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Gone Baby, Gone 11: Tadka NYC Kisses the Dust

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Nov 252011

Crappy Indian restaurant Tadka NYC on E 53rd St in Midtown Manhattan is the latest NYC desi eatery to shut its doors.

Tadka was part of Bollywood actor Shiva Natarajan’s restaurant chain.

Tadka Indian Cuisine’s web site has a notice that says:

Sorry We are Closed

The irony with Tadka NYC is that even a primary Takeout focus with limited dine-in could not save this Indian restaurant.

What then to think of the fate of all those full fledged NYC Indian restaurants and the ones newly opening.

Yes sir, we visited Tadka NYC and found its food to be mediocre accompanied by lousy desserts and poor service.

Here’s an excerpt from NYIndia’s review of Tadka NYC on E 53rd St:

Tadka gives its older sibling Chola a bad reputation.

…..If Chicken Kali Mirch was disappointing, Bhindi Masala put us in a rage. Bhindi Masala (sauteed okra, onions, bell pepper, tomato and ginger) is hardly an exotic Indian vegetarian dish and can be found at most Indian restaurants. But the inept chefs in Tadka’s kitchen couldn’t get this pedestrian item right. The Bhindi Masala that landed on our table was salty and far too sour to give us any satisfaction.

…..When we tried to order appetizer and desserts, our waiter kept repeating again and again like a parrot that they were not part of the lunch specials even after we told him that we understood that fact. We saw him doing the same with other diners as well. We were also irritated that he got us our check without asking us whether we wanted anything else.

Which NYC Indian restaurant is gonna bite the dust next? Watch this space.

Gone Baby, Gone 10: Chennai Garden Closed

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Oct 022011

Chennai Garden on E 27th St and Lexington Avenue is the latest NYC Indian restaurant to bite the dust.

Folks, these are difficult times for Indian restaurants in NYC.

While some Indian restaurant owners are surviving by handing out tens of thousands of dollars in coupons to pull in customers, others like Chennai Garden are pulling the shutters down for good following the example set by other Lexington Avenue Indian restaurants like Cinnamon, Tamil Nadu Bhavan, Deepam, Diwali, Coconut Grove, Indo Munch, Indowok, Banana Leaf, Masala Bollywood, Yogi’s Kitchen, Bombay Grill and Cardamom.

The irony with Chennai Garden in Murray Hill is that even mostly good Indian food, a $7 lunch buffet and a long business innings could not save this South Indian kosher vegetarian restaurant from becoming the latest prey to the recession.

Folks, we visited Chennai Garden and found its food to be mostly yummy.

Here’s an excerpt from our review of Chennai Garden NYC on E 27th St:

For the most part the food we tasted at Chennai Garden was good with the sole exception of the godawful Pongal.

…Idli was soft, fluffy, hot and tasty. We finished it with mucho gusto.

Medhu Vada was flavorful with Cilantro, green chilli and black pepper seeds seasoning. More than the flavor we were delighted to eat a Vada that was evenly fried without the taste of raw flour inside coming into our mouth.

…the Onion Hot Pepper Utappam was hot and spicy.

Cooked evenly without any traces of raw flour or burnt texture on one side, the Onion Hot Pepper Utappam was a treat.

…A fatal mistake, folks. Instead of a single plate, we should have asked for multiple plates of Badam Halwa. It was that good.

Chennai Garden’s Badam Halwa was medium thick and hot with right proportion of Almonds, Rava, Ghee and Sugar. It was Nirvana redux.

Which NYC Indian restaurant is gonna kiss the dust next?

Gone Baby, Gone 9: Earthen Oven NYC Closed

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Aug 202011

Earthen Oven on W 72nd St. at Columbus Ave in Manhattan is the latest Indian restaurant to give up the ghost.

Earthen Oven’s web site has a notice that says:

Restaurant is Closed for Business

But despair not!

There’s also a note on the site which says that:

Earthen Oven may be serving you from a new location in future

Earthen Oven NYC – Gone Baby Gone

The irony with Earthen Oven is that even Good food and decent service could not save this Indian restaurant. What then to think of the fate of crappy NYC Indian restaurants like Bhojan and Darbar Grill?

Yes sir, we visited Earthen Oven and found its food and service to be good.

Here’s an excerpt from our review of Earthen Oven NYC on W 72nd St:

Earthen Oven is a charming find with fine food and courteous service amid the vast wasteland of bad Indian restaurants dotting New York City.

