Jenn C.
Yelp
Came here on a Friday evening to celebrate my partner's birthday. We were initially seated at a two-top table along the wall (booth on one side, chairs on the other), but it was pretty tight and I felt uncomfortably close to the other diners on either side of us. I noticed the counter along the back (by the open kitchen) was open, and asked if we could be moved and the hostess was happy to accommodate. We typically enjoy sitting at the "chef's counter" so it was great to experience that here.
Our server, Jeremy, was really friendly and made some great suggestions for cocktails and food. For a party of 2 he recommended one dish from each section (Chakhnas/apps, Small Plates, and Large Plates), which is actually really reasonable.
FOOD:
Papadi chaat ($14) - this was not one of the suggested dishes (Jeremy recommended the burrata salad), and this was the only thing we did not like. I am not familiar with this dish, and from looking at other tables we thought this would be something hot and crispy. It turned out to be a cold dish and more of a creamy consistency, with the exception of the hard cracker layer at the bottom. The flavor profile was not to our taste (really sweet from the tamarind chutney), the masala potatoes reminded me a bit of potato/egg salad, and the bottom layer was really hard and a bit difficult to eat without really digging in with the fork and knife. I found it better, personally, to eat the different layers separately. The portion size was quite large. The size of 3 big twinkies.
Ceviche tadka ($20) - this was a server recommendation, and it was really tasty! I enjoyed all the elements in the dish - especially the cucumber gazpacho (and I normally am not a big fan of cucumber!) We were again impressed by the portion size. The spiced beetroots were nice and almost had a pickled potato vibe.
Awadhi dum biryani ($28) - I ordered this on a friend's suggestion, and we really liked this as well! The rice and goat are cooked in the small dish with some sort of crush on top. The server cut and opened the crust on top tableside, revealing the biryani underneath. This was really flavorful, and comes with a nice raita sauce that has a bit of a kick. Watch out for little bones in the goat. My eyes were larger than my stomach here, we didn't even get halfway through and were both stuffed.
DRINK:
Night Manager ($17) - server recc - really tasty! The coconut water ice cube is a lovely touch.
Calcutta Express ($16) - this was really savory, in a way. strong flavors
Bouza Tannat A6 ($60) - we enjoyed this bottle of red from an unfamiliar varietal. (Note that the menu does contain a few typos, including the year of this vintage)
After dinner drinks:
Kuma Turmeric ($10) - this is a shot of some sort of turmeric liqueur. It smelled very bitter and herbaceous, but actually was pretty sweet and smooth to taste.
Jaan Pan ($9) - wow! This was VERY aromatic. This smelled and tasted just like what I'd imagine perfume/cologne tastes like. Can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing.. Very unique taste and if you are curious I'd give it a try. I would probably enjoy this more in a cocktail, in small amounts.
SERVICE:
I really liked our server, Jeremy, and the items we ordered on his suggestion were on point so I trust his opinion. We sat across from a chef who we chatted with, and turned out he had designed the whole menu! We did mention to him that we were there for my partner's bday, or maybe the server overheard, but they surprised us with a slice of tiramisu with a nice birthday message.
OVERALL:
great experience! Good service, ambiance, food and cocktails. Would come back again to try more