Ishq - Review - East Village - New York - The Infatuation
"A massive slab of pink quartz, which serves as both the bar and a large banquet table at Ishq, is the most striking thing at this East Village restaurant, from the chef behind Gazab. If money and space were no object, that bar—approximately the length of three to four parking spots—would be the prominent feature in the apartment of our dreams. Some of the starters command nearly as much attention. We like the bangla kodi—crunchy potato-wrapped chicken bites, as well as the kasundi jheenga, which are grilled shrimp in a sweet and punchy mustard cream sauce. You should also know about the the sharabi chicken tikka, which is set on fire tableside. Does that add anything to the flavor? Not really. Is the dish still worth ordering along with some puffy, crunchy sesame naan? Absolutely. photo credit: Ishq photo credit: Ishq photo credit: Ishq The rest of the food at Ishq doesn’t quite justify overloading the tables here. Those tables are nicely spaced out though, so stop by with a group for some cocktails and starters in the likely event that you don’t want anyone listening in on your conversation. Food Rundown photo credit: Will Hartman Bangla Kodi Crunchy bits of chicken breast wrapped in crispy potato, dunked in a creamy, spicy yogurt sauce. This is great drinking food. Order one and a Pehle App–a citrus and ginger-forward whiskey cocktail that comes with a smoke bubble—while you decide what else you want to get. photo credit: Will Hartman Kasundi Jheenga Five perfectly grilled shrimp swimming in a creamy, slightly sinus-y mustard sauce. Order this. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Lahsooni Oyster Hot oysters are a fickle thing, and they’re not easy to get right. Unfortunately, Ishq’s fall into the miss category. The Amul cheese totally masks the flavor of the oysters themselves. You can skip this. photo credit: Will Hartman Sharabi Chicken Tikka If you’re looking for something to post on Instagram, it should be these chicken thighs. Skewered and served hanging vertically, the tikkas are drenched with Old Monk rum and lit on fire tableside, which does nothing for their flavor. But it’s fun, and the pickled onions it’s served with should be sold on the side for general having-in-your-fridge purposes. photo credit: Will Hartman Ishq Dal-E-Khaas A prime candidate for ordering an extra naan. Get this creamy, homey lentil stew, which gets a tableside drizzle of clarified butter out of a beautiful silver pitcher. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Paneer Laung Latta Layered like a lasagna, this paneer dish does not need to be on your table. The tomato sauce is flat, and the dish doesn’t really come together. photo credit: Alex Staniloff Dum Ka Gosht Though we were looking for more heat here, there's solid flavor in this slow-braised, bone-in goat dish. Just be careful of the small bone bits strewn throughout. Get a naan or a rumali roti to dunk into the gravy." - Will Hartman
