• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop
  • About
    • Contact
    • Press

Honey, Whats Cooking logo

November 23, 2011 5 Comments

Dhaba | New York City

Dhaba means an eating shack on a roadside typically offering delicious, yet inexpensive, Punjabi food.  Nowadays in India there are all sorts of dhabas offering all different types of Indian cuisine.

LOCATION:
108 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10016
212.336.3567
MENU: Dhaba Menu
COST: $$
CUISINE: Indian
RECOMMENDED TO: Casual Dining, Couples, Groups, Kid Friendly, Romantic Dining.



AMBIENCE:
This past weekend I headed to Dhaba, an Indian restaurant located on Lexington Avenue, and although the food was delicious, the restaurant was no shack, but rather a sit down.  Dhaba is romantic and dimly lit making a good choice for a date or small groups. I was on a double date with my husband, my friend (Vrushali), and her husband. pumpkin oatmeal 022

I loved the sari rolls alongside the wall which is typically what you’ll observe when shopping at a store that sells saris.
dhabatable020
left image courtesy of Dhaba 



MY REVIEW
We were served Papad as complimentary appetizers.  Papad is a thin, crisp, baked/fried Indian cracker which was served alongside 3 different types of chutneys… tamarind, mint, and a slightly sour onion chutney (yummy).


I did the honors and started off with a Lychee Martini.  The martini didn’t even taste like lychee juice to me and I missed having a lychee at the bottom of the martini glass.  This drink was below average for me.

Since my first drink was weak, I went for the Kamasutra Martini, sounds seductive, huh?  Well, it wasn’t, but it sure is pretty!  This drink was extremely sweet and frothy, it was as though I was drinking syrup.  It was even milder than the first drink.
My husband went for 2 Mango Margaritas (frozen (left) & on the rocks (right)) and although his drink was slightly above average, it definitely wasn’t up there with Mango Margaritas I’ve had in the past.  The “on the rocks” version of the margarita was definitely better than the frozen.  I’ll definitely order this drink the next time I dine at Dhaba.


Between the 4 of us we shared 4 entrees.  I really wanted to try the Methi (fenugreek) Chicken which was excellent.  The dish was a blend of Indian spices, ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and fenugreek leaves.  The methi chicken had a slightly distinct flavor and I am almost convinced I tasted carom (ajwain) seeds amongst the spices used.  Excellent, delicious, & well prepared.

For the Punjabi Murgh (chicken) Curry, I requested boneless white meat chicken which was a let down.  The gravy was good, however it appeared as though the chicken and gravy were not even cooked together, but rather the chicken was added to the gravy later on.  Being of Punjabi origin, I can attest to the fact that this dish was mediocre and lacked the richness one would expect from Punjabi Murgh Curry.  Perhaps, it would have tasted better had I ordered it on the bone.
Next up was the Malai Kofta which are fried vegetarian balls (kofta) submerged in a cream (malai) cashew gravy.  This dish was mild in terms of spice, mouthwatering and authentic.  It went perfectly with naan and/or rice.
My favorite dish amongst all those ordered was the Goa Fish Curry which was a blend of coconut, mustard seeds, black pepper, and tamarind in a rich reddish-brown gravy.  In this dish there were a melody of flavors… the richness from the coconut, the spice from the black pepper, and the tanginess from the tamarind.  Yes, the Goa Fish Curry was outrageously delicious.  And just fyi, the fish used for this dish was tilapia, a mildly flavored fish and healthy, too. 
Between the 4 of us, we shared 2 orders of Basmati Rice and 2 orders of Garlic Naan which came at an extra cost.  The garlic naan was excellent, you could really taste the garlic and butter – which you can’t really go wrong with, although the naan was slightly burnt.


Here is a picture of my first serving, yeah, I take a little bit of everything to fully enjoy the experience.  So good!

VERDICT: 4 / 5
The waiters at Dhaba were helpful and friendly, and although it took them a while to bring the food out, I can forsake this since Indian food does require some time to prepare.

