Amma

[Suvir Saran]

First Courses and Sides

Appetizers

Bombay Bhel Puri - 6

Spinach Chaat (sprouted mung bean salad) - 6

Goan Shrimp (hot tangy tomato sauce) - 10

Stuffed Chicken Breasts (spicy chicken filling) - 10

Achaari Chicken (tandoor-grilled, pickling spices) - 8

Idly Upma (rice and bean cakes, curry leaves and mustard seeds) - 7

Trio of Samosas (peas, chicken and potatoes) - 9

Trio of Stuffed Vegetables (mushrooms, potatoes, sweet peppers) - 9

Rice

Trio of Southern rices (mint, lemon and tomato) - 8

Jackfruit (kathal) Biryaani (cauliflower, potatoes, whole spices) - 16

Chicken Biryaani (pickling spices) / Lamb Biryaani (oranges and garam masala) - 17

Bread

Naan (plain or garlic) / Roti - 4

Crab Kulcha - 10

Onion Kulcha / Spinach, Peas and Fenugreek Paratha / Potato Paratha - 6

Sides

Daal Makhani (creamy black beans) - 9

Bhindi Ka Raita (crispy okra and yogurt salad) - 5

Basmati Rice (spiced with whole garam masala) - 4

Cumin Scented Potatoes - 6

Amma’s Mixed Green Salad (toasted cumin and balsamic vinaigrette, naan croutons) - 7

Main Courses

Vegetarian

Paneer Kundan Kaaliya (Indian cheese patties, aromatic tomato sauce) - 14

Saag (spinach with paneer or chickpeas) - 12

Bagharey Baingan (stuffed baby eggplant, spicy peanut-curry leaf sauce) - 12

Kararee Bhindi (crispy tangy okra, tomatoes and red onions) - 12

Laukee Ke Kofte (zucchini dumplings, aromatic tomato gravy) - 14

Manchurian Cauliflower (garlic marinated cauliflower, Indo-Chinese style) - 14

Dum Aloo (braised baby potatoes, onion-tomato sauce) - 14

Seafood

Parsi Halibut “Paatra Ni Machi” (mint coconut chutney, lemon rice)- 23

Malabar Salmon (spicy tomato chutney, Southern Indian potatoes) - 25

Whole Tandoor Grilled Pomfret (pompano, eggplant pickle) - 26

Tandoori Prawns (jumbo Sri Lankan shrimp, mint rice) - 26

Chicken

Farm Raised Madras Chicken (Malabar pepper sauce)- 20

Butter Chicken (chicken tikka masala) - 18

Tandoor Grilled, Farm Raised Basil Chicken (tomato chutney, lemon rice) - 22

Tandoor Stuffed Chicken Legs (zarda pilaf, eggplant pickle) - 21

Lamb

Tandoor Grilled Lamb Chops (sweet & sour pear chutney, curry leaf potatoes) - 28

Apricot Stuffed Lamb Fillets (fennel- apricot stuffing, aromatic sauce, lemon rice) - 24

Paalak Kaa Keema (minced lamb, spinach and mint)- 19

Gilafi Seekh Kabab (tandoor grilled lamb sausages, cased in sweet peppers)- 20

Chefs Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran

[Suvir Saran]

7 Course Tasting Menu

Bombay Bhel Puri

rice puffs, cilantro, red onions, mint and tamarind chutneys, potatoes

____________

Crispy Fried Spinach

mung beans, potatoes, onions, tamarind and mint chutneys

____________

Pea Stuffed Samosa & Stuffed Mushroom

Ginger-cilantro peas in pastry, cheese-chile stuffed mushrooms

____________

Tandoori Shrimp

Sri Lankan jumbo shrimp, hung yogurt marinade, crispy okra

Tandoori Stuffed Chicken

chicken breasts, spicy chicken stuffing

____________

Manchurian Cauliflower

garlic marinated cauliflower, Indo-Chinese style

Malabar Salmon

spicy tomato chutney, Southern Indian potatoes

or

Parsi Halibut “Paatra Ni Machi”

mint coconut chutney, lemon rice

____________

Tandoor Grilled Lamb Chops

sweet & sour pear chutney, curry leaf potatoes, jackfruit biryaani

____________

Mango Cheesecake

or

Kulfi (Indian ice cream) with Citrus Soup

____________

Fifty Dollars

Eighty-Five Dollars with Wine Pairing

Chefs Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran

[Suvir Saran]

