skip to main |
skip to sidebar
235 E. 4th St. nr. Ave. B, 212-254-2900www.theeunyc.com Description: European themed gourmet pub-food fails to impress.Burdie Approved Rating:
Pros: serves the only beer that I can drink
Cons: overwhelming waitstaff
Photo by Mark Peterson/Redux for New York Magazine
Hillsy and I had brunch at EU a couple of weeks ago and decided to try their dinner menu with Fabienne. I decided to give the Daily FIsh & Chips with tartar sauce, Hillsy ordered the $15 Hamburger and Fabienne went for the Steak Tartare with Sea Urchin Sabayon. I was dissapointed with both the meal and the service. I guess my expectations were pretty high, after trying their Serrano, Manchego and Fig butter Panini for brunch a couple of weeks ago. Fish & Chips is probably one of the hardest things to fuck up - fried fish and fries with mayonnaise (even McDonalds can serve a decent Fish Fillet sandwich!) I was expecting a nice crusty, crunchy haddock and thick authentic "chips" but instead I got a fried seafood medley of squid, shrimp and fish accompanied with "frites". With the exception of the fish - the dish was reminiscent of Long Johns Silver's #4. To make matters worse, our waitress (we had about three different staff members attending to us) seemed to be in a hurry to get rid of us (not sure why since the place was almost empty) and quickly cleared our plates while I was still chewing AND had a slice of bread in my hands "are you done?" she asked!
In the political arena, The European Union is a vast, bloated, bureaucratic organization that offers extremely poor value for money unless you happen to be a French farmer who wants to produce barley so that it can sit in a huge warehouse somewhere north of Brussels and slowly rot. With this in mind, the EU restaurant seems to be rather aptly named.
Let's start with the vast and bureaucratic bit. The place is huge (by East Village standards), and when we arrived almost completely empty. The staff outweighed the patrons by about two to one, and the restaurant floor literally seemed to be crawling with buzzing drones in blue and white aprons.
It's widely accepted that the real European Union couldn't organize a stag night in a brothel, and EU didn't disappoint on that front either. After arriving at the unholy hour of 5.15pm - on a Saturday - about four different members of staff buzzed by, brows furrowed, to tell us that the kitchen wasn't open for another 15 minutes. Sensing a diplomatic incident was about to break-out, we were able to negotiate being allowed to sit at a table with a drink until 15 minutes had passed - although at that point I genuinely feared we could succumb to some kind of cross-border skirmish involving us, and the apron-wearing drones.
Let's move to poor value for money. I've always believed that gourmet food was something that you generally couldn't find at any old side-street eaterie. For example, you're not going to find steamed lobster and wild mushrooms in your local 7-11. So when things that you CAN find everywhere - such as hot dogs and chicken wings - are positioned (and priced) as gourmet items, I simply have to indulge my curiosity. So with this in mind, I was immediately drawn to the $15 EU burger which I decided to wash down with a very nice glass of German Bitburger.
If you're paying 15 bucks for a burger you may not expect to have all your senses of taste massaged, but you're definitely within your rights to hope the extra cash will give you a happy ending. Sadly not in this case. The burger was dry, flat and way overcooked for medium. Since there were so many staff just standing around I was hoping that at least one of them would have been able to monitor my cheddar-decoarated slab of meat, but sadly I got the culinary version of the famous French shrug of the shoulders.
Burdie opted for the fish and chips, which was obviously a quiet nod to the English "classic" - but she rather misleadingly received a seafood pick-and-mix of shrimp, squid, and other battered objects - rather than a large piece of cod or haddock, which is the only way fish and chips should be served.
Our friend Fabienne decided to avoid the deep fat fryer entirely, and opted for the steak tartare - probably a more sensible choice on her part, but judging from her reaction there were no fireworks leaping out of her taste buds.
Our food was bought out by a swarm of waiting staff - one person per dish - and I started to wonder if this was simply because they were bored, or if they were attempting to be authentic. It certainly can't be the latter, because in most European countries you're lucky to get one waiter's attention for more than 2 seconds, and if you do it's probably because you have a physical deformity that happens to attract his/her gaze.
