I hate the part of East Village near Stuytown. I know that’s a hot take as the East Village in general is a fun jaunt, but this specific section always feels like a part of town time forgot about and more specifically abandoned.
On top of looking like the set of the next set of Fallout at times, locals are primarily comprised of 20-year-olds going to nearby NYU, which once you hit a certain age, is the last sort of neighborhood you want to be in. All of that is to say I was thankful that I had no reason to visit this neighborhood but ISHQ has changed my mind.
ISHQΒ is anΒ IndianΒ casual fine-dining restaurantΒ that opened in theΒ East VillageΒ in the fall ofΒ last year and was recentlyΒ awarded aΒ Michelin Bib Gourmand Title. The menu is labor of love by,Β Executive Chef-OwnerΒ Vamshi Adi, formerly ofΒ Baar BaarΒ andΒ Michelin-starred Junoon.Β Chef Vamshi showcases atΒ ISHQΒ regional Indian cuisineΒ infused with a modern flair. Traditional dishes are reimagined byΒ unique platingΒ andΒ presentation, all while maintaining theirΒ authentic flavorsΒ and ingredients.
To start, we had the Sharabi Chicken Tikka and the Kasundi Shrimp. The chicken tikka was served on a skewer covered in literal fire. It was nothing short of an absolute spectacle to have the waiter come by, quickly douse the chicken in a flammable liquid, and ignite the dish to awe me and onlookers alike. However, it wasnβt just a feast for the eyes. It was easily the best chicken dish Iβve had in New York so far this year and something Iβve been thinking about ever since I ate there. As for the Kasundi Shrimp, itβs worth noting that I am not the biggest fan of seafood curries, especially shrimp curries. Outside of my own motherβs, I find the shrimp in curries to be overcooked far more often than I’d like. However here, it was cooked to absolute perfection.
After such a strong start to the meal, we continued with Delhi Ki Butter Chicken and the Nalli Gosht Biryani. The Butter Chicken was beautifully served with a hefty topping of saffron and gold flakes and I complimented it with some perfectly made garlic naan. Butter Chicken, however, is a fairly straightforward dish, unlike Biryani. I firmly believe New York has a good version of pretty much any dish known to man but good Biryani always feels hard to find. ISHQ has certainly made that search easier as this is one of my favorites if not my favorite in the city at the moment. Perfectly served and presented as if a family member made it, except, of course, a little nicer. The center of the Biryani was topped with a shank of lamb still on the bone which was absolutely fantastic. Lastly, to finish off the meal, we had the Kaala Jamun Tart which was a sweet chocolatey dessert topped with faux beads of tapioca in the shape of caviar. Honestly, it might be my favorite dessert from an Indian restaurant in New York so far.
After finishing our mocktails which were both wonderfully sweet and fruity, we left a meal that Iβve been thinking about for the past two weeks. I will say, a key aspect of the menu is that all of the food is to be shared and that portions are generous. Take it from someone who doesnβt shy away from large portions of good food: the portions are substantial.
One main wouldβve easily sufficed for two but youβre going to want to try more than one thing on the menu, which brings me to my closing thoughts. Find some friends, block out an evening, and lock in for a night of great food and cocktails. If ISHQ can get me to come to a part of the city I hate going to, it easily earns its place as one of if not my absolute favorite Indian restaurants in New York.
