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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Semma to Chatti and Bungalow: Desi restaurants in Big Apple do a Dhamaka
New York: At 7:30 on a sweltering summer evening in New York City, the Garment District is winding down. The frantic activity of the Big Apple's fashion hub gives way to a quieter time of day. But the air still hums with the excitement of secrets to be revealed. Times Square is to the north with its bright lights and heaving crowds, while the Empire State Building is unmissable, awash with colour from the lights. The mannequins in the shop windows, draped in sequined fabric, seem glimmeringly sentient. Tucked away on West 37th Street, a storefront announces Chatti in a flamboyant italic script and, in smaller but no less confident font, By Regi Mathew. This is the celebrated Indian chef's toddy shop-inspired, Kerala-style kitchen. And it's part of a wave. New York is in the throes of a spice-sprinkled gourmet glasnost that is unapologetically Indian. The city's Indian food scene used to be split, only half-jokingly, into butter chicken for the masses, molecular gastronomy for the critics. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: 1 simple trick to get all TV channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Between those extremes lay an arid vacuum. The ground has shifted with a bunch of intrepid, creative chefs serving Indian food that's uncompromisingly hyperlocal and high concept to NYC. Diners can't get enough of it. And the food critics, powerful enough to make or break restaurants in this part of the world, are raving. For the first time in its nearly century long history, the New York Times anointed an Indian restaurant—Semma—as No. 1 in its Top 100 Restaurants in NYC list. Live Events The South Indian fine-dining destination, helmed by chef Vijay Kumar (formerly of California's Michelin-starred Rasa) and backed by restaurateurs Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods, has emerged as an unmistakable disruptor in fine dining. Alongside Semma , several other Indian restaurants made it to the Times' Top 100, including Dhamaka, known for its fiery, rustic menu from the Indian hinterlands; Masalawala & Sons, a nostalgic tribute to Bengali home cooking; Bungalow, a newer entrant from celebrity chef Vikas Khanna blending artful plating with deep-rooted Punjabi flavours; and Dera, a Jackson Heights staple offering a rich blend of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi dishes. Not Pandering to Western Palates Unapologetic Foods is at the heart of this spice-splashed revolution. Pandya has also won the much sought-after James Beard prize for chefs. Most importantly, their growing empire—Semma, Dhamaka, Adda, Masalawala & Sons and Rowdy Rooster—doesn't pander to Western palates. Dhamaka and Semma are booked months in advance. Diners are lucky if they can snag a reservation on Resy. 'The Indian food scene right now is as exciting as it's ever been in New York City,' says veteran food writer Andrea Strong. 'And that's in large part because of Chintan and Roni and Vijay.' Bungalow is Vikas Khanna's most personal offering to date. 'This is my last restaurant,' he says, a culinary venture that caps off a 41-year career. 'New York is not an easy restaurant space, of course; it's the greatest, and it's also the toughest.' With Bungalow, he's reclaiming memory, an ode to what his late sister told him after admonishing him for 'chasing lists.' 'I have so many failed businesses where I could not break the code,' he says, but Bungalow is his homecoming. New York has had great South Asian food for quite some time, says Ryan Sutton, a food critic who has spent over two decades writing about food for Eater and now publishes The Lo Times. 'I remember going to a wedding at the original Junoon about a decade ago—probably the best wedding food I've ever had.' There was also Hemant Mathur's now-closed Tulsi, which had a Michelin star, like Junoon. 'And of course Indian Accent rolled into town a while back, and that venue (like the late Floyd Cardoz's shuttered Tabla) proved that New Yorkers were willing to pay a serious premium for really good South Asian fare,' remembers Sutton. But admittedly, what's going on is more exciting than just trendy amuse bouche. Inside Chatti, the room is filling up fast. Within the hour, it's packed—tables claimed, voices rising in a familiar rhythm. For a moment, it doesn't feel like New York anymore. 'For so long, people only knew one kind of Indian food,' says Mathew. 