NYC Guide: Dhamaka
ADDRESS | 119 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
The hardest restaurant reservation to snag in NYC is at Dhamaka, and it’s worth all the hype. I became acquainted with co-owner/Chef Chintan Pandya at his restaurant, Adda in Long Island City. Immediately I fell in love with his authentic Indian dishes and the punch of spices that compliment and never overpower the layered tastes and texture of each dish.
Being in love with the food at Adda, I’ve been eager to try Dhamaka since it opened February 2021 but the reservations are booked several weeks in advance and with my ever changing schedule that splits my time between Manhattan and the Hamptons it’s been difficult to plan too far in advance. I was elated when we were able to snag a table this past Thursday to share a special family meal with our 12 year old before he took off for the remainder of the spring break.
Located on the Lower East Side in Essex Market, the menu at Dhamaka offers regional specialties from all over India created and served under the motto “Unapologetic Indian”. Come prepared to try a range of exciting dishes and you’ve got to be able to handle some heat because just about everything has a delightfully spicy kick.
Joshila Cocktail
mezcal, green chili, passion fruit
My wife sipped on this cocktail and of course I had to sample it. It’s really nice and smoky with a hint of the sweet and citrusy passion fruit. I give this cocktail a 10/10
Paplet Fry
ginger, cumin, green chutney
We ordered the paplet fry as a starter to share and it’s a dish all three of us absolutely love. A fried whole pomfret fish comes crisp on the outside with perfectly tender fish meat on the inside. Served with marinated spiced red onions and green mint chutney every bite is heavenly.
Papdi Chaat (v)
spiced crisps, tamarind, yogurt
The perfect combination of sweet and sour the Papdi chaat was another starter we shared. Topped with pomegranate seeds the layered textures in this dish were on point.
Bharela Marcha
sweet peppers, peanuts, fresh coriander
Our wonderful server told us that this dish comes from Chef Chintan’s mother-in-law’s recipe. The perfect started for our party of three, three orange peppers are served stuffed with cinnamon, peanuts, ginger, and chili peppers. The peppers on our order were all very mild and you can eat the pepper in one satisfactory bite!
Goat Belly Seekh
cilantro, coriander, garam masala
The presentation is beautiful, the spiced goat belly is served wrapped in torched cedar. It’s superbly seasoned and flavorful. The meat is rich and fatty so this is a great dish to share.
Sigdiwala Chicken
poussin, chili, vinegar, mustard
One of my son’s favorites, this spiced and grilled chicken had a more moderate spice level than some of the other dishes. Tasty whole poussin.
Goat Neck Dum Biryani
braised goat neck, Basmati rice, saffron
The moment we walked into Dhamaka NYC’s doors, my son knew he had to have the Biryani.
The meat and rice of this dish, are incased in a layer of dough while it cooks. We were told it has 16 layers of herbs and spices. The server broke the top and mixed the insides until it was all an even color. Served with tender chunks of goat meat on the bone and perfect rice this dish was delicious!
Fish of the Day: Grilled Chili Rainbow Trout
Our server recommended this main for my wife—who is pescatarian—and it was delicious. A butterflied whole rainbow trout seasoned with chili, this dish is hot and tasty.
Mocktails…our server was really great with our 12 year old and served three different drinks to him. His favorite was the mango passion lassi (not pictured) but he enjoyed them all and trying a variety of fun juice mixes.
Too full for dessert, we ended the evening with bubbles! It was an amazing meal. Cannot wait to return to Dhamaka NYC. Have you been? Share your thoughts/experience in the comments below.
