Suvir Saran

Pongal, NYC, NY Lexington Avenue, West side of avenue (between 27/28 Streets) "We went to Pongal. It was wonderful. It's only a few blocks from my house and each time I eat there I am astonished that I don't eat there more often. We had iddly and bhel puri to start and then paper masala with spicy mashed potatoes (potates were delicious), and gulab jamun for dessert. Everything was delicious. We both like chiles, and it felt great having all those hot flavors going on in our mouths." - from Toby's post on the Pongal thread CLICK HERE to read more of her post and also those by others on the Pongal thread.

Brick Lane Curry House, New York BLCH is located on 6th street, towards 1st avenue. "The menu at BLCH is best described as "deceptively short", compared to many Indian menus. There are approximately a dozen apps. and kebabs, plus 8 curries as the main dishes, each available with multiple kinds of meat or veggies." - from Matt Zitos post on the BLCH thread. CLICK HERE to read more of his post and those from others on the BLCH thread.

Dakshin, NYC, NY 741 9th Avenue (50th Street) 212-757-4545 Alert With Spices, as Indian Food Should Be By Eric Asimov $25 AND UNDER NY Times January 24, 2001, Wednesday PERHAPS no other cuisine pays as much attention to spices and seasonings as Indian, and yet so much Indian food in Manhattan is bland, as if it lacked any seasoning. So it was a great pleasure to find lively spicing that was deliciously apparent in more than a few dishes at Dakshin on the Upper East Side, a new sibling of the original Dakshin, at Ninth Avenue and 50th Street. Link to above article from the NY Times To read the thread on Dakshin Click here.

TEASE!

Thanks for all the information BBhasin! Not too boring at all. In fact it was fascinating to read it from the perspective of an owner. And I love the point below. I have always felt that is a quick way of making all your staff aware the need for being very clean. "2. You sincerly do the best you can to maintain an hygenic establishment. I think an exposed or semi exposed kitchen is a great idea as it puts the pressure on all that everthing is visible to the cutomer and they need to do things right."

And in many homes in Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab area, Kasuri Methi (or when methi is available fresh) is added into Saag (in this case that made with spinach). A little of this goes a long way. I use even the dried leaves as a spice to infuse flavor in the oil just as the seeds are used in Southern India. Thanks BBhasin for sharing the story behind the name. I learn something new and wonderful each day. What dish did you all prepare Torakris? What was it called?

Thanks for sharing this tid-bit of information Michael (Pan). I have never been to Madras Cafe. This is in East Village I assume? I know there is one South Indian restaurant in the low teens or even lower on one of the avenues... it could be 2nd Avenue. I have always wanted to try it. Could this be Madras Cafe?

We use sesame oil in India to my knowledge, but not anything similar to Tahini. But who knows... maybe there is a region of India where something similar to tahina is used. Thanks for your great posts on the Indian food you have eaten at the Clay Oven. Have you been back lately? How was the food?

Tamarind, New York City CLICK HERE to read more about this NY Times 2 Star restaurant.

Dimple Chaat House, New York City, NY 30th Street, between Broadway and 5th "Loosen up folks !! That you get a semblence of chaat in NYC, and kosher on top, should be a blessing. Yes, its not Mumbai, or Dilli (just waiting for the fourth city to go native ) and yes, the chaat is made with a gujurati tint.... I still prefer it to anything in the public-transport-accessible tri-state area. The best time of go to Dimple is in the weekends, around noon - You get to chat with the ladies behind the counter and get some tips on where to get hard-to-get ingredients. " -from eGulleteer Anil CLICK HERE to read more about Dimple in NYC and Jackson Heights.

Moghul, Edison, NJ CLICK HERE to read more about this restaurant in Edison, New Jersey.

Hampton Chutney, New York City, NY 68 Prince Street Best Dosa in Manhattan - eGulleteer Suvir Saran CLICK HERE to read more about this restaurant that has a branch in Amagansett, LI as well.

Saffron 338 Bloomfield Ave, Hoboken, NJ (201-892-5854) "The food was very good. I definately recomend checking it out sometime. The prices for the menu dishes also seem reasonable, especially compared to either India on the Hudson or Karma Kafe. They also apparently do delivery themselves, unlike Karma Kafe/India on the Hudson, who do only deliver via the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" delivery service." - from eGulleteer klemmerm CLICK HERE to read more about this restaurant.