We finished it off with a Goat Milk cheesecake, which I have to say was absolutely excellent - creamy, hearty yet retaining a wonderful, delicate eligance. But as I was polishing off the last bite of cheesecake the check arrived, and as I glimpsed at it I realized without doubt this had clear parallels with the real European Union - because at 120 bucks for three people - which consisted of one main each, a single dessert that we all split, and four beers - this place was never going to be challenging the McDonaldas value menu any time soon.
And that was that. As the waiters whisked our plates away en masse, making us feel as if we were intruding on their own private enclave, I realized this place was a little too similar to the real European Union for comfort.
I tried to like EU - i really did. I know it's the right thing to do. I know life **should** be better with it around. But as I left the restaurant that evening, all feelings of closer integration drained away like a fading holiday memory. Will I go back? I don't know - maybe we need a referendum to decide.
4 Clinton Street (btw. East Houston & Stanton) 646-602-6263http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com
Description: Ultra-popular brunch hot-spot that serves the best pancakes in town.
Burdie Approved Rating:
Pros: full-stocked brunch menu (makes it hard to choose), legendary pancakes
Cons: prepare to wait at least an hour for brunch
If ever you need evidence that evolution has its flaws, just tune-in to a newscast that shows lines of drooling half-wits waiting outside Circuit City or Best Buy for the new Play Station 17 or whatever the hell its called - a full three days before its release date.
There's nothing more soul-destroying than seeing an elderly man or woman wasting the remaining time they have on this earth by queueing in minus 16 degree weather to get the latest copy of Grand Theft Auto: Slutville.
So when we rolled-up outside The Clinton Street Baking Co. and saw a line of about ten people on the sidewalk, for a teeny tiny split second the prospect of a Taco Bell Big Bean Ball Busting Breakfast Burrito seemed like only a marginally suicidal choice. But just for a second.
Since I'd heard such great things about this place - and since it's slightly smaller than Pee Wee Herman's left testicle - we decided to put our name on the list, bugger off to Duane Reade to play a game of "Guess Which Assistant Is Actually Clinically Alive", and then head back.
About an hour and fifteen minutes passed before we were finally seated, and by now my stomach felt like it was full of helium. I'd heard a lot about the pancakes at this place, so I immediately opted to order the banana and walnut variety - along with a biscuit on the side. Burdie opted for the Spanish Scramble - which contrary to popular belief is not a Portugese Military Exercise, but a spanish influenced omelette served with home fries and toast.
Pancakes are great when they're done well, but awful when they're done badly (i.e. pretty much any diner you'll ever go to) so i was ready to see if these really were the Rolls Royce of the breakfast dough world. The first bite revealed the glorious truth - these were perhaps the best pancakes i've ever eaten.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a man for high drama or histrionics - so let me repeat myself. These were the best pancakes I've ever eaten.
Lighter than a humming bird and fluffier than cotton candy, when served with the delicious maple butter (which we later found out consisted of maple syrup and clarified butter) these discs of joy simply came alive in my mouth. With bananas layered between the pancakes, and walnuts sprinkled on top - it was really hard to fault them in any way.
To the right of me I was able to distract Burdie's attention and grab a forkful of the scramble - a flavor-packed omelette stuffed with cheese, sauteed onions, peppers and chorizo. The chorizo was first class and the whole omelette was satisfying, yet without the heavy-as-a-brick feeling that often plagues our friend the egg.
Apart from the wait, it's very hard to fault The Clinton Street Baking Co. If I was to be picky, the biscuit tasted like it had been hand delivered by Betty Crocker's cryogenically frozen mother - but that's just me being grumpy. The service was friendly, the prices reasonable (about 10 bucks each) and the food was truly amazing. In short, it's the best breakfast i've had for a long, long time.
Paying a visit may require some advanced tactical planning, but if you don't mind waiting or if you have the discipline to get out of bed before the sleepy students on a Sunday morning, you won't find a better place to satisfy your breakfast cravings.Pancakes are my favorite things to cook for breakfast. Although I haven't quite graduated from using pre-made baking flour mixes like Bisquick, my pancakes are pretty darn tasty. Right Hillsy?
So I'm always on the lookout for the perfect pancake. Hillsy and I googled "best pancake in nyc" and Clinton St. Baking Co. came up as one of the results - winning some sort of New York Mag award in 2005. I've passed by this place tons of times, but the mobs of people waiting outside always scared me off. We tried eating here a month ago but the 1 and 1/2 hour wait for brunch was so ridiculous we ended up eating at Stanton Social (which gets in my book).
