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Ironically the Indian food in Manhattan is much better than all the meals I had on my visits to the subcontinent. Its the superior raw materials available in the United States.
Here are a few of well-known and respected Big Apple faves:
Surya --
offers multi-regional Indian food at modest prices, The setting is peacefully minimalist with a pleasant garden
Tamarind --
serves haute Indian food at a price. The staff is very professional and the food is well seasoned. There is a $24 prix fixe lunch.
For Chichi Wang, a weekly patron of Chinatown’s Xi’an Famous Foods on East Broadway, offal -- the bits of beasts that for the last half-century have been discarded or distrusted by many Westerners -- is comfort food.
“My mother would always have gizzards on hand and she would simmer them in a classic Chinese braise of soy sauce, sugar, star anise and cinnamon sticks,” said the 25-year-old writer/foodie. “To this day all I need is just one whiff of that aroma and it brings me back home.”
But while offal may be new and exciting discovery for many Americans who grew up in the homogenized grocery store culture, a lot of people in ethnic communities simply consider it every day fare. Whether it’s because offal cuts are cheaper or because the texture is prized, nearly every culture – aside from traditional American – loves its blood and guts.
Though situated inside the Museum of Modern Art, the restaurant The Modern is no mere adjunct to the Museum but a work of art itself in design and cuisine. Inspired by the Bauhaus movement of the 1920s, this haute café from restaurateur-proprietor Danny Meyer is adorned with furniture and tableware from the Modernists, with a focus on the Danish style.
The Modern is actually two environments: the Bar Room and Dining Room. A little more casual and abuzz with energy, the bar offers an abbreviated version of the main menu with an array of over 30 savory dishes. While the bar suggests a lively, aesthetic debate, the dining area offers a more austere space ideal for reflection and conversation.
The two spaces montage through a frosted glass partition. In the clean, stately dining room, patrons can admire the sculptures from the adjacent garden while enjoying the finely crafted menu.
Aquavit
65 East 55th Street
Location: Midtown
Cuisine: Swedish/Scandinavian
The clean lines of Nordic design and cool furniture makes this venerable Scandinavian restaurant feel very modern, with dark wood tones lending warmth, and cherry blossoms in vases offering a minimalist touch. The restaurant's homemade aquavits are displayed along the wall, like pieces of art, in luminous square tankards. With an upscale business crowd in the dining room and more casual diners in the newly re-positioned cafe, Aquavit feels like the quintessential Euro restaurant in NYC.