Saturday I attended my niece, Naia’s, 1st Birthday Party at Devi in Manhattan’s Union Square neighborhood. It was an intimate lunch gathering with close family and what better place to have the party at then Devi which literally means goddess, for our Naia is a precious little Devi. The good thing about attending a private gathering is being able to try various dishes which otherwise may not be served on a regular menu. In this case, there were a few items that only existed on the Private Dining Menu.
TELL ME: What is your favorite Indian Restaurant in Manhattan?
LOCATION
8 E 18th Street (btw. 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10003
212.691.1300
(Union Square)
AMBIENCE
The decor at Devi is elegant and romantic.
There are colorful lanterns hanging from a red ceiling and shimmery gold drapes which hang against the walls.
There is a bar area to your right and stairs leading upstairs.
Here is the seating area.
RECOMMENDED TO
Couples, Groups, Romantic Dining.
CUISINE
Indian
MENU – $$$
Devi Menu. In general, the appetizers here range from $6-$12. The dinner entrees range from $15-$30 – a little on the higher side for Indian food, but well worth it in my opinion. There is a 3-course lunch menu for $25 offered between 12 PM and 2:30 PM on weekdays. Desserts are about $9 which is a little high, but again, well worth it.
RECOMMENDED HEALTHY EATS… choices below are based on my knowledge of food and nutrition. In general, when dining at Indian restaurants it is extremely hard to eat healthy. Most dishes have a lot of oil and are cooked in a cream sauce. Many other dishes are fried. If you are watching your weight and calories, I suggest going for Grilled Tandoori Chicken/Lamb/Shrimp, Grilled Scallops, and Kababs. Naans, Dals, Raitas, and Plain Rice are usually a safe bet. There is no online nutritional information available for Devi, please use your own discretion when making a decision.
HEALTHIER EATS |
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APPETIZERS |
Grilled Scallops |
Chicken-Apricot Seekh Kababs |
FISH AND MEATS |
Tandoor-Grilled Lamb Chops |
SIDES |
Fattoush Salad |
Tandoor Grilled Chicken/Shrimp |
EXTRAS |
Naan |
Garlic Naan |
Tarka Dal |
Onion-Tomato Raita |
MY REVIEW
APPETIZERS
Now although I wasn’t able to take pictures of the appetizers since they were being served, I assure you the ones I tried were nothing short of spectacular. These included the Bombay Bhel Puri which were rice puffs filled with potatoes, onions, and chutneys – they were so light and flaky it literally melted in my mouth, and the Paneer Ke Sule which is an Indian cheese cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. Since I am not a goat cheese lover, I skipped the Goat Cheese Spinach Samosas which may have been a mistake because EVERYONE said it was amazing. The other appetizer I skipped were the Tandoor-Grilled Lamb Chops because I don’t eat lamb.
VERDICT – 5 / 5
Since I am of Indian origin, I know good quality Indian food when I eat it. So I say this with total confidence that Devi is by far one of the best Indian restaurants that I’ve been to. The food, the drinks, the service, the decor, were all impeccable. The choice of spices used in some dishes was unique, I wasn’t able to figure some of them out. Definitely check out Devi if you are in Union Square area… there is lot of shopping in and around 5th avenue, in addition to strolling thru Union Square Park.
Other Indian restaurants I have yet to try are Dhaba, Tamarind, and Bhukara Grill – these restaurants may give Devi some serious competition, I won’t know until I try!
TELL ME: What is your favorite Indian restaurant in Manhattan?
This place looks great!! Your review was so helpful for someone like me, who is not so familiar with Indian food. I'll have to try this place sometime!!
The Shahi Tukra sounds amazing.. would love to try it. Can't believe Naia's walking already!
Nice review on the party. I agree that the Shai Tukda was amazing!!
@Mari – I'm glad you found this review helpful – people shy away from Indian food, but I thought this restaurant was really good and the food was not at all spicy.
@Leena/Rajiv – Yes, the Shahi Tukra was absolutely amazing – there really isn't anything like it.
Love Bukhara Grill! I used to go there all the time when my brother went to NYU. It's been a while but I bet it's still really good.
Tamarind was just okay. Not really authentic but it was pretty!
I'm going to try to get to Devi next week…especially since you gave it a 5/5!
@Ameena – this is too much pressure. 🙂 I really hope you enjoy Devi. Definitely order the Saag Paneer, Kofta, Shahi Tukura (ask them if it isn't on the menu), and Masala Chai. So good! The ambience is great too.
I still have to try Bukhara Grill and Tamarind… just wanna see what the hype is. Tomorrow I'm going to Dhaba, will let you know. 🙂