Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
I heard about Haandi, a fast casual restaurant serving Pakistani and North Indian cuisine: it is apparently a favorite spot for taxi drivers and the line of taxis in front of this place when I arrived seemed to confirm this, although when I entered the joint, it was not that crowded and the customers who came later seem to be business people rather than cabbies.
Dining room at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
I wanted to go there for one reason: I wanted to try some dishes fairly unusual...The first one is Magaz Masala, a specialty made with lamb brain cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. The second was Gurda Kaleji Masala or lamb kidneys and liver cooked in a special sauce. I told you that these are unusual dishes! Unfortunately, they did not have any of them. So, I ended up with a meat platter that, for $8.99 is a good deal: for that price you get two meats, rice, a vegetable, a salad, a naan and raita. For the meat, I chose the chicken tikka masala and chicken jalfrezi. I passed on the vegetable and got yellow rice.
Meat platter at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Presented buffet style at the counter, the meat and rice was put on a plate and then warmed up...in a microwave, causing the sauces to break. The naan bread was good, and reminded me more the bread you would find in Persian restaurants, missing some of the char I love so much.
Meat platter at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Chicken tikka masala at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Chicken jalfrezi at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Yellow rice at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Salad at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
Naan at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
With my meal, I got a mango lassi that was a bit disappointing: too liquid, not as tasty, I could taste the crystals of sugar added to the drink.
Mango lassi at Haandi in Curry Hill, NYC, New York
So, needless to say that I was a bit disappointed with Haandi. I think Curry Hill has so many good options, that I would pass. Or maybe I would go back just for the two dishes I told you I wanted to try. Solely for these...
Enjoy (I did)!
If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!
