Moti Mahal Delux

"Sean Gupta, Media Executive, Professor Columbia University  “One of my favorite Indian restaurants in NYC is Moti Mahal at 63rd and 1st. I am lucky enough to live next door! The original Moti Mahal was founded in 1947 in Punjab and is one of the most famous and historic in India and the NYC version is a Michelin star-winning adaptation of the original restaurant. I didn’t know that people from all over the city came to my neighborhood for this hot spot!”" - jess basser sanders

"Moti Mahal Delux is the first US franchise of a massive restaurant chain originating from New Delhi. The Moti Mahal name is world-renowned for a few signature dishes from the Mughlai cuisine of India, including some of the best tandoori chicken you can find anywhere in the world. And thanks to a guy who owns a few other Indian restaurants in town, you can now find it on the Upper East Side. This location of Moti Mahal Delux opened in July of 2012, and they’ve already bagged a two-star review in the New York Times and built a loyal following among the Indian food enthusiasts in town. We recently checked out Moti Mahal Deluxe for dinner, and despite not knowing much about the intricacies of Indian dining, we do know one thing - this place is really, really good. As a matter of fact, this might have been the best Indian food I’ve had in New York, and even though I don’t eat it all the time, I do have functioning taste buds. Plus, we clearly aren’t the only people that feel this way. The dining room at Moti Mahal is packed every night. As we mentioned, there are some signature dishes here that you absolutely must order, but it’s a huge menu, and you probably can’t tackle them all in one sitting unless you’re eating with a really big group. We’ll cover some of the can’t-miss items in the Food Rundown below, but our best recommendation is to follow the advice of your waiter and come here a few times to try different things. I’d love to say that we’ll be coming back often, but we’ve got a lot more ground to cover when it comes to Indian food in New York. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in Curry Hill for the next few months. Food Rundown Bunni Chat Skewers with pineapple, peppers, and sweet potato. They’re sweet and savory and really delicious. You want some. Murgh Tandoori There are plenty of good appetizers to get into on the Moti Mahal menu, but we dove right into the good stuff from the tandoor oven. This tandoori chicken is one of the legendary items associated with this restaurant’s name, and we have to say it’s probably the best we’ve ever had. The chicken is perfectly cooked, and the spices are balanced so that you don’t get overwhelmed by them. This is an absolute must order. Burrah Kebab A plate of tender and delicious lamb chops from the clay oven. The dry heat puts a nice char on the edges, but the meat is falling of the bone and is soft and delicious like a tasty pillow made from baby animal meat. So good. Murgh Makhani Yet another famous item from the Moti Mahal empire, this butter chicken is rich and amazing, and it needs to be on your table. Dal Makhani So, being that we are students of language, we’ve now picked up on the fact that the word “makhani” must mean shtload of butter” in the Indian language. The Dal Makhani is a bowl of lentils with lots of butter stirred in, and it tastes very good. It’s also probably terrible for you, but that’s never stopped us before. MMD Signature Masala There are a few options when it comes to masala at Moti Mahal Delux, including chicken, shrimp, crab, and brain. We don’t get down on brain (what happens when you eat thoughts?), but we did order the chicken variety and loved it. We hear the crab masala is pretty incredible too. Lemon Rice This rice has curry leaves and lemon in it, but it doesn’t come across as terribly lemony. It’s nice and mild, and the presence of mustard seeds also adds a nice little crunch to the mix. Get it, and mix it up with the other stuff on your plate." - Chris Stang

"This is the first US location of a chain originating in New Delhi, and they're known for incredible murgh makhani butter chicken. The dish is cooked in a clay oven and so rich that you may need to lie down later. Moti Mahal Delux has a loyal following, so the casual dining room tends to be packed. Bring a date or a small group to share crab masala and the aforementioned poultry star." - willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman, sonal shah

"Their Northern-leaning cuisine traces back to the kitchens of the Mughal Empire." - MICHELIN Guide

"This corner spot marks the first American location of a popular dining chain that began in Delhi and now boasts outposts throughout India. Here in NYC, Moti Mahal Delux offers two distinct seating areas: an earth-toned dining room and windowed sidewalk atrium.Their Northern-leaning cuisine traces back to the kitchens of the Mughal Empire, which brought Muslim influences to the Indian subcontinent. Lunch is limited, while dinner is more rewarding, featuring tandoori preparations like anardana tikka—grilled chicken infused with a pomegranate and black pepper marinade. Delightful flavors abound through the brick-red mutton curry with spiced tomato, onion and ginger; paratha dusted with dried mint; as well as the mustard seed- and curry leaf-infused lemon rice." - Michelin Inspector