Since I declared Sundays as our "chillax" day - I made that word up two weeks ago (Hillsy hates it, so I continue to use it but only on weekends to bug him) I was prepared to wait it out. We were told 45 minutes, so we bought a few essentials at Duane Reade and headed back to the apt. to pick up a jacket. Unless it's 80 degrees out, I require a scarf/gloves and a jacket, which Hillsy failed to realize for the 100th time when he suggested that I would be fine without one. We had another 30 minutes to go when we got back to CSBC (45 mins. became a little over an hour). Waiting was tough, specially when we were gawking at a couple sitting in the front... the girl practically ordered the entire menu. She started off with some cream-based soup with some sort of fancy butter drizzled on top. The waitress then plopped down one of their famous 8lb. buttermilk biscuits, at which point the boyfriend had this look of disbelief as he watched her hoover it down. She then washed it down with the buttermilk biscuit sandwich ($8), which consists of scrambled eggs, cheddar, homemade tomato jam and hash browns, with bacon (add $2.5). Not to mention the Bellini.
Our name was finally called, only to find out that we've scored the worst seat in the house- right up in the front facing the sidewalk. That'll teach me to make fun of people eating!! Hillsy and I decided to split our orders and we went for the Banana Walnut Pancakes ($11), Spanish Scramble - three eggs, chorizo, tomatoes, sauteed onions, scallions, Monterey jack, with hash browns and toast ($12) AND a side order of their famous buttermilk biscuits.
The biscuits were no better than Hillsy's homemade Bisquick biscuits. The pancakes were one of the best pancakes I've ever had. No trace of that flour taste that most pancakes have. Fluffy, light and just plain perfect. The bananas were a perfect match. The maple+non-clarified butter concoction was out of this world, it really made the dish. On it's own the pancakes were good, but once you dipped it into the sauce it was pancake heaven. I would really love to know the secrets of these pancakes, the consistency and flavor are both right on. The omelette was another winner, light fluffy eggs with tons of flavor.
As for the ambience, it was low-key and wasn't trying to be anything unlike most east village/LES establishments. I guess there's really no need to wow you with the frills since the food speaks for itself.
Overall this place was well worth the wait, I'd stand in line for brunch here on any given Sunday.
photos courtesy of http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com
108 East 4th Street, NYC 212-228-4885
Description: Stylish newcomer in the heart of the East Village
Burdie Approved Rating:
Pros: intimate, $45 six course dinner, bold menu
Cons: overly subtle flavors
Menu:
- Lump Crab in a Spicy Lemongrass Broth (tom yum broth)
- Crispy pork belly with escargot, savoy cabbage and carrot, lemongrass and ginger purée
- Stuffed squid with duck confit and creamed leeks
- Pan fried fois grois with bbq eel
- Sea Bass white tarragon grapefruit puree (I think!)
- Honey Buttermilk Panna cotta
Wanted to try something new in the neighborhood so I did a quick search and found Knife + Fork Restaurant & Wine Bar, a skip and a hop away. Not sure why I never noticed it before, it's right next to Euzkadi. Probably because the store front fades into itself, no bright lights or kitchy handwritten chalk menus blaring with granny's old world delights.
Hillsy and I were psyched to experience Damien Brassel's "simple, approachable and understandable" fare. Unfortunately we had a late start to our day and ended up having brunch around 3pm, so we weren't exactly starving by 8.
The space was small but intimate and the smell of mulled wine welcomes you even before the 2-person waitstaff has a chance to greet you. The kitchen is in view and it's nice to see the chef working away but immediately gives away his freshness to the scene as he checks out every patron that walks in (nice to see). The glasses on the table were a bit overwhelming and I was relieved when we decided not to have wine and the waiter quickly cleared the table and I was able to see my Hillsy from across the table again.
