Indian Restaurants

[Pan]

Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY has been mentioned in a bunch of threads but has never exactly had its own thread. What are we going to do about that? It's the best Indian restaurant I've eaten in so far in the 5 boroughs of New York.

[anil]

In GIG

Natraj

Rua General San Martin, 1219

Rio de Janeiro

Tel.: 2239-4745

I've written about this in the Best meal thread. Located in the residential neighborhood of Leblon.

[anil]

In NYC

el Nidos

314 w 52nd St.

New York, NY 10019

Tel: 265 7777

There is a brief discussion about this thread

[Malik]

In London

Zaika

Kensington High Street

London W8 5SF

I second that recommendation. I had a meal in Zaika in December 2001 (I know, it's been a little while) which was one of the top two Indian meals I've had outside of India. Our favorites of the night were the "NARIYAL JHINGA / Coconut Prawn Masala" and the "MACHLI BIRYANI / Crusted Fish Biryani" (that night's special entree), along with the chocolate samosas dessert. Also went to Tamarind on that trip, good restaurant, but much more classical in style and less inventive.

Edited May 15, 2003 by Malik (log)

[Malik]

Vancouver

Vij's

1480 West 11th Avenue

Vancouver, BC

(604) 736 6664

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this restaurant yet. Vij's was the site of my other top Indian meal outside of India. Wonderful host, great food, modern but unmistakenly Indian, not fusion. Favorite dish was the Lamb Popsicles. This thread talks about Vij's in some detail.

[Malik]

San Francisco Bay Area

Not a great place for Indian food, surprising given the Indian population in the Bay Area. My top three:

1) Shalimar: Hole in the wall, order at the counter, no tablecloth type of place. Original is in the Tenderloin (on Jones between Geary and O'Farrell), they have two more outlets in SF and one in Fremont now. The food is very good if simple Pakistani/North Indian style. Everything from the tandoor is great, and the lamb and goat curries are also very good. No biryanis, vegetarian dishes are uneven.

2) Vik's Chaat House: I miss the early days when it was just a small little counter at the back of the grocery store, it's not quite as good since the expansion. They only serve chaat, no full meals, and close very early (7pm). If you're willing to brave the crowds and fight for a table, go on the weekend as they have some non-vegetarian items, like Chicken Kati Kabab. Zero atmosphere: it's in a big warehouse, you order at the counter, the food is served on paper plates, and they call your name when it's ready.

3) Chaat Cafe: Original is in Fremont, and they've since opened outlets in Berkeley and San Francisco (the latter is just one week old). Order at the counter place also, but nicer decor/atmosphere than the above two. The chaat dishes are good, as are a lot of the curries (fish curry being my favorite). They also have some Indian style wraps, I find them bland but they have quite a few fans.

We have a bunch of traditional "tandoori mixed grill & chicken tikka masala" type of restaurants, not very different or inventive, but they serve decent fares. A couple worth mentioning would be Indian Oven in San Francisco and Amber India in Mountain View. On the other hand, thumbs down to Breads of India in Berkeley, it gets mentioned a lot, but I find the food incredibly bland and boring, as do many of my friends.

We also have a few South Indian restaurants, mostly in the South Bay, but I haven't been to any so I can't comment. Finally, I should mention Turmerik in Sunnyvale, which Suvir posted on above, our only venue for high end Indian cuisine. I was disappointed the one time I ate there, but it was only one visit, I need to give it a second chance.

[prasad2]

In London

Cinnamon Club

I personally have not been to Cinnanon Club but had the pleasure of meeting owner Iqbal Wahhab at Thali in New Canaan, CT. Cinnamon club is expected to come soon to NY City.

The Cinnamon Club adds a new dimension to the London social and dining environment. In a Grade II listed building, we offer an all day bar, a private members bar, a restaurant for 200 diners and art exhibitions.

Now open for breakfast

"If you really want cutting edge curry, visit Iqbal Wahhab's superb restaurant The Cinnamon Club and re-educate your palate" - Evening Standard

"The sandalwood chicken is set to be a smash hit...heavenly" - Daily Telegraph

"A symbol for London dining today.... the most distinctive new restaurant here" - New York Times

"A magnificent obsession known as the Cinnamon Club" - Financial Times

"The Cinnamon Club is a class act" - ES Magazine

[Suvir Saran]

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.

