Indian food is some of the tastiest and most complex on the planet. It’s made up of thousands of unique dishes with unique regional variations and others that are specific to certain states and cities. It can range from street food to more upscale variations. Come along with me as I dive into the world of upscale, Michelin star winning Indian food in Manhattan, NYC!
For this food adventure, I linked back up with my friend Marina. We would be dining at Junoon, a Michelin Star-winning Indian restaurant in the city! They got their first star in 2012 and continued to get one for eight consecutive years!
We chose to dine outside. They made me a strong masala rye that contained a lot of amazing spices. I’m not a big fan of hard liquor, but this was really tasty! They also have a massive wine menu with over 200 varieties. But we were hear to eat!
Our first dishes were the masala pork ribs and the eggplant chaat, which is crispy eggplant with tamarind, yogurt, and cilantro. The masala pork ribs blew my mind! They fell apart in my mouth and were very easy to eat. I loved the masala barbecue sauce on it.
The eggplant chaat was crispy, sweet, and refreshing. It was unbelievable! I love eggplant and this was a unique take on it! We followed that with some mango lassi. It was nice and thick and cooled down my mouth from the spice from the ribs!
Next was the East India gin and tonic, which was garnished with a paan leaf. It was unique and refreshing! I’m not usually a gin guy, but this one was great. It didn’t feel so strong!
Then, we had tuna puchka and tandoori octopus. The puchka contained raw tuna, onion, tomato, and caviar. The pani contained cumin, coriander, mint, black salt, and cilantro. It was the best pani puri of my life!
The tandoori octopus was smoky and tender and very enjoyable. Junoon is my top Indian restaurant in the world now!
We started losing the light outside, so we moved inside to try the mushroom and truffle khichdi, which is a mix of rice and lentils with an elevated presentation. It was like a light dal and I loved the earthy truffles and mushrooms. It was heavenly!
Next, Marina tried the Mumbai Margarita, and then we jumped on the Tellicherry Duck, which is sliced thinly and placed on a tellicherry pepper sauce.
We also had nadru mattar makhana, which consists of lotus root, green peas, and onion in a tomato sauce; zaffrani zucchini pulao; and Junoon naan stuffed with gruyere and paneer and sprinkled with za’atar.
The Junoon naan with the duck was unreal! I loved the coconut in the curry and the tender meat. It was truly outstanding! The pulao was also great. I loved the saffron and raisins in it!
For dessert, we had a mousse made to look like a cricket field! We also had Ma’s Rice Pudding and kulfi pops. My saffron kulfi pop was really nice and light, like a cross between ice cream and sorbet.
The kheer, or rice pudding, was light and creamy, and not too sweet. It also contained almonds and banana. The cricket mousse was a game changer. I loved the coconut. It’s so easy to eat and so unique! It was the best way to end our meal!
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last 13 years, I have traveled the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have explored over 1,200 destinations in 84 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube channel, travel blog, and social media.
I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local culture.
P.S. Thank you for watching my videos and subscribing!
