I very rarely go up to the UES for anything but the Michelangelo exhibit at the Met was winding down, so I figured it was worth the trek up there. (Note, while the content of the exhibit was amazing it was so so crowded I couldn't enjoy myself at all. Definitely go on a weekday or super early in the morning). The area is definitely not my jam but Lav knew that Moti Mahal Delux wasn't too far away, so we cabbed it over there. Location wise, 1st Ave is a dead zone. Not to sound snotty but it's a reminder to me of how much I would never want to live in certain parts of NYC. It's got no character or personality. But if I ever did live up there, I would most definitely go to Moti Mahal. Apparently it's a very well known chain in India, so I was excited to see what it was all about.
When I usually go to an Indian restaurant, it's likely either with Aarti or Lav and I just let them order whatever because it's always good. Apologies that I can't remember everything Lav and I got there but rest assured, everything was extremely tasty. We started with 2 different appetizers - one which was like a cold patty and another that was like a paneer kabob. The patty dish was just ok but it was a nice vehicle to scoop up the flavorful mint sauce with. We got another warm paneer type dish which was buttery and amazing but the true star of the show was the daal makhani ($17), which is black lentils also with lots of butter in it. It was simply delicious and paired with the warm and soft garlic naan and onion kulcha that we ordered, I was in heaven. Like any Indian dish, these are quite heavy and it feels like sometime you're eating forever and you haven't made a dent in the dish at all. We had a lot of leftovers to take home even though the dishes looked small.
It was a pretty quiet experience since we at at like 6pm on a Saturday but in general it doesn't look like a place that would get super crowded or loud. I imagine they probably do a really good take-out or carry out business. The only gripe I had was that the waiter didn't really seem to know much about the menu - maybe he was new? He was also not Indian, which I don't want to ding him for but generally when I go to ethnic restaurants I like the wait staff to be of the same ethnicity or at least be knowledgable about the cuisine or menu.
While I love Indian food , it's also definitely not something that I should eat a lot of unless I want to put on 10 lbs quickly. The location of this place leaves a lot to be desired but if you are ever up on the UES or visiting the Met, this should definitely be on your radar screen. Total bill: $42/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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