7 Course Vegetarian Tasting Menu

Bombay Bhel Puri

rice puffs, cilantro, red onions, mint and tamarind chutneys, potatoes

____________

Crispy Fried Spinach

mung beans, potatoes, onions, tamarind and mint chutneys

____________

Pea Stuffed Samosa & Stuffed Mushroom

ginger-cilantro peas in pastry, cheese-chile stuffed mushrooms

____________

Idly Upma

rice and bean dumplings, curry leaves and mustard seeds

____________

Manchurian Cauliflower

garlic marinated cauliflower, Indo-Chinese style

Crispy Okra

red onions, tomatoes, chaat masala

Laukee Ke Kofte

zucchini dumplings, aromatic tomato gravy

____________

Jackfruit (kathal) Biryaani

cauliflower,potatoes, whole spices

Bhindi Ka Raita

crispy okra and yogurt salad

____________

Mango Cheesecake

or

Kulfi (Indian ice cream) with Citrus Soup

____________

Fifty Dollars

Eighty-Five Dollars with Wine Pairing

Chefs Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran

[Pumpkin Lover]

::claps hands to cheeks::

Thank you, Suvir!! This looks fantastic! - Jayanthi

[tanabutler]

Food is essential.  And I was lucky to have it both for nourishment and as a thought provoking feast.  I know I was in a much better place than millions far less fortunate. I never forget that, and this knowledge, always leaves me  thanking life and all that it brought into mine.

There will be a website, and I shall give you all a link. Sorry that I cannot give you that tonight.  I have posted above menus for you.

I am no Steven Shaw, SuzanneF, Jaymes, Aurora, Maggiethecat or Steve Klc, words are not what make me able, my apologies if I have represented myself and more importantly Hemant in verbal inadequacy.  If you give us a chance at Amma, I shall ensure you enjoy food as we do.  And perhaps, you will enjoy what we enjoy.  And that will make us really happy.

Oh, Suvir, I am so overjoyed to read this news. I have been absolutely buried in work and avoiding poking around eGullet with the abandon I had when I first wandered into its halls. (That to explain why I am little on the boards lately.)

I am going to bring my salwar kameez and dupatta to New York and visit Amma, if I stay in the city. (I am not clear on my plans yet.)

You know that I wish you enormous success so that your light might continue to shine.

Namasté, my friend.

P. S. Your writing is elegant and beautiful. It is unseemly to apologize for it, unless that is just a cultural thing like the Japanese bowing. Then I would understand.

Edited October 3, 2003 by tanabutler (log)

[Suvir Saran]

::claps hands to cheeks::

Thank you, Suvir!! This looks fantastic! - Jayanthi

You are most kind.

[Suvir Saran]

tana, we look forward to seeing you at Amma.

[anil]

The Tasting menu is a bit Rich and Heavy.

[tommy]

The Tasting menu is a bit Rich and Heavy.

you went already!

[anil]

The Tasting menu is a bit Rich and Heavy.

you went already!

Hmm !! Wait patiently ....

[tommy]

The Tasting menu is a bit Rich and Heavy.

you went already!

Hmm !! Wait patiently ....

from your comment, i figured you had the tasting already.

the place is much smaller than diwan, that's for sure. my lunch the other day was very very good. and, of course, suvir, hemant, and team are gracious hosts. i'm looking forward to them sorting out all of their wines.

[anil]

from your comment, i figured you had the tasting already.

That and then some. Till I bring all the folks who I care about (in small groups), to taste @ Amma, I'll refrain from commenting

[Pan]

Till I bring all the folks who I care about (in small groups), to taste @ Amma, I'll refrain from commenting 

Why?

[anil]

After having eaten at Amma more than a couple of times in the past two weeks - I have to reluctantly say -

Salmon Malabar was amongst the very ... [use your own superlatives ] except for the added dollop of dosa-style-potato-filling sides. In India, many places are known for one or two entrees, which are their signature dishes e.g Motimahal's Butter Chicken; Sweet's Corner's Chole Bhature, Bade Mian's Boti-Kebabs -- This could be Amma's IT thing IMHO.

Three Samosa Appetisers The Chutneys were heavenly. but a Punj can not really accept a bong-style singaras called samosas - OK

Mango martini ??, Mango Cosmo, Rose Lassi all very delicious and inviting.

