Cheap Indian Eats
Tonight, J1 and I ended up in kind of the middle of nowhere as we headed to Kanvas to celebrate Avani's birthday with her. I should note that I am not nearly cool enough for a place like Kanvas. It's a damn good thing Avani put me on the guest list or they probably never would have let me in the door. But that is neither here nor there.
Anyway, Kanvas is on Ninth Ave. at 23rd Street. It's technically Chelsea, I suppose, but it's too far north to really be Chelsea, but it's too far south to be Midtown. The main problem is that it is pretty far west to be in a heavy traffic area. Which is my main point -- it's somewhat off the beaten path.
Anyway, before hand we wanted to get something to eat, so I consulted the ever-valuable MenuPages before leaving home and found rave reviews for an Indian restaurant called Qasim.
This place is great, and if you're ever in the area (it's on Ninth Ave. just above 29th), I would highly recommend it.
We're firmly in the "dive" category here. This is no Devi or Tamarind. This is just about the food.
As everyone knows (or should know), the best ethnic food usually comes from dives. Unfortunately, I have found few quality dives of various types in the City. So many of the cheap places, with quality dive potential, turn out mediocre, tasteless food. Other places, with decent food, try to get all sexy and lose the authenticity of a dive.
Qasim has not been afflicted with this problem. The tables are covered with plastic floral tablecloths. Each table has its own plastic water pitcher. A massive Magnavox projection TV plays an Indian news network constantly. The tables are filled with people from southeast Asia (this is a key test for the quality of a dive -- whether the people eating there look like they have some grounds for judging how the food should taste).
The food was excellent. J1 got chicken, curry vegetables, and spinach (the curry was good, the spinach was forgettable). I got some sort of eggplant and potato curry, which was exceptional, and chick peas, which were solid. Most importantly, each dish had its own unique flavor and combination of spices. This is a great improvement over many dives, where everything tastes the same.
Oh, and did I mention the price? Two of us ate for under $12. Great kitschy atmosphere, yummy food, and bargain price. What more could you ask for?
Check out Quasim.
Anyway, Kanvas is on Ninth Ave. at 23rd Street. It's technically Chelsea, I suppose, but it's too far north to really be Chelsea, but it's too far south to be Midtown. The main problem is that it is pretty far west to be in a heavy traffic area. Which is my main point -- it's somewhat off the beaten path.
Anyway, before hand we wanted to get something to eat, so I consulted the ever-valuable MenuPages before leaving home and found rave reviews for an Indian restaurant called Qasim.
This place is great, and if you're ever in the area (it's on Ninth Ave. just above 29th), I would highly recommend it.
We're firmly in the "dive" category here. This is no Devi or Tamarind. This is just about the food.
As everyone knows (or should know), the best ethnic food usually comes from dives. Unfortunately, I have found few quality dives of various types in the City. So many of the cheap places, with quality dive potential, turn out mediocre, tasteless food. Other places, with decent food, try to get all sexy and lose the authenticity of a dive.
Qasim has not been afflicted with this problem. The tables are covered with plastic floral tablecloths. Each table has its own plastic water pitcher. A massive Magnavox projection TV plays an Indian news network constantly. The tables are filled with people from southeast Asia (this is a key test for the quality of a dive -- whether the people eating there look like they have some grounds for judging how the food should taste).
The food was excellent. J1 got chicken, curry vegetables, and spinach (the curry was good, the spinach was forgettable). I got some sort of eggplant and potato curry, which was exceptional, and chick peas, which were solid. Most importantly, each dish had its own unique flavor and combination of spices. This is a great improvement over many dives, where everything tastes the same.
Oh, and did I mention the price? Two of us ate for under $12. Great kitschy atmosphere, yummy food, and bargain price. What more could you ask for?
Check out Quasim.
posted by N at 1:26 AM
1 Comments:
As N is a vegetarian, he did not mention how good my chicken was! And, I disagree about the spinach--I thought it was some of the better saag I'd had in awhile.
However, I think my favorite part was the ever-present water pitcher!
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