The food at Dhaba is legit and authentic.  I really enjoyed 3 out of the 4 dishes served to us.  The food here is oily, but not as oily as some other Indian establishments that I’ve been to.  Furthermore, between the 4 of us we had enough food left over for 1 more person.  You can easily getaway with ordering 3 entrees for 4 people provided you order some non-vegetarian entrees. 

The menu at Dhaba is vast.  Almost every single dish on their menu was something my mom cooked for me while growing up.  For example, dishes such as Tinda Ka Subzi, which you’ll almost never encounter at an Indian restaurant can be found at Dhaba and most Indian households.  The food here has a nostalgic feel.


In terms of drinks, I was extremely disappointed.  At $9 a drink, the drinks were lousy, they were either too sweet, or not spiked enough, or just all wrong in flavorings.  They need to work on making better drinks and perhaps come up with a more exotic drink menu, I mean this is an Indian restaurant.  And for this reason I believe Dhaba deserves a 4, and not a perfect 5.

Overall, great Indian food, romantic ambiance, and friendly service.  I will definitely be back for more dhaba style food at Dhaba and particularly look forward to trying their Murgh Bharta (I’ve never heard of this style of chicken), Chicken Tikka Masala, Dahiwala Murgh, and Dahiwala Bhindi.


Food: Good
Drinks: Below Average
Decor: Good
Service: Good
Value: Good



TELL ME: Have you been to Dhaba, if so, what did you think?  

Recipes You Will Love:

Tamarind | New York City The City Bakery | New York City (CLOSED) Eataly’s: Caffe Lavazza, IL Gelato, Paninoteca | New York City Junoon NYCOutstanding Michelin Star Experience: Junoon | NYC

Filed Under: $$, Flatiron, Food & Travel, Indian, New York, New York City, United States Tagged With: Food & Travel

Previous Post: « Pumpkin Oatmeal
Next Post: Happy Thanksgiving 2011!!!!!!!! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ameena says

    November 23, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    I haven't been to Dhaba…another one on my list. You have too many amazing suggestions and I do not have enough time here. 🙂

    See you later!

    Reply
  2. Anshu says

    November 25, 2011 at 2:19 am

    I went to Dhabha when I was there for Fall Break. It was pretty good and I ordere the Malai Kofta too with the Methi Rice and Garlic Nan. We sent the Malai Kofta back as it was way too sweet for us and they were kind enough to spice it up a bit for us. I liked the portions and it was a good place when you're out sightseeing the whole day. I enjoyed the experience but would love to try more places. I wouldn't visit it again per say as it was just an average experience for me.

    Reply
  3. honeywhatscooking says

    November 25, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    @Anshu, sorry to hear about your experience. You should look into trying Bhukhara Grill, Devi, Tamarind the next time you are visiting.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    December 6, 2011 at 2:26 am

    Hey Nisha,

    Nice pics! almost makes me want to go back! Good to know you liked Dhaba. It was a fun night 🙂

    Vrushali

    Reply
  5. honeywhatscooking says

    December 6, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Thanks Vrushali. It was a fun night and yes, I really enjoyed Dhaba.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar





Subscribe

Don't miss a single post!

Trending

  • Mexican Pizza Taco Bell (vegetarian)
  • Bombay Grilled Sandwich (vegetarian, vegan option...
  • Indian Afternoon Tea
  • World’s BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marina...
  • Gajar Ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding (gluten-fre...
  • Tea Party Sandwiches (cucumber chutney, veggie cre...
  • Green Moong Dal Khichdi (healthy, gluten-free, veg...
  • Taco Bell Spicy Tostada (baked, vegetarian, gluten...

Footer

About Me

A foodie who is passionate about living a healthy-ish lifestyle, cooking, and traveling. You'll find a mix of everything here and lots of seasonal content. I moved from Jersey City leaving behind my family & friends to beautiful Southern California for love. I'm adjusting to the laid-back SoCal lifestyle and learning a lot about myself along the way. Come join me on a soul searching journey and I'll tell YOU "what's cooking" through my love for food, fashion, and travel.