Tasting Menu - A Lassi followed by the non-vegetarian tasting menu is a formula for trouble (At least for my size and appetite, those who have seen me know I cannot eat big or many macho portions ) Imagine just taking a bite from the piece of lamb and just a spoon of mango cheesecake and reluctantly letting it all go waste

Butter Chicken was rich and tad off the mark (But hey ! as a kid I had one made by Nehru's travelling personal chef, as well as at MotiMahal and India House in LON, So I'm being more discerning)

Patra ni Maachi made in the same style and substance as in now defunct Pondicherry

Bhelpuri - Even though it was good, I'll take Auntie servings @ Dimple for now, thankyou,

I ate much more than I want to talk about, but hey I dragged folks from 68th-69th& Park Ave. just for a lunch break the other day without having a negative flaq

More as I work through the menu [bTW the material the menu is printed on is the same material as a wedding invitation I received around the same time... hmmmm...]

Edited October 18, 2003 by anil (log)

[hitchmeer]

What a treat it was to visit Amma this past weekend and meet Suvir Saran. I'm fairly new both to the eGullet message boards as well as Indian cuisine. I've been a bread baker in St. Paul, MN for the last four years and only started exploring Indian cooking with my friend Rick this year. I naturally was interested in learning about making various Indian breads - this is how I discovered eGullet and met Suvir on the Indian message board. Over the last four months, Suvir has not only shared many of his excellent recipes with me, but also his exemplary knowledge and passion for this cuisine. Once I heard that Suvir (along with Hemant Mathur) was one of the new chefs at Amma, I took advantage of a free weekend and flew to New York to visit good friends and take them to the restaurant.

When I met Suvir the day before my friends and I dined at Amma, I discovered that he was as charming and charismatic in person as he was in his posts. As we shared recipes and ideas on bread baking and Indian cooking, I asked him what he thought we should order; he suggested we each try the seven course tasting menu for $50.

We arrived at Amma at 7pm Friday night, little suspecting that we would spend over four hours savoring one of the best meals we had ever eaten. The whole evening was an event. The ambience of the restaurant, the attentive staff and the frequent visits by Suvir himself all played into our enjoyment of the evening.

The tasting menu was amazing. Each dish served to us contained the layers of flavor that I've come to know and love in Indian cooking, but was unlike any other Indian food I'd encountered before. We began with Bhel Puri - the tasty Bombay street food made with puffed rice (or Rice Krispies as Suvir jokingly told us) and cilantro. This was a great teaser for the rest of the meal to come. Each subsequent course that was set before us built beautifully on the previous course and took us to a deeper level of euphoria (the excellent wine suggestions by Amma's friendly sommelier Bikky Sharma didn't hurt either). The crispy okra served with the Tandoori Shrimp and Tandoori Stuffed Chicken nearly sent us to the floor, curled up in a state of pure delight.

One of the highlights for me was the Parsi Halibut. The fish was delicate and light, but richly flavored with a coconut chutney. The timing of each course was perfect, taking us right to the edge before giving us a little space before the next course. We ended our meal with a cloud-like Mango Cheesecake, Kulfi and some excellent port.

I cannot think of a better way to have spent $100.00 on myself. Amma created a wonderfully indulgent atmosphere in which to enjoy a great meal in the company of old and new friends.

Do try and get to Amma if you can. It is not to be missed! I found their website today. Check it out at: www.ammanyc.com

Thanks again Suvir for a great weekend!

Matthew in Minnesota

[rozrapp]

Matthew, What a coincidence! My husband and I were also at Amma on Friday evening, having arrived a bit before you at 6:30. And we had the same tasting menu (there is also a vegetarian tasting available), and our reactions were much like yours as we savored each course.

The mix of textures and flavors in the Bhei Puri was quite extraordinary. There was some spice to it, but not in the least overpowering as can happen when spice is handled by a less sure hand. The same can be said of the Crispy Fried Spinach.

Another course, the small samosa stuffed with ginger-cilantro peas was state-of-the-art, and the cheese-chile stuffed mushroom (I think it was deep-fried) was a little ball packed full of lip-smacking flavors.

I have never before eaten okra and have heard bad things about it, so when I saw it listed, I thought to myself, "Uh-oh! What am I in for?" Well, I needn’t have worried as it was, in a word, heavenly! This preparation reminded me of the deep-fried leeks that sometimes accompany French dishes. But the okra flavor was refreshingly different.