Dosa Hut, New York City, NY 102 Lexington Avenue (between 27th and 28th Streets) Phone: 212-725-7466 The take out menu proudly says, "best dosa in New York". CLICK HERE to read more about this Southern Indian restaurant.

Turmerik 141 Souther Murphy Avenue Sunnyvale, CA-94086 408-617-9100 Chef: Arvind Bhargava CLICK HERE for the thread on Turmerik.

Vik's Chaat House, Berkeley, CA 726 Allston Way Between 3rd and 4th 510 644 4421 CLICK HERE to read about Vik's Chaat House and other Bay Area Indian resataurants.

All India Cafe, West LA "If you like Indian food , and want a great place on the west side try All India Cafe on Santa Monica Blvd at Bundy in WLA. its on the second floor. Whats great about this place, is that the food is very fairly priced, and the quality is excellent. If you like good spices and less of the oil this is the place to go.. This is a great place to eat indian food multiple times a week.. I wouldnt call it a place to impress a client or date, but you'll always come back for more." - From eGulleteer bperlow CLICK HERE to read more about All India Cafe and what bperlow and others had to say about this restaurant.

Banjara, New York City, NY First Ave and 6th Street "I went to Banjara tonight, for the first time in several months. It was a date. As far as I'm concerned, the food was the same as ever, i.e. very good, and one helpful thing that was done was to fulfill my date's request to have Chicken Mahkani to be made. The menu offers Dal Makhani but not Chicken Makhani, and the result of the substitution was good." - From eGulleteer Pan CLICK HERE to read more of what Pan has to say and others as well.

Ada, New York City, NY 58th St. between 2nd and 3rd Avenues CLICK HERE to go to the thread about Ada.

Clay Pit, Austin, TX Situated in a landmark building, it offers what many believe to be some of the better rendering of Indian dishes in North America. CLICK HERE to read about our very own eGullet dinner at Clay Pit. You will have to check page 5 onwards of the linked thread.

Rang Mahal, Singapore CLICK HERE to read about Rang Mahal and other Indian restaurants in Singapore.

Just like one would keep Pesto.

Bombay Clay Oven, Denver, CO 165 Steele Street Cherry Creek North 303-377-4454 An imposing facade leaves a lasting impression on most that will drive by this important street. In fact that is exactly what made us go back to it for dinner. The visual impact of the free standing restaurant was enough to leave us wanting to come back to try the restaurant. More attractive than the other Indian restaurants we have visited, Bombay Clay Oven has the best food yet of the restaurants we have visited. I most enjoyed the food coming out in ceramic bowls (nice white ones) instead of the usual (unfortunately all of their charm has died because of the over use in the Sub-Continental restaurants from India in the US and other countries) copper and stainless ones. CLICK HERE For link to the thread on Bombay Clay Oven

Bukhara Grill, NYC (has two locations) 217 E 49th St New York, NY 10017 (Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) and 230 E. 58th Street Between 2nd and 3rd Ave. New York, NY 10022 The management and some of the chefs had worked for years in Bukhara, New Delhi. It is the restaurant that has defined the Indian food movement for the most part across many countries. While Bukhara serves mostly foods from Northern India and that too from the North West Frontier, it has gained immense popularity amongst Indians from many different regions. Link to thread on Bukhara Grill, NYC

Thali Fat Guy had started this thread about Thali What do you all think? Please post about Thali on the link above. Thali is serving some amazing dishes in a very beautiful setting. A grand bank building houses the restaurant. The restaurant has what some find to be a well thought out wine list. The restaurant also has a sommelier. Not many Indian restaurants have one on staff. Peter Beck the chef from Tamarind (NY Times 2 Stars) is the chef at Thali and Hemant Mathur (NY Times 2 Stars) is billed as consultant for Tandoori foods. Our very own prolific Indian forum eGulleteer, Prasad2 is the owner. I have enjoyed 2 meals at Thali. Upon my return, I am hoping to make a trek into CT and try the food again. Click here to check out Thali's website and to see some of what is being cooked in the kitchen. Since we know Prasad2 is the owner, please feel free to question him on here about Thali and any other questions you may have. I am sure Prasad would be happy to share his side of things.