Dhamaka
Indian restaurant · Lower East Side ·
Bold regional Indian cuisine served in a vibrant, lively setting
Bold regional Indian cuisine served in a vibrant, lively setting
"At Dhamaka, another of Chintan Pandya’s restaurants, he has offered feasts of rabbit and lamb that are limited to one order per day and must be ordered ahead because of space and infrastructure constraints." - Bettina Makalintal
"When Dhamaka exploded onto the Lower East Side scene in 2021 I realized Indian dining in the city was entering a new era: restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef Chintan Pandya refused to tone down ingredients or spice—serving unapologetically bold flavors (think goat kidney and testicles, if you dare)—and wrapped in colorful interiors and a banging Bollywood soundtrack, Dhamaka both satisfied Indian diners craving authenticity and pushed everyone else to expand their expectations." - Sarah Khan
"Semma is all booked up. Meanwhile, sister restaurant Dhamaka has tables most days. The restaurant in Essex Market on the Lower East Side serves regional Indian food you won’t find elsewhere, with Restaurant Week options that range from okra in a yogurt gravy to a curry with goat meat and mince." - bryan kim
"One of our favorite good-value Bib Gourmand Indian restaurants, highlighted alongside others in the city plus one that’s just a MetroNorth train ride away." - The MICHELIN Guide
"On the Lower East Side, a dahi wali bhindi (okra in a spicy yogurt sauce, $34) offers a Rajasthani-style twist on okra: the okra was left long and the sauce 'was layered with heat.' The reviewer (from New Delhi) explains that yogurt is used to cool and temper intense spice in Rajasthani cooking; here it provides diffusion and creaminess so that despite the chile heat 'the okra’s sweet and green flavors were not lost while scooped in a fold of paratha.' The dish 'packed a punch,' and the reviewer recommends ordering the nimbu pani (lemonade). Dinner ended with a text to their Punjabi mom: "Okra in a sauce, you won’t believe this." —Henna Bakshi, regional editor, South" - Nat Belkov