The first course came, a small lump of stuff in the middle of an oblong shaped bowl. Nodding my head with enthusiasm but thinking ... "wonder what this is, it must be one of those places that serve lots of courses of small servings". Luckily the waitress came back holding a black tea kettle and began to pour broth over the lump - "Lump Crab in a Spicy Lemongrass Broth" --- AHH! The flavors were intense. Sour, spicy, sweet, salty, deep flavors. It was an interesting mix of flavors, I was wondering how something could be so spicy at first (versus a spice that sneaks up on you) but quickly melts into a sweet sour ending. It reminded me of spicy Thai soup but updated and gourmetized with fresh lump crab meat and fusionized with the addition of seaweed salad. It was so good, I almost licked the bowl clean. Next up was the Pork belly - yummy yummy yummy. The skin and fat reminded me of Lechon (Filipino roasted pig dish). The escargot were uneventful on their own but came alive when mixed with the pork and the ginger/carrot puree. Winner. At this point, I was thinking this place was a winner and a great find - and only 2 blocks away from home "Uh oh, pork belly every week, I'm going to have to run an extra day ..." Fortunately for me, the next 4 courses paled in comparison to the first two. As you've heard from all the critics, $45 for 6 courses is a steal but I thought it was too much food. I'd rather less than more of nothing. I was hoping for something light by the 5th course but nope ... more hearty meals after the other. The dessert was pleasant and light - panna cotta was a perfect finisher. The buttermilk and honey mixture was almost yogurt like and was a nice contrast to all of the protein and creamy purees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coming from a country that thinks boiling a root vegetable until it implodes like Star Jones' digestive tract constitutes high cuisine, i'm always slightly wary of any food product that originates within a 5,000 mile radius of my birth place.
Knowing that Damian Brassel was Irish - and therefore only a short ferry ride away from Scotland, the deep fat fryer of the United Nations - made me slightly suspicious, but i brushed away my narrow-minded stereotypes and strolled into his new Knife & Fork restaurant.
It was a quiet Sunday evening and the scent of heavily-spiced mulled wine covered the air like an atmospheric cashmere blanket, while the helpful servers darted back and forth to the open plan kitchen. After a pint of very good stout (O'Haras - makes Guinness taste like Draino Max), we settled in our seats and opted for the six course chef's tasting menu.
Six courses is a lot of food in anyone's language, but since I have six chins to feed and probably only six more years before my arteries dissolve, I was ready for the challenge.
First up was the lump crab in a lemon grass broth, which for me was one of the highlights of the night. The broth was zingier than a Pamela Anderson home video and had a multitude of rich, immersive flavors.
Next up was the pork belly with escargot, which built on the great start of the dish before it. The pork was tender and flavorful and the escargot complimented the density of the meat perfectly.
Dish number three came....and went. A rather forgettable squid stuffed with duck confit. The textures were interesting, but the taste was underwhelming - rather like the culinary equivalent of watered-down beer. Pan fried fois gras with BBQ Eeel was next. While the eel was - on its own - slightly bland, when combined with the complexity of the fois gras it made for a nicely rounded dish.
By this point Burdie looked like she was about to pass out as the sheer volume of food hit her over the head like a brick, but after a deep breath we were ready to tackle the home straight.
Next-up was pan fried sea bass with a grapefruit puree. Burdie hated the puree to the point that it made her nauseas, but i rather enjoyed it and found it to be an interesting compliment to the bass. And damn good bass it was, too. Pan fried to perfection - light yet fulfilling - a really great dish that I'd definitely be happy to order again.
Dessert was a miniature glass of honey-buttermilk panna cotta, which was a great, refreshing end to a protein packed, Atkins Diet Wet Dream of a meal.
The food at Knife & Fork is really rather good, if slightly inconsistent over a six course stretch. Some dishes were stand-out, while others were forgettable, but for the price I'd still recommend it as a place to pay a visit.
The ambience is great, the staff are extremely friendly and just the general experience of eating there makes you feel good - and I didn't see a boiled root vegetable in site!
