I've been inundated with restaurant recommendation requests recently. Whether for my sister's visit to London or a friend's mother's to New York, it seems I have become some what of a human restaurant guide. To be honest, I enjoy handing them out, so its really not a complaint as much as an observation. In fact, the very point of starting this blog was to share my restaurant experiences with the aim of people trying them out. However, even before the origin of this blog, I was always asked about Indian restaurant recommendations by colleagues and friends alike. While this poses no problem when it comes to London, which has some of my favorite Indian restaurants of all time, they are few and far between in New York. Most Indian restaurants here dollop oodles of cream on practically everything on the menu and seem overly reliant on the popularity of their chicken tikka masala. So anytime a new Indian restaurant opens in New York, I am eager to try it to see if it will break the mold and actually represent the art of good Indian cooking to this city. My uncle had pointed me to an article about the recently opened Junoon, and when RC wanted to get us all out to celebrate our win in the recent Cricket World Cup, it seemed like an ideal location.
And what a location it is. For lack of a better description, the setting at Junoon is simply stunning. Walking in through high glass doors to a cavernous passage, one cannot help but be overcome by the grandeur of the place. The dim lighting, dark wood panels and elegant surroundings could actually make one believe they were walking into a modern Indian palace. Junoon's designers were careful to not fall into the trap of an "overly Indian" setting, which tends to rely more on kitsch than class, but yet maintain a touch of the classic. A couple of beautiful wooden swings in the bar area really make the perfect spot for a pre-dinner drink and one could only hope to spend a couple of evenings there in the presence of someone special. The intricately carved panels in the main dining room also complement the rigid lines of the tables and chairs perfectly and it is hard to not feel enthralled by the atmosphere of the place as one sits down to their table.
Our friends AS and DB were being delayed, so RC, AC and I proceeded to order, hoping that the other two would arrive eventually. The menu at Junoon tries to showcase different styles of Indian cooking - from clay ovens (tandoor) to open fire (sigri) - but most of the vegetarian dishes fall into the curry (handi) category, which is disappointing considering the menu is themed around the various styles. Our party being whittled down for five to three also put a crimp in our ordering ability, but we decided to start out with the "palak patte ki chaat" and the "hyderabadi patthar paneer". Given how hungry we were at the time, we were all thankful that the food came out very promptly and proceeded to dig in. Both plates were beautifully presented, but all the built up excitement pretty much ended there. The spinach leaves were covered in slightly too thick batter, but you could also taste the residual oil on the dish. The yogurt and chutneys were well balanced but the dish could have been so much better if the spinach had been cooked like a good tempura. The paneer was relatively better, with rectangular chunks of cooked cottage cheese marinated in a well spiced sauce. My whole problem with this type of dish, however, is that the pieces of paneer are always too big, resulting in the marinade failing to penetrate to the inside of the dish. Try as one might, bland paneer never sits well on the palate.
AS and DB finally made it in time for the main course, allowing us to expand on our order. The selection of mains was refreshingly different from the standard vegetable fare at Indian restaurants and allowed us to be a little more creative with the ordering. The "saag aur gobi ki bhurji" was one of the best dishes of the night, with spinach and caulifower chopped and tossed with spices to perfection. The "sookhi sabzi" was also excellent, though ironically, it was made fantastic by its tomato gravy - not quite dry cooked, mixed vegetables. The "paneer akbari" again suffered from the problem mentioned above, with no flavor imparted to the paneer, and even the almond sauce was all too watery to showcase the richness that should have been present. Our additional vegetable of "amritsari aloo wadi" held its own, although the lentil dumplings would have really benefited from being crispy and not so tough. However, the highlight of the night by far was the rich and creamy "daal makhani". I'd even go far as to say that it was one of the best daals I have ever eaten - so good that we ended up ordering another one after we had lapped up the first.
The wait staff were very quick in bringing out our additional orders and it was a testament to the excellent service that exists at Junoon. The bar had a fantastic touch where, rather than harass you to open a tab or insist on closing out your check before heading to your table, the bartender simply asked for the name on the reservation to bill the drinks to. Even our main server was fantastic, not blinking an eyelid when our party went from five to three and then back to five again. She was extremely accommodating and was definitely one of the major reasons for a very pleasant dining experience. If I had to pick a fault, it was that the raita we ordered didn't come out in spite of asking for it twice, but it was a small oversight that was easily forgiven given the overall level of service.
Junoon would not be the Indian restaurant I would recommend as my favorite for food in New York - that distinction still lies with Tamarind. It is, however, very hard to find a better setting for Indian food than the one at Junoon. If anything, the roles at the restaurant are almost certainly reversed, with the food the opening act to the main event that is the setting. While the food is definitely worthy of a visit, it is the atmosphere that is the real star. I cannot wait to to return to Junoon to take it all in again.
Junoon is in New York's Flatiron District, on 27 W 24th Street. Expensive. Very Veggie Friendly. Recommended.
junoonnyc.com
Photo Credit: Junoon
Our friends AS and DB were being delayed, so RC, AC and I proceeded to order, hoping that the other two would arrive eventually. The menu at Junoon tries to showcase different styles of Indian cooking - from clay ovens (tandoor) to open fire (sigri) - but most of the vegetarian dishes fall into the curry (handi) category, which is disappointing considering the menu is themed around the various styles. Our party being whittled down for five to three also put a crimp in our ordering ability, but we decided to start out with the "palak patte ki chaat" and the "hyderabadi patthar paneer". Given how hungry we were at the time, we were all thankful that the food came out very promptly and proceeded to dig in. Both plates were beautifully presented, but all the built up excitement pretty much ended there. The spinach leaves were covered in slightly too thick batter, but you could also taste the residual oil on the dish. The yogurt and chutneys were well balanced but the dish could have been so much better if the spinach had been cooked like a good tempura. The paneer was relatively better, with rectangular chunks of cooked cottage cheese marinated in a well spiced sauce. My whole problem with this type of dish, however, is that the pieces of paneer are always too big, resulting in the marinade failing to penetrate to the inside of the dish. Try as one might, bland paneer never sits well on the palate.
Junoon would not be the Indian restaurant I would recommend as my favorite for food in New York - that distinction still lies with Tamarind. It is, however, very hard to find a better setting for Indian food than the one at Junoon. If anything, the roles at the restaurant are almost certainly reversed, with the food the opening act to the main event that is the setting. While the food is definitely worthy of a visit, it is the atmosphere that is the real star. I cannot wait to to return to Junoon to take it all in again.
junoonnyc.com
Photo Credit: Junoon
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