"Yes, Dhamaka is technically located in a food hall, but it happens to be one of the best Indian restaurants in the city. This colorful Essex Market restaurant is from the team behind Semma and Adda, and meals here often consist of dishes associated with four or five different regions of India—some of which are virtually impossible to find elsewhere in the city. Try their lamb biryani and the gurda kapoora in a fragrant onion-tomato stew." - bryan kim, kenny yang, carina finn koeppicus, neha talreja, will hartman