MANGO 🥭 CHICKPEA KACHUMBER SALAD is delicious, MANGO 🥭 CHICKPEA KACHUMBER SALAD is delicious, refreshing, and healthy. This is a spin on the traditional Kachumber Salad with the addition of mango and chickpeas. This salad is sweet, spicy, tangy, and good for you!⁠
⁠
✔️ Healthy / Vegan / Gluten-free / Nutritious⁠
⁠
✔️ Recipe on the blog. Link in bio!⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#indiansalad #kachumbersalad #summerrecipes #indiansalsa #healthyrecipe #vegansalad⁠
⁠
PANEER TIKKA QUESADILLAS are mouthwatering! Here's PANEER TIKKA QUESADILLAS are mouthwatering! Here's an Indo-Fusion dish you will love! I made a delicious marinade for the paneer and sauteed it along with the veggies. Assemble your whole wheat quesadillas and cook until the cheese has melted. The best part about this dish is my "special taco sauce" which complements these quesadillas perfectly. ⁠
⁠
✔️ Vegetarian / Nutritious / Whole Wheat / Gluten-free option / Easy to make⁠
⁠
➡️ Recipe on the blog. Link in bio!⁠
⁠
✅ Follow @honeywhatscooking for more recipes!⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#paneerrecipes #quesadillas #paneertikka #paneer #mexicaninspired #paneertikkaquesadillas #indianfusion #indianfusionrecipes #indianfood #streetfood #castironcooking
Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms who show up s Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms who show up selflessly every single day. Also, a happy mothers day to all of you who want to be moms. ❤️  This is the most challenging role of my life, but the journey is totally worth it. Krish has made me a stronger and happier person. He gives new meaning to my life.  And lastly, my kid couldn’t give me one nice picture of us in Hawaii… there’s either someone in the back or he’s making a face or he just wants to get away. He just can’t sit still for a minute… and with that a Happy Mother’s Day to me! 🥰
.
#happymothersday #mothersday #16monthsold #myhappiness #mybaby #mybabyboy
Vacationing with a kid has been a completely diffe Vacationing with a kid has been a completely different experience. While it’s nice to spend time as a family, dinners can get tough with a baby. Sanjiv and I enjoyed a romantic evening at House Without A Key in peace because Krish “thankfully” fell asleep (he was behind us I promise… swipe). It was so nice to converse with my better half over live music + cocktails, delicious food, and the BEST coconut cake (last pic). A memorable meal and evening! ❤️ #mylove 
.
#housewithoutakey @halekulanihotel #loveofmylife #waikikirestaurant #waikikitravel #hawaiitrip #datenight #familytrip
Aloha 🤙! Our first family trip! We made it to H Aloha 🤙! Our first family trip! We made it to Hawaii safe and sound, and Krish was pretty good on the plane. It’s my first time in Hawaii and I’m loving Waikiki… the beach, food, window shopping, and city life. I love being able to walk everywhere. It’s the perfect amount of action and relaxation for me. This is totally my kinda vacation 😎!  Krish has been loving all the people-watching… something he doesn’t do much of back home. He’s been flexible and has pretty much adjusted to our schedule. Thank you 🙏🏼 guys for all the food recommendations (Duke’s Hula Pie) and tips on traveling with a toddler. I can’t thank you all enough. ❤️ #myworld 
.
.
.
.
#familyvacation #familyof3 #waikiki #dukeswaikiki #hawaii #hawaiivacation #firstfamilyvacation
Follow Me On Instagram
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Subscribe for free recipes & monthly newsletter!

Don't miss a single post!

Recent Posts

  • Mexican Pizza Taco Bell (vegetarian)
  • Mango Chickpea Kachumber Salad (healthy)
  • Paneer Tikka Quesadillas (vegetarian)
  • Hara Bhara Kebab (vegan, healthyish)
  • Eggless Marble Cake
  • Tandoori Vegetarian Pizza with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

© 2022 Honey, What's Cooking.