'People become like a community… good food in smaller portions. Now, they're discovering the flavours of Kerala. They're discovering our stories.' Stories that—until a few years back—weren't an option in the fine dining circuit of New York's food scene. These ideas were mostly pushed to the confines of the immigrant-reliant borough of Queens. Unapologetically Indian 'What's happening is not a trend,' says Pandya, who fired up the kitchen at Dhamaka, listed as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. 'I think it took a lot of crazy steps, almost, that didn't make logical or business sense for us to arrive at this point, and those were the breakthroughs that we needed.' What is happening differently with Indian food, and specifically in their restaurants, is that they are serving the real thing. 'Food we've been cooking for a long time—at our households, at our events—but it was never represented,' says Mazumdar. In March 2017, common friends had introduced Mazumdar and Pandya to each other. Pandya says Mazumdar was 'a crazy entrepreneur' who wanted someone to partner with. 'We knew one thing—our cuisine needed a radical shift,' Mazumdar says. 'Chintan had spent his whole career in fine dining. I came in with a disruptive mindset. That's where we connected. We didn't have a white paper or a protocol.' It was uncharted territory. Indian food had never really worked in this city. 'So we asked, what do we do about it?' Whether that meant serving gurda kapoora (goat kidney and testicles) or refusing to do takeout at the pandemic-born Dhamaka. 'The very first time when you open the lid of a freshly cooked dish and that steam comes out—that's a dhamaka,' Pandya says. 'I cannot recreate that in a plastic container.' Semma Sensation Currently, Semma is what every Indian wants to talk about. Kumar has taken the city by storm, given that it's unprecedented for a Tamil food-centric restaurant to get a Michelin star. Originally, Kumar wasn't hired to build Semma. He had written to Mazumdar when Rahi launched, saying he would love to join them someday. When he finally joined the kitchen at Rahi, his dishes stood out. At that point, Mazumdar said if they end up serving this, they would end up confusing Rahi's core consumers. So Semma was born. Rahi has since closed. 'Semma showcases Tamil Nadu. Masalawala brings Kolkata. Dhamaka brought offal. This isn't about fusion or elevation. It's about recognition,' says Sutton. Strong says: 'The food is spicy, it's loud, it's rowdy, and it's fun. There's an energy to it that's similar to what you'd find in Bombay or Calcutta.' Unapologetic Foods is planning to open an Adda in Philadelphia and a fast-casual Kababwala in NYC by the end of this year. Back at Chatti, Mathew is busy attending to guests at every table—explaining toddy shop culture. Khanna says there are nights he sees scores waiting outside. 'They're just coming as a part of a pilgrimage. Agar restaurant ye create kar sakta hai, it means there's so much more.' For the first time, Indian food in New York isn't whispering. It's making noise—and it's not asking for permission. It's unapologetically Indian.
Mint
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Toddy shops and desi dive bars go hip
During the 1970s, restaurants in Maharashtra had to segregate alcohol-serving areas from the rest of the dining space or family room. As a patron, one needed a permit from the state government to drink in these 'permit rooms". 'In contrast, quarter bars, which catered primarily to male patrons and served only chakna (bar snacks), developed a seedier reputation," says Aditya Hegde, co-founder of Permit & Co in Mumbai. On the other hand, Goan tavernas were neighbourhood watering holes that catered to different working communities—the ones near the beach were for fisherfolk, those near the fields were for farmers, in coconut groves for toddy tappers, and so on. They generally served feni and seasonal urrak as the main tipple. In Kerala, kallu shaaps are where toddy tappers hand over their vats of freshly fermented toddy for people to relish after a long day's labour. Restaurateurs across India are now reviving and reinventing traditional toddy shops, permit rooms and tavernas, transforming these hyperlocal bars into trendy destinations. By modernising classic drinks and dishes, they're not just celebrating regional heritage, but also making communal experiences fun and relevant to a new generation. Also read: Can 'touchings' be the new tapas? Chef Regi Mathew thinks so Tobias Carvalho, a bartender and restaurateur based in Goa, says there are many smaller watering holes considered unworthy of a family-friendly experience. 