Peachy Picks Andaz Authentic Indian Cuisine Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner of Andaz, Kunwar Bist, with his Executive Chef, Mannual from Calcutta, India
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It is not easy to find good Indian cuisine in Manhattan! A place we like that you should try is Andaz Authentic Indian Cuisine by our friend Kumar Bist, who has now earned a spot in Peachy's Picks.
Andaz has previously been featured twice in Terrific Takeout:
They are not kidding when they say authentic; everyone involved as far as we can tell is from India, and the third time's a charm. When Peachy lived in Ireland/England, she began to learn the beauty of Indian food (no one we know eats curry in Connecticut!) and of course you know they are fascinated with it because India was colonized by the English, just like America. You'll remember previously on Whom You Know, India Hicks was featured as a Mover and Shaker, and she's probably our most well-read India feature:
We love that she wanted to be interviewed in 2009 before Peachy was on Twitter and we've worked with Crabtree and Evelyn continuously since 2009 also, which not too many brands can say! India's grandparents were the last viceroys of India, hence her name.
You know Peachy Deegan loves a nice red Italian at dinner but her English friend straightened her out and told her that at Indian restaurants, it is better to try an Indian beer. He was right because Raffaele Ronca was not with us to pick out the wine (not every Italian restaurant owner has such excellent taste).
As an appetizer, Peachy adventurously opted for the Imli Baingan: sliced eggplant sauteed with tamarind. It has a lovely savory flavor and we like adding as many vegetables as make sense to these dinner reviews, particularly in prime time bathing suit season. It's always fun to try something new and delicious and Andaz has a menu with a lot of depth, which we like to see.
There are two choices under Bagiche Se (Salad) and we chose the Cachumber Salad, which was fresh and superb. Chopped tomato, cucumber, onion and green chili had a lovely party in salt, black pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice. Everything was ideal and proper about this salad right down to the dressing on the side for Ms. Picky who does not care for 99% of salad dressings in the universe.
Both the Chicken Tikka Masala: Tandoori cooked chicken cubes finished with tomato based gravy and the Malabar Shrimp Curry: shrimp cooked with coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chili were divine. They each proved to be the ultimate in comfort Indian food and this quiet, unassuming Indian venue has flavor that speaks louder than the view from the sidewalk. Both were amazingly delicious in their own right and you can be confident that the shrimp and chicken are swimming underneath; you cannot really tell from the pictures.
Peachy love love loved the Garlic Naan (and you will as well, we surmise if you also dream of garlic bread) and the Onion Kulca -nan stuffed with onion and mild spices, was also laudable. We wish naan was a vegetable!
Yellow rice pilaf was deliciously dotted with peas, zucchini, and peppers of different varieties.
It is a terrific companion to the carnivorous and pescatarian endeavors of Andaz.
Finally, the Pistachio Kulfi, homemade Indian ice cream, is the perfect closing to an enjoyable summer Indian meal!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Indian food is extremely popular in England, where I am from, it is my favorite food, and therefore I was really looking forward to going to Andaz. It was also a Friday evening which was quite appropriate as it is a tradition in England to go for an Indian meal on a Friday evening.
Indian restaurants always have a unique ambiance and this was no exception; when I walked in the aroma and the atmosphere was captivating.
Traditionally in England, we don’t tend to have wine with Indian food but start with an Indian beer as an appetizer and then have another one (or two) with your meal. This is perfect as it is works well with the spicy Indian food. In keeping with tradition, we ordered Indian Kingfisher beer which was ideally crisp, clean and refreshing.
For the appetizer I had the Vegetable Samosa which is lightly spiced triangular patties filled with mashed potato and green peas. I found the filling extremely tasty with just the right amount of spice. The pastry was a lot heavier than what I am used to and for me I felt it was too much as the wonderful filling should be the dominant ingredient, however the pastry detracts from the whole experience and makes the dish rather dry. Having left much of the pastry, spicy mashed potato and peas proved pleasing and palatable. I am not being critical of this course, far from it; the filling is so amazing it should be the star of the show and not overshadowed by a bland and uninspiring partner!
A promising, exciting start was followed by the Tamatar ka Shorba which translates as Tomato soup with crushed black pepper and cardamom, topped with coriander. At first I felt this had a strange, new and unrecognizable taste but by the third spoonful I was in love with it: the warm broth was growing on me with every subsequent mouthful. The contrasting fusion of spices with the tomato base really works well together. This was a treat!
For the main course, I had an old English favorite: Chicken Vindaloo, with the meat cooked in fiery chilli sauce. To accompany this I had Pilau Rice and Onion Kulcha, is naan bread stuffed with onion and mild spices. Most Indian Restaurants I have been to in the USA serve Vindaloo curries with a warning from the waiter informing how hot and spicy they are. This is admirable to the uninitiated but as I have been eating Vindaloos all my life it’s not a problem for me but should it be if it’s your first time in an Indian restaurant it may well be a blessing! Needless to say, Peachy was on fire but surprisingly, enjoyed that. So when the waiter warned me I just smiled and thanked him as I usually do but still ordered it.
I was surprised when I was eating the Vindaloo that it was indeed fiery, nothing I couldn’t handle of course but nevertheless the fieriest curry I have tasted for a few years. This for me did not detract from the taste as it was perfectly spiced to enhance the flavor of the beautiful tender chicken; it also had a tremendous aftertaste which is a good indication of a superior curry. The Pilaf rice assisted to soak up the curry sauce and acted as a much needed diluent to the sauce. The Onion Kulcha acted as a superb diversion to occasionally come out of the heat of the Vindaloo. A thoroughly enjoyable course but I would not advise this for newcomers to Indian cuisine!
Finally, following the previous course the inevitable desert was the ice cream to cool down my mouth. The mango and vanilla ice cream did not only do that but the subtle flavor of the mango combined with vanilla was a perfect finale.
In summary Indian cuisine is my favorite and Andaz certainly did not let me down, the staff were very attentive and efficient and this was a perfect way to spend a Friday evening!
Peachy Picks Andaz!
Andaz is Recommended by Whom You Know.