My husband and I shared the salmon and the halibut. While salmon is one of my favorites, and the tomato chutney and potato accompaniments were tasty, I actually preferred the halibut, which was brilliantly paired with delicious coconut chutney and lemon rice.

The lamb chops were oh, so succulent! -- a tribute to Hemant's prowess as a master of the tandoor. As for the mango cheesecake, this creamy, smooth, light as a feather dessert is not to be missed.

My only “complaint,” if it could be called that, is that I found some of the courses a tad large for a tasting menu. But my guess is that others with larger appetites would not find this a problem.

The presentation at Amma is akin to plating at the finest upscale restaurants, very appealing to the eye.

I do not drink wine, but my husband was pleased with the wine pairings.

The small dining room is quite attractive with lovely peach-colored walls and a very soothing ambiance. Lighting is low enough for atmosphere, but high enough so that one need not reach for a flashlight in order to read the menu. There is a banquette along two walls, and we were seated at a comfortable table there. Service was perfection personified – friendly and discreet. Wines were poured in a timely manner, and water glasses were kept filled.

The restaurant is at the 2nd Ave. end of 51st St. Some people who arrived were a bit confused as to the location of the entry. It’s up the stairs, into the building, and the door (covered on the inside with a pretty, full-length white curtain) is on the left.

I had very much been looking forward to meeting Suvir. He is a thoroughly charming and thoughtful man -- the perfect host, circulating around the dining room, making certain that all his "guests" were well taken care of. He stopped at our table many times, and our conversations with him added immeasurable pleasure to our evening. We also had the opportunity to meet Hemant, a lovely, very self-effacing gentleman.

When I asked Suvir about Amma's web site, he told me that it wasn't quite ready yet, so I'm pleased to see that it is now up and running.

Amma

We are planning to dine again at Amma in a few weeks. Suvir has assured us that there will then be new treats in store since he and Hemant will be making changes to the menu on a regular basis.

I strongly urge all eGulleteers to go and experience the finest Indian cuisine unlike any you have ever tasted.

[hitchmeer]

Matthew, What a coincidence!  My husband and I were also at Amma on Friday evening, having arrived a bit before you at 6:30.  And we had the same tasting menu (there is also a vegetarian tasting available), and our reactions were much like yours as we savored each course.

Rozrapp (I'm sorry; I don't know your real name!):

That is indeed a coincidence! We (there were three of us) were seated in the front corner to the right of the window. Perhaps you saw us.

Thank you for your take on the meal - you described it much more aptly than I could. I am so glad that you and your husband enjoyed your meal as well. Perhaps the next time I'm in New York we'll actually meet at Amma!

I find myself still basking in the memory of such an eventful meal. "Babette's Feast" has nothing on this (and I'm Danish)!

Matthew in Minnesota

[Pan]

Roz, in my experience, Indians' take on how to cook okra is very different from Cajun style. Cajun style emphasizes the mucilagenity (?) of the vegetable (e.g., by using it in gumbo), and Indian okra dishes tend to minimize that property.

[rozrapp]

Matthew, What a coincidence!  My husband and I were also at Amma on Friday evening, having arrived a bit before you at 6:30.  And we had the same tasting menu (there is also a vegetarian tasting available), and our reactions were much like yours as we savored each course.

Rozrapp (I'm sorry; I don't know your real name!):

That is indeed a coincidence! We (there were three of us) were seated in the front corner to the right of the window. Perhaps you saw us.

Thank you for your take on the meal - you described it much more aptly than I could. I am so glad that you and your husband enjoyed your meal as well. Perhaps the next time I'm in New York we'll actually meet at Amma!

I find myself still basking in the memory of such an eventful meal. "Babette's Feast" has nothing on this (and I'm Danish)!

Matthew in Minnesota

Matthew, As you can see by Pan's post, it's Roz.

I'm a people watcher in restaurants and do recall 3 people arriving and being seated where you said you were sitting.

Frankly, I thought you did a superb job with your descriptions. So good, in fact, that I was almost tempted not to go into much detail. Fortunately, there were a few items and areas that you didn't discuss, so at least that left me some room to maneuver.

[rozrapp]

Roz, in my experience, Indians' take on how to cook okra is very different from Cajun style. Cajun style emphasizes the mucilagenity (?) of the vegetable (e.g., by using it in gumbo), and Indian okra dishes tend to minimize that property.