..But the Earthen Oven Samosas were different. Besides being well cooked, the Vegetable Samosa was spicy as well. The Chicken Samosa was tasty too but a bit on the bland side..

..Tulsi Chicken Tikka (cubes of chicken marinated in fresh basil, coriander and spices) at Earthen Oven was a welcome change from the garish red Tandoori Chicken that we unfailingly encounter at Indian restaurants. This unusual and flavorful entree was a veritable treat.

Kashmir Lamb curry (Lamb Roganjosh) was a dish descended from the very heavens and beyond reproach. Delicious with both rice and Naan bread, the lamb curry was rightly spiced for Indian palates, not a dumbed down impostor meant to curry favor with effete American palates.

While we loved much of the food at Earthen Oven, if pressed we’d confess that our favorite was the Kashmir Lamb. Our mouth still waters at the mere thought of it.

Alu Gobi demonstrated that Earthen Oven’s kitchen was as competent on the vegetable side as it is on the meat side.

We loved the Dal Tadka (yellow lentils cooked with tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric and cilantro) too. Far too often, Dal is inedible – let alone palatable – at most Indian restaurants. Thankfully, Earthen Oven’s Dal turned to be a well cooked and well seasoned dish.

Which NYC Indian restaurant is gonna kiss the dust next?

Gone Baby, Gone 8: Liebe NYC Kisses the Dust

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Aug 112011

Indian Fusion restaurant Liebe on Mott St in NYC seems to have closed its doors.

Why do we say that?

It is because:

1) Liebe’s web site Liebeus.com is giving a “Page Can not be Found” error.

2) Liebe’s Facebook account is no longer working.

3) More importantly when we call the phone number listed for Liebe 212-796-5744 we got the message “Your Call did not go through, please try your call again.”

Not surprising, because the restaurant had a forlorn look and there were no customers except us during our recent visit to Liebe NYC.

The irony with Liebe is even two Groupon deals could not save the restaurant.

Liebe NYC on Mott St – Gone Baby, Gone

Yes sir, Liebe offered a first Groupon around November 14, 2010 and the second one around March 27, 2011.

Liebe dared to be different and steered clear of the Buffets, Chicken Tikka Masalas, Tandoori Chickens, Malai Kofta offered at hordes of NYC Indian restaurants.

Liebe NYC Roll Liebe Roll Unwrapped

It offered gourmet rolls, salads and Kesaria smoothies.

But even with its different positioning of offering fusion cuisine and gourmet rolls Liebe could not survive. Continue reading »

Gone Baby, Gone 7: Sukhadia’s NYC Bites the Dust

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Dec 162010

Gone Baby Gone – Sukhadia’s Gokul

Indian vegetarian restaurant and sweets store Sukhadia’s on W.45th St in NYC has closed its doors.

Not surprising because the restaurant was keeping irregular hours and had a forlorn appearance the last time we were there a few months back.

Based on a prior visit, we did a review of Sukhadia’s.

We didn’t think much of the food or service at Sukhadia’s.

Gone Baby, Gone 6: Cafe Spice University Place

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Oct 202010

Remember Cafe Spice on University Place near Union Square in NYC?

Cafe Spice dared to be different and steered clear of the Buffets offered at a lot of NYC Indian restaurants.

It offered Platters wherein you ordered a vegetarian or non-vegetarian entree and got rice, one naan bread, raita, salad and vegetable of the day on the side.

But even with its different positioning of offering platters, Cafe Spice could not survive.

No Sir No.

Cafe Spice University Place, which opened its doors in 1998, has been gone for more than a year now.

Cafe Spice Union Square – Gone Baby, Gone

By the way, the Cafe Spice outpost in Midtown on West 55th Street has also been closed for a few years now.

Cafe Spice Midtown– Gone Baby, Gone

Does anyone even miss the two Cafe Spice restaurants in Manhattan?

We’ve visited both outposts of Cafe Spice. The W55th St location was the better one of the two.

By the way, here’s an excerpt from our review of Cafe Spice on University Place: Continue reading »

Tabla NYC Closing; Who’s Next?

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Oct 042010

High profile NYC Indian restaurant Tabla will be the latest desi eating house in the Big Apple to join the gone baby, gone club.

After failing to attract sufficient diners to succeed as a business, the 12-year-old Tabla is shutting its doors on December 30.

Bombay/Goa native Floyd Cardoz calls the shots in Tabla’s kitchen.

