"This Union Square spot (from the team behind Laut) doesn’t hold back. Everything from the slow-cooked beef encrusted with spices to the sweet and salty duck with curls of coconut packs a level of flavor that feels unfair to other restaurants. The menu is mostly coastal South Indian, although the chef is from Mumbai, so it makes sense that not everything stays on theme. Even with its chandeliers and neon accents, the room feels casual, but don’t let that throw you off. This is a special place." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus, sonal shah