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Manhattan, Queens & Long Island Indian Restaurants
Reviewer's Summary: Disappointing Food, Lousy Desserts, Clueless Service
Tadka = Mediocre Indian food + Lousy Desserts + Poor Service + Cramped Place.
Tadka gives its older sibling Chola a bad reputation.
Chola on E.58th St in Midtown East Manhattan is respected for the quality and range of its Indian food.
So it was with heightened expectation that we ventured to Tadka for a meal the other day.
Our choice of appetizer Lasoni Gobi (battered cauliflower garlic and tangy flavor) was as described. It was hot and tangy and we quickly finished it with mucho gusto.
But things quickly went downhill from then on.
Chicken Kali Mirch (Chicken, black peppercorns, tomatoes and fresh coriander) was not spicy enough to satisfy our hardened Indian palates. We had specifically requested our waiter that we wanted it spicy. But our request fell on deaf ears because what landed on our table was a mildly-spiced version.
If Chicken Kali Mirch was disappointing, Bhindi Masala put us in a rage. Bhindi Masala (sauteed okra, onions, bell pepper, tomato and ginger) is hardly an exotic Indian vegetarian dish and can be found at most Indian restaurants. But the inept chefs in Tadka's kitchen couldn't get this pedestrian item right. The Bhindi Masala that landed on our table was salty and far too sour to give us any satisfaction.
The Regular Naan Bread (tandoor-fired white bread) was alright but the Onion Naan was underflavored and nothing to write home about.
If the food and service are disappointing in Tadka, the desserts we had at Tadka were simply pathetic.
When prepared well, Indian desserts can provide you with glimpses of the very heaven. Alas, our Rasmalai came in plain cold milk, not the flavored sweetened cold milk. If what we had was Rasmalai, then I'm the Prince of Wales!
Our second dessert Sooji Halwa was as bad. A flavorless disaster, this combination of semolina, desi ghee, cashew and raisins was an impostor of the real Sooji Halwa that we've had on countless occasions to much delight.
Our Nepali waiter was a clueless fellow who seemed like he'd just got off the boat. Since he had difficulty understanding our Indian English, we sympathized with the plight of the Americans in getting across their requests to this fellow.
When we tried to order appetizer and desserts, our waiter kept repeating again and again like a parrot that they were not part of the lunch specials even after we told him that we understood that fact. We saw him doing the same with other diners as well. We were also irritated that he gout us our check without asking us whether we wanted anything else.
Also, our bill had a mistake and showed Gulab Jamun although we'd actually ordered Rasmalai.
Tadka is a cramped place. The small tables are set too close to each other making it difficult for diners to move about.
While Chola is one of the finest Indian restaurants in New York, its new sibling Tadka has ways to go both in the food department and quality of service. - © Rekha Inc.
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