Chola NYC – Restaurant or Pig-Sty?
Say, is Chola NYC on E.58th St in Midtown Manhattan an Indian restaurant or a filthy pig-sty.

Folks, Rats, Mice, Vermin, Sewage and Food Contamination issues are some of the hygiene problems identified by the NYC Health Department on August 26, 2010 at Chola, the flagship Indian restaurant of Bollywood actor Shiva Natarajan in NYC and the favorite of Indian movie stars like Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai.

Do Hollywood stars Harrison Ford and Woody Allen also come to your Rat & Mice place oops Chola, Shiva?

Geez, Harrison Ford and Woody Allen would have a heart attack if only they knew how dirty Chola is!

Chola NYC – Dirty, Really Dirty

Guys, if we’ve said it once we’ve said it a million times – Bollywood actor Shiva Natarajan is irresponsibly careless when it comes to hygiene at his NYC restaurants.

Repeatedly, Shiva’s Indian restaurants get pulled up by the NYC Health Dept. over evidence of rats, mice, roaches and other serious hygiene issues.

Rats, Mice, Vermin, Food Contamination Issues
Hit Shiva Natarajan’s Flagship Chola

In the latest instance, the New York City Department of Health and Hygiene has put out a highly damaging report on Shiva’s Chola Indian restaurant that gives it a massive 40 violation points.

And the report is so damaging that Chola and Shiva Natarajan are both in deep shit.

Here are the Sanitary Violations Highlighted by the NYC Health Dept (Critical violations marked by Health Dept. in Red color):

1) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
2) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
5) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
6) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
7) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
8. Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.   Continue Reading

Tamil Nadu Bhavan (located opposite to Curry Leaf) was a south  Indian vegetarian restaurant  but that positioning couldn’t save it.

Tamil Nadu Bhavan has been gone for more than a year now.

Does anyone even miss it?

Tamil Nadu Bhavan – Gone Baby, Gone

By the way, here’s an excerpt from our review of Tamil Nadu Bhavan:

Clearly, service is non-existent at Tamil Nadu Bhavan. Our rude waiter was completely unschooled in the basics of service and had an irritated look on his face all the time, even while attending to other diners. When two Caucasian diners at a neighboring table, who seemed unfamiliar with South Indian food, asked him what is a dosa – our waiter responded in an irritated tone that dosa is dosa. He just never bothered to explain what a dosa is or the different varieties of dosa served by Tamil Nadu Bhavan.

By this time, we were convinced that our hostile waiter – he with the eye glasses and constipated look on his face – must have served as a guard in one of Stalin’s gulags in cold Siberia.

But if you ignore the rotten service, the food at Tamil Nadu Bhavan is for the most part reasonably good.

Which Indian restaurant in NYC is gonna fail next?

We ask the Indian restaurateurs in NYC – Hey, will your Indian restaurant be the next one to kiss the dust?

Related Stories:
Tamil Nadu Bhavan Review – Lousy Service, Good Food
Tamil Nadu Bhavan Re-opened by NYC Health Dept
Tamil Nadu Bhavan – A NYC Rat Hole

The answer: Really, really low.

Believe us, guys. Believe us.

Shameless Scumbags

First, these Indian restaurants should start hiring real chefs not clueless buffoons who don’t know their way around the kitchen.

Second, scumbags who own restaurants like Baluchi’s (W.56th St) should pay their employees a living wage and stop stealing from diners. Hey, you low-life owner of Baluchi’s why the hell do you impose a gratuity on dining parties of less than four when your menu clearly states in unambiguous language that the 18% gratuity is for parties of four or more. In our lexicon, this is a crooked, disgraceful practice. We are inclined to send a photo of your menu and a copy of our bill to the New York Attorney General’s office to investigate your restaurant for cheating.

Third, wait-staff at Indian restaurants like Baluchi’s (W.56th St) should be taught the basics like providing clean plates, offering knives and forks with the food, refilling water-glasses and stop texting/fiddling with mobile phones in the dining hall.

Trashy Food

From the salty Chicken Curry to the sour Vegetable Jalfrezi to the God-awful Vegetable Biryani… click here to read more

Related Stories:
Baluchi’s Rakesh Aggarwal: A Million $$ Nightmare
Baluchi’s Indian Food has Food Contamination and Plumbing Issues – NYC Health Dept.
Baluchi’s W.56th St Marred by Evidence of Live Roaches, Vermin, Adulterated Food; Fails NYC Health Inspection

Over the years, we’ve watched so many Indian restaurants go out of business in Manhattan.

Not just on Lexington Ave but also in Midtown East, Midtown West, Downtown et al.

They keep failing all over NYC and in Queens and Long Island too.

In our not so humble opinion, Indian restaurants in NYC fail for a variety of reasons:

* Insufferably Bad Food. Most Indian restaurants in NYC serve lousy food and the chefs wouldn’t recognize a good curry if it bit them in the ass.

