Go Beyond the Butter Chicken Experience at This East Village Indian Restaurant | Eater NY

"Located in the East Village after moving from its homey Queens roots, this earlier Unapologetic Foods restaurant is praised for keeping a tight focus on flavorful regional subcontinent fare that goes well beyond its highly popular, preorder-only $42 butter chicken experience. I’m a big fan of South Asian-cooked brains, and the bheja masala, at $27, mixes goat brain with egg custard into a springy, silky consistency that’s perfect for spreading on the accompanying pao, a Portuguese sweet bread. The ananas paneer tikka, priced at $23, offers thick pineapple and cheese slices with a bit of zippiness, while the $23 bhatti kumbh was a hit with my group: fresh foraged mushrooms are first presented tableside much like fish at an omakase, and then arrive seasoned and cooked to a juicy texture. The Awadhi lamb shank korma at $48 is especially showy, with a server bringing it in a Dutch oven, spooning the meat off the bone, mixing everything together, and leaving the bone behind for added flavor and for anyone who likes gnawing on the clinging meat bits; the creamy $9 dal side is not to be skipped. To drink, the $32 chutney trio provides medium-sized cocktails in playful flavors—tamarind-dark rum, mango-serrano tequila, and onion-dry gin—and you’re encouraged to mix sips with the accompanying snacks. Offerings extend beyond the printed menu through a roaming chaat walla who stops by tables with two snack options, a kulfi pop cart-style dessert service where you choose your dip flavor, and, at the end of the meal, an offering tray of little wrapped Indian candies that appears with the check, all contributing to why it was named Best Comeback in the 2025 Eater Awards." - Nadia Chaudhury