Saravanaa Bhavan: Get your Spice on

When I was younger, my daily diet consisted of Yoohoo, Yodels and yards—well, feet—of Fruit by the Foot. I attended various family functions at restaurants ranging from Turkish to Thai, and wouldn’t even taste a bite. On that unfortunate list of forbidden foods was, of course, Indian food. Actually, Indian food was tied with any kind of seafood as my number one “no-no.” This made my adventurous family a little bit frustrated when I only suggested Italian and resisted the idea of anything remotely spicy. So it wasn’t until last summer that I realized I should start branching out. Salmon? Sure. Buffalo? Bring it on. Indian food? Indian food...I just couldn’t do it. I ate my way through a year of trying new cuisines, but found myself at a crossroads when presented with the opportunity to listen to the Spice Girls and spice up my life—food edition. When I finally worked up the courage to make the jump from chicken parmesan to Naan, I knew I had to find a place that would help put my relationship with Indian cuisine on the right track; and that I did.

Saravanaa Bhavan, an entirely vegetarian restaurant, sits nestled between chic cafés and restaurants on the Upper West Side. Walking up to the outdoor seating, I looked inside the delicately decorated dinner spot and noticed what I always pray for when trying a new restaurant; customers. Sitting under simple chandeliers were happy people, heaping plates and hot, hot curries. Bring. It. On.

Our wonderful waitress immediately came over to our outdoor table with a menu that read as long as a medication side effect list (but less deadly). So, I did what I do best, and asked our unassuming waitress what the best dish was. The next thing I knew, I was nodding my head to around six dishes from different sections of the menu. I started out with a Mango Lassi, a yogurt-based mango drink, which was so unbelievably good I drank the entire glass without coming up for air. That was pretty bad idea because I was upset to see it go.

Within minutes of leaving mango madness, two dishes, the Idly and Plantain Bajji, came steaming out of the door and placed under our obnoxiously dropped jaws. The Idly, steamed rice and lentil patties, is served with coconut and cilantro chutneys, and a small lentil soup. Our waitress was smart and wanted to ease me, an Indian food newbie, into any sort of sweat or tear inducing heat, so the Idly was a perfect way to introduce mild traditional curries and flavors. The Plantain Bajji, chickpea coated and fried plantain slices, was served with the same set of chutneys, but was so devilishly delicious that it didn’t even matter what dipping options I had, I was eating the whole thing, fast. I sat back in my chair for my mid-meal pause, thinking about how many years I wasted refusing this insanely good cuisine, but there wasn’t even time. I heard the door swing open with three giant—and by giant I mean we couldn’t fit everything on the table—platters of chutneys, dips, yogurt, rice, lentils—I could literally go on and on. I looked up and noticed eyes peering over at our cramped table, all wondering two things: how will they eat it all? And how can I change my order to look like that? And talk about presentation. The Masala Dosa, a thin rice and lentil crepe filled with spiced mashed potatoes and onions, was not your normal crêpe. This crispy, paper-thin crêpe was, if you can believe it, bigger than the already oversized platter. Tomato Onion Chilli Uthappam was almost like a spicy hybrid of pizza and a pancake. And, of course, the South Indian Thali, a sampling platter with dips and sauces ranging from sweet to fiery hot, brought on the sweat and tears my waitress kindly warned me about. Oh, the flavors!

Each plate had a distinct taste, giving me a complete, guided (thanks to a patient team of waitresses) tour through the complex world of Indian food. Elbows on the table and food in my hands—not even fork—made me feel uncomfortably rude, but looking around, it seemed completely appropriate to be almost shoulder-deep in garlic, cilantro, curry, spice, coconut, and chilies. I think between the grin on my face and frequent exclamations of, “This is so good,” brought in a few people passing by, because by the time I was done feasting, the place was packed.

I left the restaurant with a slight zing still on my lips, a smile on my face and a new appreciation for Indian food. On our way out, my Indian-experienced friend simply said, “That was quite possibly the best Indian food I’ve had in New York City.”

— Written by Zoee Silber

Photo credit: Saravanaa Bhavan

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Tags : Zoee Silber, Dining Out, Saravanaa Bhavan, Indian Food

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