'It also depends on how you are portraying your outfit," he says. He, along with business partner Gaurav Bhardwaj, opened MoFo in Benaulim, late last year, their take on a traditional taverna, but with the exoticism of a speakeasy. The thread that ties all of these watering holes together is the sense of community. 'The charm of India's dive bars lies in their unfiltered honesty. These were spaces where you left your baggage at the door: no dress codes, no judgement, just good booze, great snacks and real conversation," explains chef-partner Niyati Rao of Mumbai's Bombay Daak. Bob's Bar in Bengaluru takes the spirit of camaraderie very seriously. 'It is a space where a 70-year-old from Richmond Town (one of Bengaluru's oldest neighbourhoods) might end up sharing a table with a young creative new to the city—and both would feel at home," says a Bob's Bar spokesperson. The food and drinks originally served at watering holes were created to be practical finger foods that would be comforting, and double up as a gastric lining to deal with the onslaught of bottom-shelf spirits served neat, with soda or plain water. 'A peg with something salty, spicy and fried—is practically an art form, perfected over decades in smoky corners and sticky tables," says Rao. There are unique variations in every region: from ghee roast in Mangaluru's bars and boiled peanuts tossed with lime in Tamil Nadu to Mumbai's bombil and liver fry. The food was always meant to support conversation—not interrupt it. This is the premise modern avatars of dive bars are trying to recreate. 'I call it no-nonsense food, where you don't reinvent the wheel," Carvalho says. At MoFo, best-sellers include dishes like kheema pav and Maggi topped with bacon or eggs. This nostalgia-fuelled, necessity-driven gastronomic adventure is a subculture of its own. The curiosity spreads across the globe with bars such as Mischa Tropp's Toddy Shop by Marthanden Hotel in Melbourne, and Dishoom's Permit Room in London, a tribute to the hyper-regional food and drinks culture of Kerala and Mumbai respectively. Most recently, chef Regi Matthew took Kerala's kallu shaap to New York with the opening of his restaurant Chatti. 'There is so much to explore in India and concepts like toddy shops do such good work with food, preserving at times lost recipes. They need to be taken to the food curious," he says. Dishes served at Chatti are elevated such as banana leaf-wrapped prawn pouches and the toddy shop classic beef fry. At Bombay Daak, Rao's team creates cocktails that celebrate Indian spirits and regional ingredients. 'We're not toning down the essence, we're turning up the craft," she says. Bob's Bar serves Kannadiga staples like raw banana cutlets, pepper chicken and fried chicken. The libations at traditional dives left a lot to be desired, but that is where innovation has played a key role. Carvalho infuses whisky with chikoo and cacao nibs, bitters and demerara to create a version of an Old Fashioned called Ohfomofo. 'We also have Sinatra Symphony, which is a New York sour twist of whisky infused with ginger, honey, and some citric acid." Bombay Daak's Santra Season is the head mixologist Yathish Bangera's take on the wine shop and dive bar staple served in a flat bottle made with gin and pickled indigenous ingredients. Shaped by necessity and local context, dive bars were designed to complement affordable alcohol—bold, quick, comforting, and easy on the pocket. This practical approach evolved into a beloved subculture that is now being reimagined and championed in ways that surprise and satisfy. Also read: A new bar honours the age-old drinking culture of India Sayoni Bhaduri is a lifestyle journalist based in Mumbai.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Toddy Shop By An Indian Chef Adds To NYC's Cuisine
