Amma
My favourite Indian restaurants in Manhattan are Chennai Garden and Chinese Mirch. Now I have to add Amma to the list and I'll have to take my parents there whenever they come visit me from Bombay. Located in Midtown East, Amma is a class act as far as Indian restaurants are concerned. The ambience is sophisticated, the service impeccable and the food truly outstanding.
I had dinner last night with a friend visiting from San Francisco. The candle lighting, orange walls and tiny space created a cozy atmosphere that was perfect for a mellow night out when you want to chat more than check out the scene. Chris had been to Amma twice before and so the service we got from Prem, the restaurant manager, was extra special. Prem is a burly chap with oodles of enthusiasm and impressive knowledge about Indian food and wine pairings. He really knew his wine and had a ready recommendation as the perfect pairing for every dish we asked about.
Chris and I shared a bhel puri (of course!) as an appetizer. It was a good blend of crispiness, spiciness, sweetness and tartness from the sev, onions, potatos and the various chutneys. But I have to say that Chennai Garden still holds (for me) the title of best bhel in Manhattan.
I ordered the jackfruit biryani and bhindi ka raita (crispy okra and yogurt salad). Chris opted for the farm raised basil chicken with tomato chutney and lemon rice. We decided to share gobi manchurian which is garlic marinated cauliflower coooked the Indo-Chinese way.
My mouth was literally watering when my plate of steaming, aromatic rice and vegetables arrived along with the yogurt-based side dish. Prem recommended the Zemmer Pinot Grigio 2002 (Alto Adige, Italy) which he felt paired well with the biryani. Between sips of the Pinot Grigio and bites of biryani, I went to heaven and back a few times. I've never really experienced such a fabulous wine and food pairing (I'm vegetarian after all) which is perhaps why I enjoyed the meal so much.
Since it was a regular weekday night, I didn't want to overeat. I'm definitely coming back with Harsha for the vegetarian tasting menu with wine pairing. It looks totally divine:
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
..........
Amma
246 East 51st Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-644-8330
posted by lulu at 10:01 PM
4 Comments:
Yum! That tasting menu looks amazing! And I have to check if we're around on the 11th... we might be seeing Glengarry Glen Ross with Dave's parents, and honestly can't remember if we're going on the 10th or the 11th! Dave's mom is in the UK right now (long funny story for later!) so when she's back we'll ask her. :D
By the way, did you see the emails about the get-together on the 17th?
amma's cooking is always the best and wives don't like it when we say so.i am happy to note that the restaurant has lived up to it's name.
menu looks very enticing and it is a must visit.and surely you must take amma to 'amma' as she is likely to beat me in the mumbai-newyork race.
goodness me- that tasting menu is a vegetarian's dream! how i wish i lived in manhattan!
tanvi,
come visit and i'll take you there!
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