Here’s what Floyd has to say on Tabla’s impending closing:

While Tabla succeeded so beautifully in so many ways as a restaurant, we regret that it ultimately was not able to succeed as a business. Despite our greatest efforts, its 283 seats have proved too many to sustain for a restaurant with such a special culinary focus.

Tabla NYC – End of the Road

Located at 11 Madison Avenue (adjacent to Madison Square Park), Tabla was more of an upper crust Indian-fusion restaurant than a propah Indian eating place.

No sir, not for the hoi polloi this one.

No Surprise
Well, the writing was always on the wall for Tabla.

Come on, how long can you stay in business when your Chicken Samosa costs $14, Pumpkin Rasam $11, Bhoondi Raita $7, Goan Fish Curry $19 and Tomato Chutney $4.

Read the full post on Tabla’s closing at SearchIndia.com.

Gone Baby, Gone 5: Madras Cafe, 2nd Ave, East Village

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Sep 302010

Remember Madras Cafe on Second Avenue in East Village area of NYC?

Madras Cafe (bet E 5th & E 6th St) was primarily a South Indian vegetarian restaurant with a few North Indian curries on its menu.

But the South Indian vegetarian restaurant positioning couldn’t save it.

No Sir, No.

Madras Cafe has been gone for more than a year now.

Does anyone even miss it?

Madras Cafe – Gone Baby, Gone

By the way, here’s an excerpt from our review of Madras Cafe: Continue reading »

Gone Baby, Gone 4: Indo Munch Lexington Avenue

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Sep 222010

Hello, does anyone now remember Indo Munch on Lexington Avenue in the Murray Hill area of NYC?

Indo Munch (bet 31 & 32 St) was an Indian Chinese restaurant set up by Dinu Mullolli, an ambitious young fella from the South Indian state of Kerala.

With its Indian Chinese cuisine positioning, Indo Munch’s menu included items like Salt & Pepper Gobi, Vegetable Manchurian, Egg-Vegetable Fried Rice, Chilli Vegetable Noodles, Chicken in Hot Garlic, et al.

Initially, the restaurant on Lexington Ave was only a la carte affair. Maybe that wasn’t enough to attract the crowds because Mullolli’s Indo Munch went the buffet route later.

But the restaurant still didn’t last long.

No Sir No. Mullolli pulled the shutters on Indo Munch and started an Indian vegetarian restaurant called Yogi’s Kitchen in the same location.

Indo Munch has been gone for more than a year now.

Does anyone even miss it?

Indo Munch – Gone Baby, Gone

By the way, here’s an excerpt from our review of Indo Munch:

Remind us to buy a hearing aid for our deaf waiter at Indo Munch.

Or maybe we should reserve our contempt for the restaurant’s inconsiderate chef. Continue reading »

Gone Baby, Gone 3: Masala Bollywood Lexington Ave

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Sep 092010

Remember Masala Bollywood, the Indian restaurant on Lexington Avenue in the Curry Hill area of NYC with all those pictures of Bollywood stars festooned in the dining area as well as the rest rooms?

Masala Bollywood (located next to Pongal) had on its menu entrees like Big B’s Vegetable Tandoori, SRK’s Tandoori Chicken, Devgan’s Chicken Tikka, Sholay Lamb Vindaloo, Mangal Pandey Channa Masala, Rang De Basanti Dal Makhani, Bluff Master Chilli Potatoes, Hera Pheri Paneer Dosa etc etc.

Masala Bollywood – Gone Baby, Gone

Alas, neither SRK nor Amitabh Bachchan could save Masala Bollywood. Continue reading »

Older Entries

NYIndia.us Blog

Gone Baby, Gone 11: Tadka NYC Kisses the Dust

Gone Baby, Gone 10: Chennai Garden Closed

Gone Baby, Gone 9: Earthen Oven NYC Closed

Gone Baby, Gone 8: Liebe NYC Kisses the Dust

Gone Baby, Gone 7: Sukhadia’s NYC Bites the Dust

Gone Baby Gone – Sukhadia’s Gokul

Gone Baby, Gone 6: Cafe Spice University Place

Tabla NYC Closing; Who’s Next?

Gone Baby, Gone 5: Madras Cafe, 2nd Ave, East Village

Gone Baby, Gone 4: Indo Munch Lexington Avenue

Gone Baby, Gone 3: Masala Bollywood Lexington Ave

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