Pan, Well, then, since mucilaginous (That's the correct word. I looked it up to be sure. ) okra would probably not appeal to me, I'm all for Indian-style minimization!

[hitchmeer]

Roz:

Thanks for the kind words. I think between the two of us, we're getting the word out. I hope that more people will write of their impressions of Amma on this site. I'd love to hear about others' experiences. I'm encouraging my parents to take a mini trip to the city from their temporary home in Vermont to savor the delicacies of Suvir and Hemant's cooking at Amma.

Cheers,

Matthew in Minnesota

[Suvir Saran]

Anil, Hitchmeer and Rozrapp, thanks for sharing your impressions about the meal at Amma on eGullet.

We are a small restaurant. We have a great deal of business without even the slightest of effort. It is a great boon for a restaurant to be in that situation, for the opposite would really hurt.

I have always felt that at Amma, the worst of my fears is to have to let customers go without getting a seat. We are getting there unfortunately. The community of people that enjoy food and new restaurants, is even more incestuous than I thought... through the most powerful of all tools, word of mouth, and certainly the mighty pen of Gael Greene (NY Magazine) and the powerful announcement from Florence Fabrikant (NY Times), we have had little if any space each night. People are coming back for trying dishes they could not in their first or second visits. Others are coming back to try the vegetarian tasting menu after having had the non-vegetarian.... and so forth.

We have had some come to us from eGullet, that have come back several times... some are lurkers that are not comfortable posting.... others members that have divided their time between this site and others.... they all leave us with impressions in person and through their following visits and through email.

Amma like any other restaurant, is hardly above flaws of its own. We have our own fair share... and we learn from our mistakes... and we only hope we can continue to do so.

Hemant and I feel plenty lucky to have your support and patronage and attention... and will continue to work hard to create menus that replace this one as seasons change that shall inspire you to come back for another tasting.

About portions, we have guests that come to try the tasting menu that have not eaten much in anticipation... they go back happy and not too full.... we have had those that found it filling and only enough to notice it but not uncomfortably so... and then we have those that have found it a tad much and some that could use much less.... Anju, the owner of the restaurant, and also the lady with the magical decorative sense, encourages us to always be generous rather than cheap. And I cannot agree more with her. One can always leave some... but it would be a sad loss for a restaurant and an embarrassment for its chefs if a guest were still hungry after a multi-course tasting menu.

Our portions are small and we cannot make the portions any more so without making them all about finger foods coming out in 7 courses. I hope you can forgive us for making you too full.

I am already thinking of what shall go on the next menu... if any of you have items you think we ought to share with the world of Indian food lovers in NYC... that are never seen in restaurants here, please email me... and I shall be glad to experiment with those dishes... and if we can cook them as well as what we have tasted of them in India, you should rest assured that we shall place them on our next menu.

Thanks for your time in writing these kind posts.

Edited October 23, 2003 by Suvir Saran (log)

[tanabutler]

Suvir, forgive me for just getting around to posting this. I have a few photos of our glorious visit to Amma a couple of weeks ago, but I can't find the power cord to my laptop, and that's where they are stored, along with some of my notes about the meal.

So my account will be truncated, but our joy was not.

I had the good fortune (and I mean good fortune) to come to New York for the weekend of October 10-13. Having become pleasant acquaintances with Suvir in the short time I've been at eGullet, I let him know when I made my reservations that I hoped we could meet. In the meantime, he went and opened this restaurant. In the meantime, the word was getting out about how wonderful Amma is.

I have to preface this with the reason for my trip to NYC. I was going to attend (and photograph) a large dinner at the new Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, in Westchester County, on Sunday, in association with the Outstanding in the Field farm dinners (based here in Santa Cruz) and Blue Hill restaurant (the guest chefs for this dinner). Because I would be meeting the chefs on Sunday, I thought it a good idea to have dinner there on Saturday. So I made reservations for 8 PM on Saturday evening.

My friends (Betsy, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and her daughter, Laura, an artist and graduate of Bard) and I arrived earlier than Suvir had expected us on Saturday...he'd made me promise to save room for "an appetizer and a glass of wine." My first impression of Amma is "utterly gorgeous." The warm golden tones of the walls and the lighting are not only sensual but flattering. (This gal will take all the flattering she can get!) The view is sweet—just another NYC street, but a nice one. The décor is unusual (darn my dead laptop) with original artworks on the walls. And I loved the chandelier. None of that affects how the food tastes, except that it does, if you know what I mean. It is a very lovely room in every aspect.

