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Indus Valley NYC
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Address: Indus Valley
2636 BroadwayNew York, NY 10025 Other NYC Indian/Pakistani Restaurants |
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Indus Valley NYC Review: Mostly Decent Indian Food
Being ardent aficionados of Indian food, we relentlessly scout for good Indian restaurants.Be it in New York City, Queen's or Long Island, NYIndia's mission is to unearth fine Indian restaurants.
The other day we were walking around Midtown. It was noon and our stomach was bellowing for sustenance.
We quickly pulled out our iPhone to look for an Indian restaurant.
To escape the holiday season hordes in Midtown, we took the train to Indus Valley on Broadway at 100th St on the Upper West side
As we stepped into Indus Valley we espied the buffet table to our left. After a quick glance at the items on buffet tablet, we decided on the buffet given the wide choice.
When we entered around 12:30 p.m., the restaurant was sparsely crowded with just five Caucasian diners digging into their curries.
We were greeted by a tall desi waiter and allowed to choose a table of our choice.
Not a bad start for an Indian restaurant we told ourselves.
You see the wait staff at most NYC Indian restaurants are either rude or in a mournful mien. Also, they often tend to give Indian customers the cold shoulder.
The same waiter informed us politely that the buffet was ready and we could help ourselves.
Lunch Buffet - Decent Spread
During our visit, Indus Valley's buffet included Alu Tikki, Vegetable Samosa, Bhelpuri Chaat, Salad, Alu Poori, Tandoori Chicken, Green Chutney, Pickled red Onions, Channa Dal, Channa Masala, Palak Corn, Navaratan Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry, Goat curry, Basmati Rice, Gulab Jamun, Gajar Halwa and Semiya Payasam.Not bad, eh?
We were drooling at the mere sight of the food. Yes, Indian food has that stimulating effect on us that a stripper has on others.
Yummy Appetizers
Alu Tikki with Green Chilli and Cilantro seasoning was yummy with Green Chutney as side.
 Alu Tikki, Poori, Chicken Kebab |
 Palak Corn, Channa Dal, (top) Channa Masala & Navaratan Korma (bottom) |
Ditto with small evenly cooked Vegetable Samosa with flavorful Potato filling.
Bhel Puri Channa Chaat though cold was still flavorful.
No complaints about Aloo Poori as well folks. With a faint garlic flavor, the Potato curry was delicious.
Tandoori Chicken or Chicken Kebab
Chicken appetizer though labeled Tandoori Chicken had the appearance, texture and taste of Chicken Kebab.
The Chicken was tender and flavorful with sliced Onions and Cilantro seasoning.
Vegetable Entrees
Of the four vegetable entrees we tried, we enjoyed Palak Corn the most.With a smooth texture and devoid of any raw flavor, Indus Valley's Palak Corn is easily one of the most delicious Spinach entrees we have had in a long time. It was fine with both Naan bread as well as with the Jeera seasoned Basmati rice.
A close competitor to Palak Corn was Navaratan Korma.
A mèlange of Zuchni, Cauliflower, Green Peas, ridged Carrot slices and Beans, Navaratan Korma was creamy and a tad sweeter to our spice hardened palates. But still we enjoyed it.
But Channa Masala and Channa Dal were both a big let downs.
Channa Masala with a strong sour taste was not in the least flavorful leave alone spicy. It never ceases to surprise that few Indian restaurants get Channa Masala right given that it's a basic Indian dish.
Channa Dal devoid of any seasoning was tasteless and does not merit any further attention from your reviewer.
Chicken Entrees
Chicken Tikka Masala with tender Chicken pieces was creamy as it should be and, boy, was it flavorful.We enjoyed Indus Valley's Chicken Tikka Masala thoroughly with both Naan bread and Rice.
 Chicken Tikka Masala & Rice |
 Chicken Curry & Rice |
Naan Bread and Basmati Rice
Naan Bread came hot to the table and was soft.
 Naan Bread |
 Gulab Jamun |
Basmati Rice with Jeera seasoning was hot and fresh and no complaints folks.
Desserts - Mixed Bag
Of the three desserts we tasted at Indus Valley, Gulab Jamun was easily the best.The evenly cooked Gulab Jamun, soaked in warm Cardamom flavored sugar syrup was delicious.
Semiya Payasam was warm and creamy but a little low on Sugar.
 Semiya Payasam |
 Gajar Halwa |
Gajar Halwa was low on ghee and tasted more like grated Carrots cooked in milk rather than a sweet delicacy.
So So Service
As we entered Indus Valley, we were greeted with a smile and quickly shown a table. Naan Bread was delivered to the table promptly.But the initial prompt service quickly disappeared. Used plates were allowed to pile up on the table and water glasses were not refilled promptly.
Hey, nobody even bothered to check with us whether we needed extra bread or if we want to order a drink.
Also, we had to request for our check twice. Even after two requests we had to wait for nearly ten minutes for our check to arrive at the table to make the payment.
Sure the restaurant filled up a bit after us but the crowd was not so much that the wait staff could not clear the used plates pile up or get us the check promptly.
Indus Valley NYC Rating
Indus Valley Food: All in all Indus Valley Cuisine of India serves mostly flavorful food.Indus Valley Service: While the service is better than at most Indian restaurants in NYC, there's lot of room for improvement.
Notwithstanding our irritation over the used plates piling up and delays in getting us the check, we would still strongly recommend lunch buffet at Indus Valley Cuisine of India on Broadway for its fine appetizers, Palak and Chicken entrees. - © NYIndia.us