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These 'interactive' theme restaurants/bars are popular in Japan. I guess the Japanese restauranteurs are bringing some of the flair stateside.

Has anyone been? Looking for a reservation number or website to the restaurant. Not sure how it compares to the best Japanese restaurants in the city, but I hear it's as pricey as Megu.

As an Amritsari removed, the 'Amritsar Street Food' article brings back wonderful memories. As my grandparents still have a 'koti' in the Old City ('shaar' as Amrtisaris call it), I've navigated the labryinth of streets eating the best kulchas and drinking the best coma-inducing lassis. I have to agree with mongo here. Having eaten 'bhutta' in both places, the best 'bhutta' is in Punjab. They grow it Punjab for goodness sakes!

Thanks Suvir. Unfortunately no commercial opportunities nor for any restaurant, just inquisitive.

in New York

What brand of Indian condiments do you use? Sauces, chutneys, pickles. Is Patak's the best brand?

Bikky is well versed in his wines. He definitely deserves kudos.

founder of Best Cellars, a great wine store: Best Cellars

One other interesting concept I would add to the list is Tiffinbites (http://www.tiffinbites.com/index.htm) . It's a quick-service restaurant specializing in takeout Indian food. I think there are now three locations in London. The two founders previously worked for a retail chain. Very ingenious in applying retail skills to the food business.

I've heard good things about Mint Leaf in Suffolk Place. The kitchen is run by an ex-Cinnamon Club chef. It opened this past July.

I've always enjoyed eating some of the more exotic fruits at my grandmother's house in Amritsar--pomegranates, my favorite hands down. She's always creative in making fruit chaats--bananas, oranges, apples, guava,and pomegranates. I think that's what turned me on to raw food in Indian cuisine. It was usually a mix of my favorite fruits and just a little of her own blend of "kaala mirch', black salt. I bring a large tin of the black salt upon every visit. I use it on everything. Very similar to chaat masala but a little more peppery.

I was reading a review of Charlie Trotters book Raw and thought it would be interesting to hear ideas on how you would make a "raw" Indian dish. Charlie Trotter defines raw as "using the best possible ingredients at the height of their seasons, and not adulterating their flavors." All the dishes are prepared with basic techniques--juicing, dehydrating, and slicing preserving all the nutritional value avoiding the enzyme-rupturing process that intense heat induces. what would be best ingredients? would you incorporate lots of spices to make a "raw" dish Indian? what would be the quintessential ingredient to a "raw" Indian dish?

to get a good idea of the scope of beers sold you should go to Bierkraft in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Richard Sholz, the owner, has compiled a menu of about 650 beers that run the gambit of flavors. some pair very well with indian food. it's one of the best places to experiment and try new beers in nyc.

Many of the people posting on the India forum have a connection to India whether it's their ethnicty or country of residence. Thus, they have a greater understanding of the food they in Indian restaurants and the how food in India is eaten. As for bhel phuri, I as an Indian know it as a cheaply priced street side snack along with many other posters here. On the flip side, my American friends have no clue it's considered street food but know it as some sort of Indian salad, justifying the price depending on the level of dining the restaurant provides. An "American" metaphor to bhel is the burger. It should cost no more than $3-$4. But, at DB Bistro, a Daniel Boulud's restaurant in NYC, he serves a dressed-up burger upwards of $40. The point is price and perception all depends on the eyes of the beholder.

Good work Suvir and Hemant. Your educate us of the unchartered territory of Indian cuisine in the US.

I agree with you here. There are a plethora of Belgian beers you can pair with Indian food. Since almost every town has had its own brewery for centuries, there is a wide range of flavor profiles. I'll look up some of my favorites from my travels through Belgium.

Thanks P2, this is a great survey of varietals and regions from which to develop an Indian-friendly wine menu. At Thali does Raju suggest any unique, non-traditional pairings to guests? What do you thing about the sparkling wines and champagne? What main course items would you pair them with on your menu or any menu?

Suvir, ever seriously think of doing a restaurant to add another dimension of the cook book?

Episure, I agree with you restauranteur friends not only with the tasting menu but even in reading a menu. When looking at a menu there are strategic positions for sections with in a menu and dishes within a section. There are menu analysis studies that prove the first 2 items and the last item are most remembered. This should be quiete transparent with a tasting menu as well.

When you think about the origin of Indian classical music, it boils down to the basic of idea of expressing an emotion or state of mind. The composer/musician wants the listener to feel what he felt in creating the piece of music. Indian food is the same way. Among all the climates and cultures on the Indian subcontinent Indians tend to eat certain dishes in certain seasons because of the dishes evoke a certain comfort. For example, as a young kid visiting my grandparents in the Amritsari winters, I remember sitting wrapped up in my grandfather's shawl while I ate a steaming bowl of kirchidi (sp?). The dish was a very heavy winter time dish. It evoked a comforting feeling just as the chef intended. Opposed to summer month instead of drinking water I would always drink a more refreshing cold glass of nimboo pani (lemonade). I do think there is a seasonal approach to cooking in India no matter if it's in the North, South or Central India, yet much of the understanding comes from the consumer of the dish or as in Suvir's comparison, the listener of the music.

TonyFinch- Well said. Your observations ring true. When cuisines travel across cultures and oceans, the cuisine always evolves evidenced by not only Indian cuisines but also every other.

Great! I look forward to hearing how Raju constructed the wine list.

Pairing wine and Indian cuisine is something I want to get a better understanding of. Nowadays, in planning a restaurant it's a prerequisite to have a strong wine menu to match the concept. What types of wines complement the intense flavors of Indian food best? What should a diner consider when choosing a wine to drink if the menu consisted of dosas? briyanis? an accopaniment to an achars? chaats? indian desserts? Hopefully, some of the wine-expert egulleters will chime in on how to pair the two!

Having a tasting menu has always been a standard at upscale restaurants. Now casual restaurants are treading into the same waters to offer a sense of refinement to their menu while preserving the casual price points. If you were to create a five course tasting menu, what would your menu be? What would you take into consideration? Is there a progression of particular textures, richness of dishes? Does the season matter for a casual restaurant? How would you build a meal from a succession of small plates?

Suvir is definitely a consensus all star. Kudos to him for the respect he commands among the posters and many others who recognize his talents. What are some of the great breeding grounds for Indian chefs? Why do the Taj and Oberoi hotel groups consistently produce top chefs?