"By the time your server brings out the show-stopping goat dum biryani at Angel, there’s a pretty good chance your party will already be planning a second visit to this Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights. The server cuts open the bread balloon on top of the dish, revealing layers of onions, herbs, rice, and goat. Plumes of smoke appear as they mix it, surfacing more tender goat and smoky spices. You can go ahead and send out those calendar invites now. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte The rice dish, which you can also get vegetarian or with chicken, is the piece de resistance of every meal here. But you can—and should—also get sizzling platters of tandoori meat, buttery garlic naans, and Indo-Chinese chili paneer. (Everything is also halal.) Bring a group so you can try a bunch of food, but know that—to put it bluntly—it can be kind of a pain in the ass to eat here. There are around ten tables crammed into a narrow room that was clearly meant to be a counter spot. Some areas can get inexplicably hot. They do take reservations, but there’s almost always a 15 minute wait anyway. And if you show up without one during peak hours, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes to an hour. Come anyway. That biryani alone is worth the hassle. Food Rundown photo credit: Kate Previte Goat Dum Biryani Get this. We love their tender goat, but you can also get it vegetarian or with chicken. Either way, it’s got a great mix of spices that are spicy enough to make your eyes water if you continue to stare too long. photo credit: Kate Previte Tandoori Chicken We hate to break it to you, but most of the tandoori chicken you’re eating from your Indian takeout spot wasn’t cooked in an actual tandoor. It’s usually regular ol’ roasted chicken, and some places even add red food coloring into the cayenne rub to give it more color. This is not that. All of Angel’s tandoori dishes have that distinctive smoky flavor and charr that you can only get from the real thing, and you can hear it sizzle across the restaurant on its stone platter. And don’t ignore the bed of onions underneath. They’re full of flavor from the chicken drippings. photo credit: Kate Previte Chole Bhatura When it comes to Indian cooking, chole is kidstuff. It’s the finesse with which you fry the bhatura that will make or break this duo. Angel’s bhaturas are still fully puffed up when they arrive at the table. Tear one open and the thick, yeasty bread will deflate so you can use it to scoop up some of the spicy chickpeas. photo credit: Kate Previte Paneer P.B35 This appetizer is Angel’s addicting riff on Paneer 65 and chili paneer, two popular Indo-Chinese dishes. They make their super creamy paneer in house, fry it, and then mix it up with a sticky chili sauce that’s spicy, sweet, and tangy at the same time. photo credit: Kate Previte Fish Amritsari It’s fried fish, with a spicy, almost sour, dry rub on top. We approve. photo credit: Kate Previte Lotus Root Kofta You won’t find slices of lotus root in this creamy tomato-based gravy, but soft squishy balls made with boiled down lotus root. The gravy has some heat, but the lotus root dumplings themselves aren’t too spicy in the center. Of the vegetarian curries, this one is our favorite." - Neha Talreja
