Babu Ji

I have been meaning to write about this place for a couple months now and finally its here! Voted #1 restaurant in NYC by The Infatuation, Babu Ji is by far THE BEST Indian food I have ever eaten. Last night was my second time at the restaurant and I must say I am always blown away by their culinary creations. Located on East 11th and Avenue B, Babu Ji brings a palatable twist to Alphabet City.

Greeted at the door by Warren the host, my two friends and I were quickly seated, and by chance it was the same table I sat at during my last visit - by the "grab your own craft beer fridge". Biggest tip I can give you is get there early! This restaurant fills up within a matter of minutes, and you will wait! We were supposed to meet at 6PM, however my girlfriend and I were running late. Luckily my friend made reservations with the host upon arrival, and as soon as we were all present and sat, the restaurant was packed and the wait to get in began.

We each grabbed a beer from the fridge behind us and excited to get eating we quickly ordered two of the most popular appetizers from our smiley waitress - the vegan Colonal Tso's Cauliflower, Batata Vada, and a dish from the tasting menu that my friend Michael insisted we try (shown in order below). Everything was absolutely mouthwatering, the dish my friend ordered from the tasting menu I cant even begin to describe, you bit into a crunchy sphere filled with this yogurt tamarind goodness that exploded in your mouth - you can actually see me trying for the first time on my instagram - @kimbeatrice haha!

For our mains we picked a variety from lamb to chicken and lots and lots of garlic NAAN. We ordered the Butter Chicken: Yoghurt marinated chicken in a ginger, garlice, tomato, and fenugreek curry and the Southern India Lamb Curry: Leg od lamb slow cooked with whole roasted fennel seed, black cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, and a touch of coconut milk. I mean can that sound any better? In between courses we got up and refilled our beers with new ones, as more food was brought to our table.

We ended our savory dinner with their Chai Like We Drink it at Our Homes: Tea, ginger, fennel seed, cardamom, and milk and a Housemade All Natural Cardamom, Honey & Pistachio Kulfi: their speciality dessert - and as stated on the menu a must try (shown below).

I can't stop praising how incredible this restaurant is. The prices are fair, the food is beyond exquisite and flavorful. The service is always attentive and very smiley. You can't go wrong. After trying Indian in the so called Curry Hill, I can tell you nothing can compare to the rich and unique taste Babu Ji will bring you.