Chef Regi Matthew thought New York was the perfect city to introduce an Indian restaurant Chatti in ... More the Garment Center, known for specializing in toddy's, a dish native to India. New York City foodies are always in search of new cuisine to find unique flavors and tastes that stretch their palate. And since 38% of its population consists of immigrants, New Yorkers have a wide-ranging palette. Drawn to New York City because of its international cuisine, India-born chef Regi Mathew opened Chatti on West 37th Street on Feb. 12, 2025 in the Garment Center area in proximity to Times Square and Penn Station. Mathew hails from Kerala on India's southwestern coast, and is known for launching the restaurant chain Kappa Chakka Kandhari in Chenni and Bangalore India, but this is his first international venture. Mathew suggests that Indian food in New York City is becoming increasingly regionalized, reflecting different areas of India, rather than offering the same old-time favorites like chicken curry. He calls Kerala the 'land of spices' since it has traditionally attracted traders and travelers from different areas overseas. He chose New York City, over London or Paris, because 'New York is definitely the best place when it comes to gourmet audiences. They are well-traveled and appreciate good food. I want to present my food on the best possible stage.' Introducing a Toddy Eatery to NYC He describes Chatti as a toddy shop, which leads to dishes called 'touchings' that are slow-cooked and often eaten with one's hands. To develop his personal recipes, Matthew traversed India and stopped at over 70 toddy shops, where he learned that the food 'changes from village to village, shaped by what's available and who's cooking it.' Toddy's are best compared to tapas and function as appetizers, and they combine well with 'great conversation and good drinks,' he explains. Chatti's food, he says, is 'not heavy, not too many allergens, no nuts.' The word 'chatti' refers to the classic container used in curry shops. Pawn Pouches Are One Example Some of his signature toddy's include prawn pouches, consisting of prawns with coconut masala, beef fry, tapioca patties, and clay pot fish curry. He says the prawn pouches are 'delicate and aromatic, steamed in banana leaves,' the clay pot fish curry 'is bold and slow-cooked with pieces' and the tapioca patties are 'crispy, golden and comforting.' Two of the most popular entrées ordered are halibut grilled with gooseberry masala and rice dumplings in coconut milk with chicken curry. He adds that social media has been a useful tool for its guests to send photos of toddy's to friends to get the word out. Yet, he admits that most mainstays of Indian cuisine in the New York City area aren't on the menu so you don't find samosas or chicken curry. 'The food we are preparing is from Indian cuisine,' not Americanized, he suggests. The average dinner check at Chatti's is $60 to $70 per person for lunch and $80 to $100 per person at dinner, excluding liquor. It seats 90 guests in the main dining rooms and up to 70 guests in a mezzanine, used for private events including birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and corporate gatherings. Capitalizing an eatery in NYC is an expensive endeavor. Mathew says he received investments from a select few U.S.-based investors, who were aligned with his culinary vision. Targeting the Curious Diner Bungalow, the well-respected East Village eatery started by chef Vikas Khanna, often attracts a clientele that is 75% Indian people, but Mathew says Chatti appeals to 'the curious, open-minded diner who's ready to explore Indian food beyond the familiar.' Yet he acknowledges that many Indian people are discovering it and bringing their Indian friends with them. For example, a friend of mine who is an Indian Google engineer has already dined there. When this reporter dined at Chatti early on a Sunday evening, he and a friend ordered the prawn pouches and a chicken pouch, then a seafood and coriander chicken dish ending with cloud pudding, a coconut dessert, for a delicious meal. Most diners on Yelp were pleased about their Chatti meal. Beth from White Plains, N.Y. said 'If you're craving bold, authentic Kerala flavors, Chatti is the place to be.' She enjoyed the beef fry appetizer, Trivandrum chicken fry, and calamari and shrimp, and the cloud pudding dessert. And Chripa from New Hyde Park, N.Y. enjoyed her beef curry, the duck curry with the roasted coconut and black pepper, which she scooped up and ate like soup. She liked the touchings, reporting that her table of 4 people ordered 5 of them as appetizers. Mathew says he's only concentrating on making Chatti successful, and not delving into the future and exploring opening a second location. Asked the keys to the future success, he replied, #1 Staying true to the cuisine, #2 The right ingredients, #3 The right cooking style. So in essence, he said the regional Indian cooking will determine its success. Lastly, he adds, most Americans view Indian cuisine as spicy, but he emphasizes that Chatti's food is 'flavorful, not pungent.'