[Suvir Saran]

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.

[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.

[Suvir Saran]

Nirvana, Central Park South, NYC, NY

Nirvana was the first multi-starred restaurant in NYC. It was the highest rated Indian restaurant in the 70s.

The Beatles and Ravi Shankar called it their haunt in NYC.

The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden was the idea of the owner of Nirvana and he introduced Ravi Shankar to George Harrison at Nirvana.

It is under re-construction as I write this. Maybe the menu will get updated and the decor too. Nirvana has great potential and certainly a stellar location. Only if it can come back to the glory of its past, and be connected to the times of today.

CLICK HERE for an old thread on Nirvana.

[Suvir Saran]

Bombay Club, DC

Click here to see the thread about this restaurant.

[Suvir Saran]

Grameen

75-18 37th Avenue,

Jackson Heights, NY

718-505-4083

Click Here to go to the thread on Grameen.

[Suvir Saran]

Mirchi

29 Seventh Avenue South (Bedford and 7th)

212-414-0931

"When it first opened, we went there probably the third day - Boy was it hot !!!, kind-of-burned my stomach linings. Then I re-visited it a few months back - After we had had a few doubles,  and a local pub. The food seemsed milder, then I visited sober, and indeed they had toned it down. The barkeep was from Argentina - EZE, and the wait person, was from Portugal - LIS."

- From Anil's post on the Mirchi thread

Click Here to read more about Mirchi.

And click here for more on Mirchi.

[Suvir Saran]

Kinara, Mela, Namaskar, Maharani and others in New Jersey

"Actually, I felt that Maharani (in Fort Lee) had a better lunch buffet, in terms of selection. But what Kinara had was quality. Namaskaar in Paramus is also pretty good."

- From Jason Perlow on the thread about Kinara and lunch

Click Here to read more about these restaurants.

or

Here, for another thread about Kinara (more attention to dinner).

[Suvir Saran]

Royal Palace, Mont Clair, New Jersey

Click Here to read more about this restaurant and also others.

[prasad2]

Veeraswamy / Chutney Mary London

The legendary Veeraswamy was refashioned in October 1997 by Namita Panjabi and Ranjit Mathrani creators of Chutney Mary, shortly after they acquired it. This reincarnation has won much praise from guests and critics.

The leading London lifestyle weekly Time Out has given it the Award of Best Indian Restaurant. Veeraswamy has joined Chutney Mary as the other leading restaurant combining good real Indian food with style.

History

Veeraswamy is the oldest Indian surviving restaurant in the U.K, and possibly the world.

It was established 76 years ago at the same site by the great grandson of an English General, and an Indian princess. The restaurant has been the rendezvous of rich, famous, and fashionable lovers of Indian food. Customers included Edward - Prince of Wales, King Gustav of Sweden, Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Charlie Chaplin, King Hussein of Jordan, and Marlon Brando.

Reincarnation

By the time Namita and Ranjit purchased Veeraswamy in 1997, it had lost its lustre. They therefore decided to reincarnate it, to bring out the essence of India in a contemporary environment, and not to be fixed in a nostalgic past.

The restaurant is designed vibrantly in a contemporary style, with lacquered walls of South Indian colours of purple, gold, orange, green and yellow, bold design, and creative use of glass, chrome and gold leaf that add sparkle. The atmosphere is smart and casual.

It is the ideal location for visitors to London in the heart of the West End - close to theatre land, fashionable shopping areas, and the rest of the entertainment district. It is also the perfect lunch venue with a light airy room located on the first floor overlooking the buzz of Regent Street.

Why New Veeraswamy is different

The menu is drawn from the cuisines of Northern and Southern India, prepared by a team of regional specialist chefs recruited directly from India, each producing their own specialities. The lunch menu has been specially devised to focus on light lunch dishes.

The other distinguishing features, which it shares with Chutney Mary (click The Creators for details) are food rarely found in restaurants even in India; dishes prepared authentically and freshly - as in Indian homes; great attention to food presentation; and wines which complement individual dishes.

Visit Us

Please visit our other pages to learn more about us. Click here for reservations. Contact us to join our mailing list which entitles you to free champagne at your next meal; or to tell us about your last meal.

for latest events, news and our special offers.

