersey)

I went to Akbar twice and I have to say that it is quite difficult to find if you do not know it is there! This place is huge! It has three different rooms that can accommodate 600, 110 and 80 guests! The metallic doors to the different rooms are beautiful. The entrance is decorated with amazing stained glass that I think represent Akbar, a Mughal Emperor from the XVI th century. 

They serve a buffet that is pretty good!

There are in fact three areas:

• The main buffet area (photo).
• A table with some appetizers.
• The table for desserts. This one is important of course! Especially knowing that they always serve two desserts: a specialty and an ice cream. Most of the indian buffet I went to only proposed one dessert! That's a plus.

The buffet offers a soup, a salad / fresh vegetables, as well as 5 different dishes. 

The day I went, they had: tandoori chicken (photo 1), Palak Softa (photo 2 - spinach with grated cottage cheese), dahl (photo -3) lentils), Phool Gobi barnasi (photo 4 - cauliflower) and Chana beans poriyal (no photo). It was very good and tasty. All the dishes were very flavorful and all the spices were dancing in my mouth! I only regret that they did not serve another meat like Chicken Tikka Masala that is pretty standard!

With your meal, they will serve some buttered nan (bread) and a dosa, that is like a crepe, that originates from South India. Seeing them making the dosa was interesting! Look at the photo below and you will see how they spread the batter. The result is delicious! 

Last but no least is the dessert: it is called Semiya Keer. It is like a rice pudding but the rice is replaced by angel hair pasta. It was so good that I had two bowl...little bowls...very little....

That was a very good meal at a very good price (less than $9). Definitely worth trying it!

Enjoy (I did)!

Restaurant Review: Baluchi's (New York, NY)

Baluchi's is one of my favorites indian restaurants in the city. Some of my friends from India love it, so I guess it confirms my taste! Not only they have good food, but they also have a good deal for lunch: 50% off! How do they do that? They serve less quantity than for dinner, but it is still a good portion.

What I prefer: crab curry (photo), chicken Tikka Masala or tandoori chicken! The crab curry has so many flavors; I always ask mild as it is spicy. Even like that, it has a nice kick!

They also have a good sweet lassi and great nans (bread)! If you'd like to try different types of nans, try the nan basket!

Enjoy (I did)!

Indian Dessert - Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is my favorite dessert in Indian restaurants and I have to say it is difficult for me not to eat an entire bowl! Gulab Jamun is in fact a dessert in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is a milk ball that is fried and then dipped in a rose flavored sugar syrup. Gulab means "rose" and Jamun is an indian berry similar in color and shape.

You can make Gulab Jamun (there are many recipes available on the net) or buy either Gulab Jamun mix to prepare it or buy already prepared ones in a can. I shop indian is a good marketplace for indian produces if you do not have a store near you.

Enjoy (i do)!