Peachy Picks @SaarNYC #SAAR #TimesSquare by Executive Chef and Owner #HemantMathur and Owner #AvtarSingh Saar Elevated to Peachy's Picks
Tandoori Tiger Shrimp
Owners Hemant Mathur and Avtar Singh
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Hemant and we have since Tulsi. We first featured Saar a year ago in their inaugural feature:
Saar opened in May 2018.
Because Hemant, a native of Rajasthan, has excelled everywhere he has gone for over a decade, this has fast-tracked to Peachy's Picks. We were so delighted to meet his co-owner, Avtar Singh, a native of Punjab. There are few Indian restaurants of this caliber anywhere. Saar is gorgeous, delicious and fun and a bright light in Times Square. Aangi Desai will graciously greet you and has the utmost style of hospitality to win you over and start your dinner.
As always, these pictures are unedited.
You are a winner like Hemant and Avtar or we do not publish.
We kicked it off with Beetroot Cutlets, a vegan superstar. Tamarind aioli lends a fiery start and these were perfectly crisp, light and delicious. Evocative of a spring garden, they set a healthy tone for the start. However, what we really loved is the salmon and crabcake. This means they are both in the cake. The texturized coating is adorable and the green chili aioli really stepped up the flavor. We cut each of these open so you can see how fabulous they look inside too.
If Peachy was stranded on a desert island with only one item to eat from Saar, it would be the tantalizing fluffy piping hot Garlic Naan. Enhanced further by yogurt sauce, this confirmed that Peachy is a certified Garlic Naan monster (and you last saw her display these tendencies at Veeray da Dhaba (also owned by Hemant and our pal Sonny.) If you don't adore Garlic Naan, you are not eating it here. The aroma is just as great as the flavor and texture and it is like heavenly clouds.
Murg Kesar!!!!
By the way you know Peachy would have no idea how to speak Indian and you might not either but the good news is everything is of course in English. These chicken tenders are the most flavorful ever with saffron, lemon and ginger in perfect proportion with the mint chutney drizzled in zig zag attractively. The bean sprouts brighten up this savory sensation even more.
Next, did you know that not only can you wear Gucci, but also you can eat it?
Starting at age 6, Peachy used to spray Gucci on to try it out at LL in the Hartford Civic Center before hockey games but now she has learned at Saar there is Kashmir (state) Gucchi Truffle Risotto!!!!
Starting at age 6, Peachy used to spray Gucci on to try it out at LL in the Hartford Civic Center before hockey games but now she has learned at Saar there is Kashmir (state) Gucchi Truffle Risotto!!!!
Gucchi here has an H and it is a kind of mushroom.
White Truffle Oil brings the party to another level and the basmati rice with Gucchi mushrooms, Morel mushrooms, onions and heavy cream define luxury at Saar. You absolutely have to try this: just when we think we have tried everything Hemant has created there is something new that is even better.
We were happy to meet Avtar Singh for the first time and he's a fabulous host.
The wine list is tops and we sipped:
McGrath Johnson is a super bartender, Sam Saha is a delightful floor manager and Rajar Shighosh is a fantastic server.
The shrimp biryani insisted on a glamour close up above before we got a full body shot below.
The freshness and flavor here in this edition are unrivaled and not only did Peachy love eating it but she felt at one with it: for shrimp, it takes one to know one.
The Tandoori Tiger Shrimp might be our favorite edible at Saar after the Garlic Naan. Yogurt, Garam Masala, and Ginger Garlic team up for a hat trick in your stomach during this High Holy Time of Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lemon Chutney brightens it up even more and remember, this is how it really looks. We publish the truth. And the superlatively flavored shrimp lived happily ever after in Peachy's stomach.
Lamb Cofta Curry spell richness in every bite as they revel in a brilliant onion sauce, but Avtar was right: what you should really get excited about is his favorite: Cochin Black Pepper Chicken.
Combined with coconut curry, this Cochin Black Pepper Chicken with both garlic and chili garlic will put a spring in your step and concurrently your palate and a super smile on your face. See above results!
Kulfi (MUST LEARN THIS WORD: MEANS ICE CREAM!!!) Falooda (dried noodles) with pistachio cream and rose petal accent is the final firework on your Saar experience. This is no corner neighborhood Indian place: it is pinkies out all the way and exactly what you want for dinner.
The Hemant hit parade continues and we ALWAYS look forward to seeing what he does next.
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Peachy Picks Saar! Saar is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know. |