9 Pell St Ste 1 (Cross Street: Bowery) New York, NY 10013-5134 (212) 233-8888Description: Bustling Chinese restaurant serving a mixture of crowd pleasing Shanghainese fare.Burdie Approved Rating:
Pros: communal seating, fast service, cheap
Cons: communal seating, overcrowded
This wasn't our first time at Joe's Shanghai but for some reason the pork soup dumplings were exceptional last night. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I managed to eat them without any hot liquid explosions on my face and walked away with a burn-free tongue. Joe's Shanghai was crowded with tourists as usual but getting a seat wasn't too bad - we waited around 25 minutes before finally getting seated with a mother/daughter who were in the middle of a very "Days of Our Lives" dialogue. We quickly placed an order for the famous Pork Soup Dumplings, String Beans (Szechuan style) and Sliced Pork with Scallions. Eating soup dumplings is an art form and after my performance last night, I think it's safe to say that I've perfected it. Hold the soup spoon with your left hand, chopsticks on the right - carefully pick up the dumpling (without piercing the dough) and place it on top of your soup spoon. Carefully bite the dumpling piercing the top with a 5cm - 1/2" incisition. This opening will serve two purposes: 1) lets the steam out so you don't end up burning yourself when you go for the final bite and 2) is also the exit spout for the soup inside. If you're a chopstick novice the next steps can be tricky ... spill out some of the soup out of the dumpling by gently tilting the dumpling with your chopsticks (the soup will drain out onto your soup spoon). Enjoy the soup and repeat this process until most of the soup is out of the dumpling. I like to pour a little bit of the mysterious soy sauce into the dumpling before taking the big bite.
The string beans here are the best! There's nothing better than fried string beans lightly dusted with rock salt. I tried making this at home once but I can never get myself to use a gallon of oil so it never ends up as good. The pork dish was the weakest of the three but still good - probably won't order it again. The check came out to about $28, not bad for two people, 3 dishes and a bottomless pot of black tea!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've never tried the famous soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai and feel that a panic attack laden stroll through Chinatown might put a slight dampener on your weekend, you can replicate the experience by doing the following.
1. Cram 7 strangers - many who have personality disorders - around your kitchen table.
2. Fill a super soaker ballistic nork korean neutralizer water pistol with a carefully mixed cocktail of napalm and hot sauce.
3. Periodically squirt said cocktail into open mouth, pausing only to scrape dead skin cells off your badly mangled tongue and jam kebab skewers into your ear drums to drown out the conversation around you.
Don't get me wrong, the soup dumplings (with pork) are very good - but eating them requires levels of skill and dexterity that pipecleaner limbed softies like myself can only ever dream about.
For those of you who don't like dinner to be booby trapped, there are slightly safer options on the extensive menu. The string beans were salty, crispy, and generally had very few characteristics OF a string bean - which was a huge positive in my book.
The main dish of sliced pork with scallions was somewhat disappointing, with most of the taste unfortunately left behind in the pan - but after having destroyed 78 per cent of my taste buds with the dynamite dumplings, it's possible my sensitivities were below par.
But at 28 bucks for two people, the value really can't be beat - and despite the constant influx of wide eyed tourists harassing the slightly disinterested staff members, if you like Chinese food this really isn't a bad option.
Point to note: If you're looking for a cosy table for two, this probably isn't the place to saunter down to on a Saturday night. Most of the circular tables sit up to five people, so unless there are five people in your group you'll be lumped together with whoever fate decides is worthy of your company. Last night we had the pleasure of a melodramatic, spoilt daughter who was perhaps one of the greatest adverts for forced sterilization and an out-of-town couple that consisted of a very nice and enthusiastic wife, and a husband who had all the good cheer of a DMV employee with Autism. Happy days!
409, 3rd Ave, 29th Street, New York, NY 10016, (212) - 689 - 5666
Description: $23.95 Pre-fixe, all-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian
Burdie Approved Rating:
Pros: unique setting, friendly service,
Cons: reservations a must, pre-set menu, clean socks a must!
As somebody who's only a few steps behind Jeffrey Dahmer on the meat craving scale, the prospect of eating at a vegetarian restaurant can be about as appealing as watching Judge Judy receive a Brazilian wax in High Definition. But while I was unable to indulge in any sins of the flesh at Vatan, I did enjoy a one hour fling with an assortment of vegetables of the night that left me satisfied in ways I never dreamt possible.
Let's start with the setting. Sweeping through the long entrance hall of Vatan, you'll be forgiven for thinking you've strayed into a cosmic wormhole and been transported thousands of miles away from the sensory machine gun of New York City. Glitteringly dressed staff seem to glide up to the surprisingly limited number of tables, and the painted sky-blue ceilings smile warmly on the lavishly decorated dining room.
If you're used to eating in small, cramped restaurants where it's not uncommon to find somebody else's elbow in your soup, Vatan will be a genuine God-send. The dining room is extremely spacious and the layout fosters a sense of real intimacy and calm. Some tables are configured for people to eat in the traditional Indian manner, and that means chairs are replaced by lengthly seat cushions and shoes have to be left at the foot of the table before entering your booth. This is great for anybody six feet and below, but for the lanky freaks out there (like myself) having a hernia midway through the appetisers could be a distinct possibility.