Veeraswamy, Mezzanine Floor, Victory House

99 Regent Street, London W1B 4RS

(entrance on Swallow Street)

tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 1401, fax: +44 (0) 20 7439 8434

email: info@realindianfood.com

[prasad2]

Click Here

Address La Porte des Indes

32 Bryanston Street

W1H 7EG

tel (020) 7224 0055

fax (020) 7224 1144

[BBhasin]

In the washington DC area

Bombay Curry Company

3110 Mount Vernon Avenue,

Alexandria, VA 22305

(703) 836-6363

Cannot miss this opportunity to add my place! It looks pretty fancy in the website ( we just painted and changed the decor around so the website needs to be modified) but its positioned as a small neighborhood eatery, 44 seats, with vinyl tablecloths. It is a clean modest establishment with value oriented pricing. The menu is divided almost 50-50 into the usual butter chicken, rogan josh comfort foods and other stuff we picked up, like pathar kabab ( Frontier restaurant, Ashok hotel, new delhi ), Chooza kabab from the Madhuban in the now closed Akbar in New Delhi, the Fish Curry which started out as Goan but changed dramatically to its current popular style thanks mostly to requests for modification by the patrons.

We have been lucky to be positively noticed by the press on numerous occasions. Two of my most priced reviews are

1. Tom Sietsema ( currently with the washington Post) mentioned us in his last article in sidewalk.com as one of the two Indian places he would visit( in the DC metro area) if was dining on his own money.

2. being listed among the top 40 Washington area Restaurants For Value by subscribers of Checkbook and Consumer reports.

www.bombaycurrycompany.com for more info, directions etc.

We look forward to serving you soon

Bhasin

[Suvir Saran]

In the washington DC area

Bombay Curry Company

3110 Mount Vernon Avenue,

Alexandria, VA 22305

(703) 836-6363

Cannot miss this opportunity to add my place! It looks pretty fancy in the website ( we just painted and changed the decor around so the website needs to be modified) but its positioned as a small neighborhood eatery, 44 seats, with vinyl tablecloths. It is a clean modest establishment with value oriented pricing. The menu is divided almost 50-50 into the usual butter chicken, rogan josh comfort foods and other stuff we picked up, like pathar kabab ( Frontier restaurant, Ashok hotel, new delhi ), Chooza kabab from the Madhuban in the now closed Akbar in New Delhi, the Fish Curry which started out as Goan but changed dramatically to its current popular style thanks mostly to requests for modification by the patrons.

We have been lucky to be positively noticed by the press on numerous occasions. Two of my most priced reviews are

1. Tom Sietsema ( currently with the washington Post) mentioned us in his last article in sidewalk.com as one of the two Indian places he would visit( in the DC metro area) if was dining on his own money.

2. being listed among the top 40 Washington area Restaurants For Value by subscribers of Checkbook and Consumer reports.

www.bombaycurrycompany.com for more info, directions etc.

We look forward to serving you soon

Bhasin

Thanks for adding your restaurants information Bhasin. When in DC, I now know another place where I need to go.

[anil]

Veda

8 Arbuthnot Rd, Central

HongKong

Click Here for more details. I totally forgot about this till yesterday, when cleaning old stuff I found the information.

Edited May 31, 2003 by anil (log)

[Pan]

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.

Brick Lane and several other Indian restaurants are also mentioned in this thread:

"Need help with finding places to eat"

Be prepared to scroll down a bit.

Edited May 31, 2003 by Pan (log)

[Vinitas]

Metro DC

Indique - sorry keeps getting better and better....my 2nd meal there in three days was fabulous.

Saran Foods- (but only the Aloo Tikki Chaat - best I have ever had)

Vinita

[Monica Bhide]

Indique - sorry keeps getting better and better....my 2nd meal there in three days was fabulous.

I love Indique too. Why the "sorry"?

[Vinitas]

Monica -

I guess the "sorry" is because I have been reading some not so good reviews, Tom Siestma wasn't a huge fan and there has been some buzz in his chats lately.

I on the other hand adore that place. A nice change, excellent food, and service (which is usually bad at indian restaurants) is excellent.

Have you ventured to Saran Foods yet to try the Aloo Tikki Chaat? I just discovered this sight and love reading your posts.

Thanks.

V