Indian/Pakistani
Tiffin Wallah in Curry Hill
Tiffin Wallah
A couple weeks ago was one of the first times in a while that I went to an Indian restaurant. It’s not that I don’t like the food of my peoples (au contraire, I love), it’s just that I don’t really think about going to a restaurant to getting my hands on some chicken tikka masala. But you know, I live away from home, and (clearly) I don’t make enough time to cook at home. When my friends suggested we get dosas for dinner, I was game for once so we headed over to Tiffin Wallah in “Curry Hill” (that’s a totally non-official name for you non-NY’ers, but it refers to the desi-restaurant laden area of Murray Hill).
Papri chaat
We broke fast with papri chaat (crisp fried dough, chick peas, tamarind sweet yogurt and date chutney) kinda like how I would at home (did I mention I miss home?). My friend Miral ordered some Indian naan-pizza thing which we can’t remember the name for the life of us…I think it was the Chili+Cheese Dosa they have (they say it’s their version of a quesadilla and that sounds about right).
It's like an Indian pizza...
Dosas at Hampton Chutney Co. in Soho
This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to the anything-Hampton:
Hampton Chutney Co.
Inside Hampton Chutney Co.
I’ve always intended to check out Hampton Chutney Co., but I somehow find myself planting myself inside Ruby’s nearby (any excuse I can make for their Blueys sandwich and pumpkin salad I guess). It’s kind of a shame I do that, because the whole area is lined with so many different restaurants. On a recent shopping trip to Soho though, I finally decided to stop in and try some of their dosas (think a rice-and-lentil flour crepe stuffed with savory potatoes and other veggies).
Tandoori Nights in Sacramento
Chicken
Lamb
The first place my dad took me out to eat on a recent visit to Sacramento, CA, was his favorite restaurant in the area, Tandoori Nights.
Noodle Bar in Greenwich Village…Love
There’s nothing I didn’t love about the food we had at Noodle Bar down in Greenwich Village. Their Pan-Asian food is a healthy mix of Thai, Indian, and Korean-inspired (at least by my count). I ordered their Coconut Shrimp dish with spicy flat noodles.
Coconut Shrimp & Spicy Rice Noodle, $11
What I loved about this dish was the jumbo shrimp was covered by a thick fried coconut shell where you can really taste the flavor. The flat noodles were delicious too, not overly-doused in oil.
Otarian – an environmentally-conscious lunch spot
I just recently returned to the green-friendly Hearst building to find a new green-friendly restaurant next door, Otarian. Last week was the first time I actually stopped inside the whimsically decorated restaurant — it’s outfitted in bright woven baskets hanging on the wall and sleek furniture — and looks so clean it makes you feel like you can eat off the floor. I found out later the restaurant, owned by Radhika Oswal, grew out of its London outpost and prides itself on being the world’s first low-carbon restaurant with a vegetarian/fusion menu.
Radhika Oswal (Photo Credit: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times)
Designed to create the smallest carbon footprint possible, all the packaging is compostable and furniture, all recycled. You’ll also be surrounded with enviro-conscious messages (check your napkin, it might read: “Forest area equivalent to the size of Greater New York City is lost every two days due to livestock production”).
Otarian fries and pro-veggie napkin
Homemade Kashmiri food
I learned a few things about Iqbal, my friend Ayesha’s husband, recently when I went over for dinner:
He refers to guys as “blokes.”
He will wake up at 4 am to watch a soccer…I mean…football game.
He knows a lot of random facts about everything in life.
And he can cook up some mean Kashmiri food.
So because I’m invasive like that, I took a few pics, for eye candy purposes. It was SO delish:
Salad starter with mozzarella