While we waited for Suvir, the staff (including the wonderful Bikky, Amma's sommelier) attended to our every need. And then some. (Alas, a family emergency kept Suvir from arriving, for which I am deeply sorry—both for his family and because I wanted to meet my eGullet friend who writes so elegantly.)

So....did I say "one appetizer"? Apparently the counting system in India is different than in America. Maybe they use base-4 or something. I think something like ten plates of food came out of the kitchen, along with Hemant, the chef. (His wife and their beautiful baby girl were there that night, as well.)

The stand-outs were:

Bombay Bhel Puri: rice puffs, cilantro, red onions, mint and tamarind chutneys, potatoes

(The mint in this dish is so bright, and the chutneys equally so, in a different direction—it is perfectly balanced, and completely delicious. Please come to my house and make a truckload of this for me. Please. Someone. I nominate Suvir)

Crispy Fried Spinach: mung beans, potatoes, onions, tamarind and mint chutneys

(Again, an intensely flavorful dish, each bite of which was compelling, as my mouth tried to trace flavors...until I just gave up and threw myself into the wonder of this food)

Idly Upma: rice and bean cakes, curry leaves and mustard seeds

(This delicate dish balanced the stronger-flavored ones. It gave our tastebuds a rest from the spices, and yet its spices were no less distinct)

Jackfruit (kathal) Biryaani: cauliflower, potatoes, whole spices

(I had never had Jackfruit...I cannot wait to have it again)

Two words: Mango Cheesecake! !

We also shared samosas and some other dishes, and I cannot remember their Indian names. Every dish was just perfect, and none of us had ever had better Indian food—or in fact, any food—in our lives. This food is a fine ambassador for India, Suvir.

From there, we had to waddle downtown to dinner at Blue Hill (I swear, it was like an "I Love Lucy" episode). All I want to share about that (I wrote up the meal elsethread) is that I believe the wine I ordered at Blue Hill would be a fantastic match with Indian food. Please tell Bikky to get his hands on some of the Austrian "Gruner Veltliner." This is a luscious, minerally, strong-bodied white wine that is remarkable. I first had it in January at Farallon in San Francisco. I had requested an "unusual" white wine. When I came back from that dinner, I Googled "gruner veltliner" and found an article that began, "I am drinking rocks." It's so crisp and fresh, like mountain air. Betsy and I both thought, as we tasted it, that it would go exceedingly well with the dishes we had enjoyed at Amma.

I'm sorry that I don't know the label we had; it's not on the Blue Hill website. I will e-mail Pam Walton, their wine person, and see what I can learn.

Conclusion: one of the finest dining experiences for all three of us. Put yourselves in the chef's hands and thank your lucky stars for Amma.

Now, to find my power cord.

[tanabutler]

I heard from the wine director at Blue Hill. She says, "That bottle of wine you had is one of my favorites. It's called the Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner. It's from the Steinsetz vineyard and the vintage is 2002. If it helps I buy it from my Skurnik rep."

(She said I could share this with you, and agreed with the idea of the wine pairing well.)

[Suvir Saran]

Tana, it is 4:00 AM in NYC... it has been a long day, night and now early morning... I read your post... thanks! You are most kind. I was sorry to not have been able to meet you... this has been a tragic year for the family in many ways.. and yet full of hope and promise in other ways. Nothing one should complain about... but certain emergencies demand my presence, and that was one of them. My loss, that I was unable to meet you. Thanks for being so kind nonetheless.

Amma is a small restaurant, but we (Hemant, Anju the owner, our sommelier Bikky and our team or front and kitchen servers and employees and myself) at Amma, take our restaurant seriously and understand acutely what a burden we carry on our shoulder. Whilst eGullet has been largely unaware of Amma, we have had a great deal of interest generated by word of mouth and the power of the written words of the likes of Gael Greene and Florence Fabrikant. Amma could not ask for more.. and could not be more busy. We enjoy our friends from eGullet, and it gives Hemant and I and our team great joy to do all we can to recognize you all for your special place in our lives and that of Amma. It is encouraging at the very least to find generosity of time in posts on this thread. And each post has left us with great hope for only improving our efforts to enrich further what we share with our diners.

If you can find the photographs you took at Amma, I am sure all of us at Amma would enjoy seeing them. Please come back to NYC.... and I shall hope I can see you..and make up for the last no show.