Where are the Indian restaurants

[tommyf]

Having just moved over from the UK were the are four of five Indian Restaurants in every town, I am amazed by how few there are in NY state. Manhattan has a fair few but outside this there seem to be be very few. Is this the case or am I looking in the wrong places.

My love of spicy food is massive so if anyone could reccomend any other types of food that they reckon NY does well ( preferably ones that serve beer or wine) I'd be really interested

[Jason Perlow]

The entire town of Iselin and Edison, NJ is one big Indian restaurant.

http://yp.yahoo.com/py/ypResults.py?stp=y&...elin,+NJ+indian

In Manhattan, Diwan and Tabla are your best bets. Ask Suvir Saran about others.

Indian food in the US is not like what it is in the UK. With the exception of NJ, it really hasn't caught on. Our primary take away cuisine is Chinese, not Indian.

[tommyf]

Friday evenings going out for a curry, some poppadums, a few Cobra/Deccan Beers ended with an Irish coffee. This is something I am to have to introduce to the US . It is as we like to say....absolutely pukka!

[Blondie]

It is as we like to say....absolutely pukka!

[alacarte]

Try cruising one of the following (or both!)

Little India: Third Ave between 24th & 32nd Streets (approx.) Some great places on the side streets too.

East Village -- Sixth Street (I think that's the area -- between first & second aves.? maybe someone can give better info than that.)

[alacarte]

...and if you want non-Indian, truly spicy food, I'd suggest finding a good Mexican joint. Los Dos Molinos off of Irving Place might be a good place for you -- it's wa-a-a-y too spicy for me! Their menu says "we don't know what mild is," or something like that.

[tryska]

there's also thai and vietnamese and korean and jamaican.

new york is one of those cities where you can broaden your horizons in every direction imaginable.

[elyse]

East Village -- Sixth Street (I think that's the area -- between first & second aves.? maybe someone can give better info than that.)

This is correct. I love 6th st.

Other tommy, are you in New Jersey, or New York?

[tommyf]

Tommyf is in NY but occaisionaly heads to NJ on business

[elyse]

Neighborhood? Is sixth st. convenient for you?

Not only am I trying to be helpful, I'm trying to be nosey.

Edited August 8, 2003 by elyse (log)

[anil]

Try cruising one of the following (or both!)

......

East Village -- Sixth Street (I think that's the area -- between first & second aves.? maybe someone can give better info than that.)

I would avoid restaurants there. This is a ¨pukka¨suggestion.

[elyse]

Or not.

[Suzanne F]

If you can wait until early September, check out Curry Source at 88 Bergen Street (between Smith and Hoyt Streets, 718-797-9719) in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. (You have to wait because they are closed for vacation the month of August.) It is an Anglo-Indian takeaway shop with the food you might be craving. Very nice people, Gary and Jilly, run it. Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Korma, Prawn Madras, Lamb Vindaloo, Spinach pakora -- pretty basic, quite tasty stuff. Some British products as well, such as Branston Pickle, Twiglets, etc.

[herbacidal]

is most of the indian food in the US punjabi?

don't know much about indian food really, but i understand what we have here it's mostly from the north, with punjabi mentioned most often.

if so, i would expect it to be like chinese food a decade or two ago. cantonese food mostly, with the occasional thing thrown in from other regions of the country.

also, is most of the indian food in the UK punjabi?

[Jason Perlow]

Most of the indian food in the US is moghlai and punjabi. In Jersey, especially in Iselin and Edison, theres a much wider array of stuff, especially for South Indian.

[herbacidal]

Most of the indian food in the US is moghlai and punjabi. In Jersey, especially in Iselin and Edison, theres a much wider array of stuff, especially for South Indian.

what other kinds of indian are there? keralan? if so, what else?

[Jason Perlow]

A lot of kinds, theres a lot of provinces in India. Plus the different ethnic groups. Most of this is not represented in the US or in England, though.

[herbacidal]

A lot of kinds, theres a lot of provinces in India. Plus the different ethnic groups. Most of this is not represented in the US or in England, though.

sorry, that's what i meant. i was wondering what others were available stateside. but you answered it anyway.

i think that's the next 20 years: expanded availability of all the cuisines' regional specialties.

[anil]

is most of the indian food in the US punjabi?

don't know much about indian food really, but i understand what we have here it's mostly from the north, with punjabi mentioned most often.

.........

also, is most of the indian food in the UK punjabi?

I do not know what distinguishes US Punjabi from UK Punjabi ? Much of what we (punjés) eat vary with availability of local produce. In a sense, a typical indian restaurant in NYC will have a mixture of northern cuisine and Avadhi (Mogul ) style cooking. Heavy sauces and cream more prevelant in Lucknow/UP region. With a few dishes labeled vindaloo, a reference to Goa.

Much of punjabi cooking does not involve a lot of spices or gobs of garam masala.

Of the regional cooking styles under-represented in the West are from Gujurat,Maharastra, Bengal, Andhra, Kerela,Kashmir, Rajasthan all of which have different way of preparing the same set of produce. Also imported from elsewhere but assimilated over the centuries is Parsi and Goan/konkan cooking.

A few south indian restaurants have opened in NYC which have begun to get kosher certification to attract a set of clientele that would not have ventured into other indian restaurants that mix meat and milk in their preparations.

A belated Welcome to tommyf

Edited August 10, 2003 by anil (log)

[herbacidal]

I do not know what distinguishes US Punjabi from UK Punjabi ?

I'm sorry, perhaps I was unclear.

I was wondering if the Indian food in the UK was predominantly Punjabi, as Jason indicated that most of the Indian food in the US was predominantly Punjabi and Moghlai.

Also, is Moghlai the same as Mogul/Avadhi style cooking?

[Jason Perlow]

Have a look at these:

http://dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/World_Cuisine...ional_Cuisines/

http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/history/p...people/cuisine/

[anil]

....

Also, is Moghlai the same as Mogul/Avadhi style cooking?

The Mogual influences were reflected in cooking in ancient Avadh as well as Deccan, of which came two popular styles - One in the north: coming out of Lucknow and other from Hyderabad. I may be wrong .....what do I know of history of Food styles eh ?

[Kephas]

No one has mentioned going north of NYC, but White Plains is not that remote from Manhattan or the Bronx even via Metro North. Bengal Tiger has been around for a good number of years and IMHO surpasses what I've tried in Manhattan. Check them out at www.bengaltiger1.com where you'll find reviews and menus with prices as well as descriptions.

[madziast]

brick lane on the dreaded 6th st. is supposed to have some of the hottest food in the city. i believe they actually offer free phaal curry to those who can finish the dish. where is tom steele when you need him, he did an article on it, wait a second, here:

http://eatdrink.timeoutny.com/articles/376...76.eat.feat.php

and no, they just give you free beer if you finish the dish

Jason, I agree that Tabla is fantastic, not very traditional but truly wonderful. What about Tamarind? ate the re once when it first opened and it was ok but ppl keep raving about it...

the cinnamon club from london is supposed to open a new york branch. can't wait, loved the food there

[SobaAddict70]

You might consider checking out places in Jackson Heights, Queens.

And there's also Diwan (the 48th St. location) and Chola (on 57th St.).

Soba