Talking of appetisers, Vatan has a pre-fixe menu that - depending on your point of view - removes the hassle from having to choose what to order, or unnecessarily restricts you to eating what they want. As somebody who likes variety, and detests work, my vote goes for the former. Appetisers came on a large silver tray - one per person - and each dish was carefully organized and identified by the extremely helpful server.
The individually portioned dishes ranged from the inoffensive but unspectactular samosas, to the excellent Chana Masala - chick peas with onion and coriander.
Also worth of note were the Muthia (steamed flour and spinach) and the perfectly spiced Sev puri (potatos, chick peas, yogurt and chutney).
With my early desires of a chicken vindaloo fading faster than Joan Rivers' natural collagen levels, the main event was bought to our table. Sauteed spinach and chick peas were extremely well balanced and the sak potatoes satisfyingly hearty, without ever being heavy. Meanwhile, the mountain of puri - puffed whole weat bread - served as perfect accompaniment for the Aam Rus (mango pulp), and the kheer added a nice dollop of sweetness to proceedings.
Who new that chick peas could be so filling? Certainly not me, and I was contemplating exactly how many pounds of spinach i'd consumed when the meal was capped off by a very nice warm cup of chai tea, and a reassuringly creamy mango ice cream.
If you're looking for a relaxing, intimate eating environment then Vatan fits the bill perfectly. The dishes on offer are satisfying and, even though nothing stands out as being spectacular, they work very well together.
While the menu has very few (if any) MVPs, it does have excellent spirit and strong tactical awareness - always important features in striving for success.
Vatan is one of those rare places where the experience is almost as good - if not better - than the food. It charms you from the minute you walk through the door, and any dissenting thoughts are quickly massaged away by its soft, herbivore fingers.
As a Brit, I have a certain snobbery when it comes to Indian food (after all, our cuisine is so bad we had to steal the Indians') and Vatan hits all the right notes. In fact after leaving, for a split second the prospect of becoming a vegetarian didn't seem quite that bad.
Well, almost.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've been trying to get reservations for the past 3 weeks and every time I remember to call I'm always too late! So I finally succumbed and accepted the 10:15pm Friday slot.
The space is unbelievable, if you're used to L.E.S or East Village standards of practically sitting on your neighbor's lap - the seating at Vatan is unbelievable. The two-topper was bigger than our studio (well... almost)! We were asked to remove our shoes and hop up onto a very comfy cushioned nook. Our waitress asked whether or not we've been there before and kindly explained the pre-fixe menu. She started off with the sauce platter, half sweet half spicy. The green fried peppers caught by eyes but I was smart enough to dare Hillsy to give the peppers a shot. In true Hillsy fashion, he popped two of those suckers in... let's just say his eyes got all watery and quickly grabbed for copper water pitcher.
Appetizer platter: Loved the Sev puri (Potatoes, garbanzo beans, yogurt and chutney filled in fried bread) and the Batakavada Deep-fried potato balls in a chickpea flour batter. I found the apps to be a little spicy but not to the point where I couldn't enjoy it. Lots of fried mysterious balls and triangles - all were surprisingly light and bursting with flavors. At this point I was starting to get full and knew I had to pace myself.
Main platter: The main platter came with six different main dishes - I loved the spinach dish and the cauliflower with green peas -- YUMMY!!
I can't imagine anyone eating a second serving of anything, I guess this is how this place makes money.
I love the fact that I was able to taste so many different dishes - love variety. I always feel pressured to order the same old thing in Indian restaurants (Chicken Tikka Masala) so it was nice to finally taste some of the dishes that I've bypassed in the past. Dessert was mango ice cream and a cup of Masala Chai served in a super cute ceramic tea cup. I didn't care too much for the mango ice cream - a little too rich for me. I can usually handle rich and sweet things but after stuffing myself, I just couldn't take another bite.
Overall, the experience is what you pay for. Is it the best Indian food in the city? Probably not. But the private dining experience under a Banyan tree, the option to taste a variety of dishes with your feet up all the while .. you can't beat it!!!
By the way, being a carnivore was not as issue - I didn't even notice the lack of meat!
