It's experiences like the one I had last night at Pondicheri that motivate me to keep writing this blog. It's not because I like to shit all over restaurants and make them feel bad, but it's a way for me to hopefully share some feedback and make them a better restaurant in the future. I had read a lot about this place and how it's an acclaimed Indian restaurant in Houston, so I figured it was worth checking out.
I walked in at 8pm on a Saturday which I know is always a crapshoot in NYC. But the place was literally half empty so I was expecting to get a seat immediately, if not, quickly. However, the hostess informed me that all the seats were taken. I looked at her and said, "Seriously, every single one of these seats? Even the one right here that is being busied as we speak?" She said something weird like the waiters didn't like or were having issues with those tables, so they were no longer using them. Umm - ok. But she said that if any seats at the bar opened up, they serve a full menu there. Great - luckily two people got up right as I walked over, so I swooped in and took them. As I sat down I heard the bartender/waiter apologizing to the couple next to me about the slowness of their food and that it was coming soon - that's never a good sign.
The menu looked pretty tasty - a variety of starter dishes, shared dishes and sampler plates. Aarti and I each got a different sampler plate - she got the vishnu ($18) and I got the earth ($22) and we got a side order of garlic naan ($6). Aarti and I were both starving so we were really excited for our food and this is where it went downhill quickly. I am not exaggerating when I say it took over 40 mins for our food to arrive. We sat at the bar with nothing but our drinks for 40 mins (they also were slow to refill our water, I had to ask repeatedly) - eventually they tossed us some mixed spiced snacks before we keeled over and died at the bar, but that was only after 30 mins of us sitting there. I had to finally ask our bartender and he was clearly very embarrassed about it and I know it's not his fault but it was really just unacceptable that no one said anything to us or offered us anything. Finally we saw food coming towards us, only for the busy boy to deliver another table's food to us by accident. What made it ridiculous was that it was for the people who came in literally 30 mins after we sat down. How the hell were they getting food before us?? Either our order never got placed or there are some serious operational issues. Finally, almost an hour after sitting, we got our food with our waiter profusely apologizing and pouring us more wine on the house.
The sad thing is that the food was alright. The earth plate came with a very flavorful chicken dish, spiced lightly fried okra, smoked eggplant, sauteed greens (random as it's not really an Indian dish) and a beet cashew rita. It was a mix of complex and intense flavors, which is why I love Indian food. Aarti's dish was almost the same thing but she had a sweet potato samosa, which was quite tasty. When you look at what was actually served, there is absolutely no reason why it should have taken 45-60 mins to produce. If anything, most Indian places I've been to have many of these dishes pre-made and serve it up quickly. If the food had come out at a normal pace, I probably would have given this place at least 3.5 forks or maybe more.
The delayed food was only half of my anger as the night progressed NONE of the tables that were empty when I walked in were filled. Seriously, the place was pretty empty by the time we left. I didn't mind sitting at the bar but again, poor management and operations if they were expecting a full house and didn't get it or they just blatantly lied to me about it.
By the time we left, Aarti and I made a pact to never get Indian food outside of Curry Hill, Little India or the Temple in Queens. Honestly, whenever you are looking for delicious ethnic food (except for Italian food - never go to Little Italy), it's best to stick with the appropriate ethnic neighborhoods - the quality is better, it's more authentic and it's way cheaper. I felt bad for this place, it wasn't the bartender's fault and most places need a few months to adjust themselves, so perhaps I'm being a bit harsh. After all, I always say never go to a restaurant when it first opens, so I clearly didn't follow my own advice. Plus most legit restaurant reviews are done after going to the place at least 3-4 times, so perhaps if I do go back, things will be improved. But for the time being, I'll stick with Saravana Bhavan. Total bill: $43/pp with tax, tip and drinks
Photo Credit: Yelp
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