Surya G.
Yelp
Gulaabo is a new regional Indian addition to the theater district that many of us anticipated and welcomed. My first visit was great, a work dinner that yielded good surprises including the Amritsari fish (flaky, dry, perfectly cooked, deep flavors), Pind da chooza aka butter chicken aka chicken tikka masala (moist boneless chicken, deep, fiery gravy) and the gol guppas (too few puris for paani, chutney and filling, but good tastes). For about $175 for two adults it was a solid 8/10 meal and ok value for money especially for the location.
A few weeks later things have gone downhill. The same dishes are lifeless and completely changed. Amritsari fish now looks and tastes like fish fingers. Pind da chooza has little flavor in the meat or sauce, and they were clearly cooked apart. Gol guppa pooris were rancid (old oil) and the green paani tastes like preservatives. Even the cocktails have gone south in taste and presentation. To add insult to injury is a standard 20% tip for 5, and menu prices have shot up in the intervening weeks. For our party of three adults and three kids this turned out to be a $400 bill. Did not want to stiff the attentive waitstaff so I added $25 to the inflated $375 restaurant bill.
Haute Indian is here to stay in the city thanks to Unapologetic Foods - Dhamaka, Semma, Adda etc. There's a reason those restaurants command their lofty prices with a James Beard, Michelin star and consistent, searing flavor profiles in tow. Unfortunately Gulaabo has none, and it charges more. Asking customers to pay $10 for a bottle of water, $16 for two naans and $40 for four pieces of fried dough with some condensed milk (Gulaab jamun with rabdi) was insulting. Hope you can fix this Gulaabo, and bring back your chef from last month! Disappointed in Harlem.