09/12/09

HIGH HYPE, LOW SUBSTANCE

by FarzanaVirani

no indian in their right mind would like this restaurant. i'll jump right into an example. my chocolate dessert had TURMERIC in it. turmeric?!! yes, turmeric is very indian, but with chocolate?!! in dessert?!! also, my chaat (mixed food snacks) was quite good except for a nasty syrupy-sweet tamarind sauce. this pretty much summarized every dish at indika - there is always something that ruins the dish. that's the so-called "inventive" part.

now i love traditional indian food, true to my roots. however, having lived in major international cities, i've tried my fare share of modern/fusion indian food. i find it's either fabulous or ridiculous; indika is the latter. (for reference, i love 'tabla' in new york: classy, inventive, authentic in ingredients, modern in presentation.)

pros: A for effort, not result. the interior is very posh and warm at the same time. service was decent.

i asked my indian friends what they thought of indika and we're all in agreement. it seems only white americans with no concept of real indian food enjoy indika -- the kind that think real indian food is "too darn spicy".

• Pros: inventive food, good atmosphere
• Cons: wierd dishes, inauthentic flavors, overpriced,

04/10/09

Mixed Bag, Apparently the cocktails are infused with gold.

by InsertWitHere

After reading mixed reviews online I suggested it to my group for lunch.

Yes, upon entering the establishment there is a scent of barn yard or perhaps city "infused" with barn yard.

The menu is a bit odd as there are duplicates of the same list but there was a set menu for the day. We ordered several of the tasting platters and the three course menu for the day. The foods were not awe inspiring, the lamb tasted exactly like my first attempt at curry (it wasn't offensive but not something I'd dream about). The edible flowers were a nice touch however pomegranite is over "infused" into nearly every dish. The drinks are entirely too costly, nearly $10 for a single cocktail "infused" with vodka. The most amazing part of the entire meal was our service, a scruffy young man named Bryce assisted us without fail. The busser cleared our table of semi- eaten meals without our approval and so a large amount of our meals were "taken".

-The Turboozen (cocktail) was bland although the basil and mint floating in it were delicious, together with the grapefruit and vodka it faintly tasted of soap but grows on you as the liquor takes its course.

-The Kamasutra (cocktail) was great. End of story, there were several of those to be had by our table.

Post Dinner Drinks

-The Sherry was potent and smooth, no complaints.

-The Antiquity Wiskey (neat) was aromatic and dazzling although served in a comically over-sized snifter.

Note: The quality of the fine liquors was delightful however I must point out that 1) they were not made by Indika and so I cannot credit them for this 2) we came for the food.

Honestly, while the food was not unbearable and even surprising in the best ways it does not warrant $50 a person. Indika is in theory a "Fusion Indian Fine Dining Experience", in this case theory does not transfer well to reality. The ambiance, location, price point and even the music suggests that this is a fad-spot; a place for indie rock loving midtowners to be seen enjoying indian fusion cuisine.

I return now to my hunt for Indian cuisine to write home about.

• Pros: Bryce, our waiter, was oustanding! Give this guy a raise!!!
• Cons: Price, Price, Price / Generic Atmosphere

03/16/09

LOVE IT!

by jenpreu

I have read some questionable reviews about this place but I have gone twice with nothing but perfect service & food! We had the venision chops most recently and they were like butter! I cannot wait to go back!

• Pros: Service, Ambiance, Food, Dessert, Coffee
• Cons: none