Aangan: Fantastic UWS Indian 08/29/2010
 Each time I move about the city (or “change shells,” as I refer to it… which, by the way, has become a near yearly thing), there is very serious work to be done. No, it’s not finding the right furniture or hanging the perfect paintings or meeting the neighbors or making sure the cable works or any of those very necessary things… it is far more vital. Yes. The great search for my new go-to Indian place begins. This time, however, we hit the naan right on the head. (Hah! I crack myself up.) The search began and ended with Aangan: arguably the best Indian on the Upper West Side, and possibly the best Indian I’ve had in NYC...  image courtesy of villagevoice.com Aangan (at 103 & Broadway) hits all the major points for me, which is a serious achievement as a city restaurant: elegant and intimate ambiance, attentive wait staff, reasonable prices, substantial portions, authentic cuisine, and the best freakin’ naan you’ll ever put in your mouth. Seriously. It’s flakey, piping hot and drenched in ghee. Heaven.  drool-worthy naan As standard in most Indian restaurants, we were served an appetizer of lentil crackers with tamarind and cilantro sauces (pictured at top). They prepared the crackers beautifully and the sauces were perfectly spicy and sweet. For the entrees, I ordered the vegetable jalfrezie, a mildly spicy and slightly sweet tomato and pepper curry with cauliflower, mushrooms, potato, carrots and peas. I also asked if they could throw in some paneer (Indian cheese), as I am rightfully obsessed with paneer. Adam ordered his usual “CTM” (Chicken Tikka Masala… yes, he refers to it as CTM), with basmati rice as a complementary side dish.  vegetable jalfrezie Our meal was served in under ten minutes and good lord, was it tasty. My jalfrezie achieved the perfect balance of heat and sweet, with tender veggies and soft, homemade paneer cubes. The rice was also excellent, with just a hint of lemon and coriander. And oh, the naan. I have dreams about that naan.  basmati rice Adam loved his CTM, stepping up his eloquent food critique default of “it’s ok” to: “this is really good.” I believe that says it all. If you’re anywhere above Aaheli, I’d hike it up to 103rd for some fantastic Indian. The prices are right and the food is truly delicious. Recommendations: Naan, Aloo Papri Chaat (appetizer), Baingan Bhartha, Vegetable Jalfrezie Note: Not BYOB Comments08/29/2010 5:44pm
Kudos to you for making your own naan! I've been wanting to venture into Indian cooking for quite a while.. Naan would definitely be a great place to start. Samantha...you're probably going to make me look good very soon...I just sent this link to a few friends who are going to NYC for the long weekend...and they love Indian food ;o) 09/03/2010 4:23pm
Ooh, that place does look good! I'm glad you found it :) 09/03/2010 6:59pm
Foodessa- Thanks for sharing with your friends! If they can't make it up to the UWS, Aaheli (near the theater district) has fantastic Indian food as well. I always get so excited when I find a gem in my neighborhood!! Leave a Reply |
RSS Feed