New York is a truly global city. As a native New Yorker, one of the hardest things to find these days is another true New Yorker.
Naturally, there are a lot of folks from other states and of course, many from other countries. I often find myself playing an informal guide to American culture to friends new to the States and one point I always try to drive home is that New York is not America, it’s just a piece in the elaborate jigsaw puzzle. Each state in this union is slightly different from the others. My favorite people to talk about regional differences to is always people from India. We may have differences from state to state here but the contrasts are much sharper in India. All of this brings me to my most recent restaurant review: Oh! Calcutta.
Oh! Calcutta is a newly opened, laid-back Indian restaurant featuring a blend of Kolkata’s regional specialties from West Bengal and beloved classic Indian dishes by owner Ruhel Amin, who’s restaurants include Mumbai Masala in Harlem and Masti Indian Grill and Chaat Bar in Williamsburg. Overall, I had a solid experience testing out this somewhat familiar but unique take on Indian cuisine.
To start, I had the Singhara, which is a Calcutta-style Samosa with potatoes and cauliflower. It was, as you can expect, a fairly solid Samosa that was well plated and prepared. Next, I had the Bhel Puri: a dish of savory crunchies, puffed rice, onion, and chutneys. This was surprisingly refreshing with sweet and sharp flavors without being too acidic. This was a highlight early in the meal and something I would definitely want to try again.
After that, we had the mains: The Rogan Josh lamb and the Chingri Malai Kari. Both came with white rice and I got a side of Lachha parathas, which were prepared in a tandoor. The Rogan Josh lamb, which is a Kashmiri yougurt lamb curry made with saffron and cardamom, was well seasoned and served in a nice curry that I couldn’t get enough it. It paired incredibly well with the Parathas as well. The Chingri Malai Kari, which is a shrimp coconut curry was wonderfully sweet and featured bright flavors.
As with many Indian restaurants in New York, this one caters to a western palate and that is by no means a bad thing. It was such an interesting experience getting a taste of Kolkata’s regional specialties. This is a perfect place to order take out from if you’re in the area or a great spot to visit if you want some decent Indian food in Long Island City. If you go in, you’ll surely be greeted by incredibly friendly wait staff who won’t treat you like patrons, but like family.