* Poor hygiene and customer distaste over the dirty establishments.

* Treating Indian customers/diners badly (most Indian restaurants we’ve been to are guilty of this sin).

* Over-priced food/Failure to provide value for money.

* Depressed economy.

* Horrible service.

* Bad management.

* Inability to sustain themselves through the lean periods.

* Lack of advertising and bad business plan.

* Lack of deep pockets.

* Investors bail-out.

* Ad nauseum, ad infinitum.

Hey, the reasons for failure of Indian restaurants are endless.

On this fine blog, we’ll post pictures of Indian restaurants that have gone out of business in New York City over the last few years.

These pictures should serve as a wake-up call to the other Indian restaurateurs who are still in business to get their shit together.

Remember Ada on E.58th St?

Ada (located adjacent to Dawat) was once considered the most sophisticated Indian restaurant around but that reputation couldn’t save it.

Ada has been gone for a few years now.

Did anyone even notice? Does anyone even miss it?

Ada – Gone Baby, Gone

Who’s next?

Which Indian restaurant is gonna fail next?

We ask the Indian restaurateurs in NYC – Hey, will your Indian restaurant be the next one to kiss the dust?

Surya NYC also has evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Surya located at 302 Bleecker St in Manhattan received a whopping 30 Violation Points.

Sanitary Violations observed at Surya during the August 19, 2010 inspection:
(Critical Violations in red color):

*1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4) Facility not vermin proof.  Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
5) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
6) Other general violation.

* Critical Violations are displayed in red color

Surya Indian restaurant Previous NYC Inspection Results:

Date | Violation Points

01/26/2010  – 17
01/05/2010 – 46
11/12/2009 – 30
01/12/2009 – 22
11/20/2008 – 47
01/07/2007  – 21
02/15/2006  – 12

Though Surya Indian restaurant received 30 violation points in August 19, 2010 health inspection, it has yet to go through the NYC Health Dept’s new graded inspection program.

Related Stories:
Surya’s Son Shani at Surya’s Throat
Vermin, Live Mice, Food Contamination Issues Mar Surya NYC; Fails Health Dept. Inspection
Surya – Spoiled Food, Evidence of Rats, Mice, Not Vermin Proof: NYC Health Department
Surya, NYC Review – Lousy Food; So-So Service

Food contact surface at, At Vermilion is not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred, says the NYC Health Department following an inspection on August 12, 2010.

Further, hand washing facility is not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room, hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees is not provided at facility, soap and an acceptable hand-drying device is not provided, according to the NYC Health inspection report.

At Vermilion Indian restaurant received 27 violation points of which food contact surface, hand washing facility and cold food item held above 41º F issues were marked as  critical violations.

Sanitary Violations observed at At Vermilion during the August 12, 2010 inspection
(Critical Violations in red color):

*1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.

2) Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room.

Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility.

Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.

3) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

4) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained;

anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required;

equipment or floor not properly drained;

sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

5) Other general violation.

* Critical Violations are displayed in red color

At Vermilion Indian Restaurant Previous NYC Health Dept. Inspection Results:

Date | Violation Points

12/01/2009  – 13
01/29/2009 – 19

At Vermilion has yet to go through the NYC Health Dept’s new graded inspection program.

Related Stories:
At Vermilion Not Vermin Proof, No Toilet Paper – NYC Health Dept.

When: September 28 – October 9, 2010 @ 8:00 pm; October 3, 2010 @ 3:00 pm

Where: City Center Mainstage
New York City Center,
130 West 56th Street,
New York, NY 10019

Contact:  212-581-1212

When: August 21-22, 2010

Where: The Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY

Contact: 212-288-6400

Filth flies, according to the NYC Health Dept inspection report of August 11, 2010, include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and phorid flies.

Further, food contact surface at Darbar Grill is not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred according to the NYC Health inspection report.

Darbar Grill Indian restaurant received 30 violation points of which presence of filth flies, cold food item and food contact surface issues are marked as  critical violations.

Sanitary Violations observed at Darbar Grill during the August 11, 2010 inspection
(Critical Violations in red color):

*1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
3) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
4) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
5) Single service item reused, improperly stored, dispensed; not used when required.
6) Other general violation.

* Critical Violations are displayed in red color

Darbar Grill Indian Restaurant Previous NYC Health Dept. Inspection Results:

Date | Violation Points

01/06/2010 – 20
12/03/2009 – 60
12/29/2008  –  7

Darbar Grill has yet to go through the NYC Health Dept’s new graded inspection program.

Related Stories:
Darbar Grill’s Food is Adulterated – NYC Health Dept.
Darbar Grill is Dirty; Fails NYC Health Inspection

When: August 8, 2010

Where: Flushing Ganesh Temple Auditorium
45-57 Bowne St
Flushing, NY 11355

Contact: 718-460-8484