Today local blogger Kristen Haas, who produces Adventures of a Gal, weighs in with a guest post that tackles the age old Park Slope question: Why do so many of the local Indian restaurants bite? Here’s her post for GL:
Why is it so hard to find good Indian food in Park Slope? It’s strange, you can find almost anything else here, but the few Indian places we do have are very sketchy. It’s like a group of people came in and opened up all these Indian joints and are using them as a front for something else. Ha, well it seems like that sometimes. The food sure isn’t keeping these places open and neither is the service.
Amin, Bombay Grill and Star of India are a few of the culprits. I’ve never heard good things about any of them. Star of India is in the middle of it all on 5th Avenue between Carroll and President Streets between lots of popular shops and restaurants. It has been there for over five years and honestly, I have never walked by and seen more than 2 tables of people. Mostly I never see anyone in there at all. I’ve only eaten at Star of India twice. Both times the service was awful, we were the only people there and the food gave us major gastric distress. Obviously, we decided never to go there again.
It’s odd that after all these years and after all the closings of restaurants nearby that were good (Biscuit BBQ was next door and always packed) Star of India is still around. How is this business staying afloat? Is their business primarily take-out? Recently, they put flags out over the sidewalk, almost like Grand Opening flags. Maybe they are trying to fool people into thinking they are new. (By the way, to see Star of India’s health inspection reports, click here. Yum yum.) As mediocre and painful as it is, you may want to stick to Indian Row in Manhattan.
—Kristen Haas
11 responses so far ↓
1 bigmissfrenchie // Jul 30, 2008 at 11:53 am
Strangely, this seems to be a problem in other Brooklyn neighborhoods, not just Park Slope. The four Indian restaurants in/near Boerum Hill (Raga and Bombay Dream on Smith, India House on Court and Dhaka on Atlantic) are all mediocre as well. Dhaka is the best of the bunch, but even their food in uneventful at best.
2 Josh // Jul 30, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Kinara @ 5th Ave and 11th is great. Or at least noticeably better than any of the places mentioned above.
3 The Vidiot // Jul 30, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Or learn to cook it yourself. After the initial investment in the spices, a spice grinder and a few cookbooks, I barely even want to eat on Indian Row any more. That’s what the dearth of good Indian food did to me; it sent me to my kitchen.
4 Leah // Jul 30, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I’m going to take this with a grain of salt because of her assertion that Biscuit BBQ was good. It certainly was busy, but was universally acknowledged as horrid.
And on topic: I second the Kinara recommendation, with the caveat that service is atrocious. Delivery is fast and delicious.
5 Francis Morrone // Jul 30, 2008 at 1:05 pm
There was a place called India House on Seventh Avenue, I think where NoNo Kitchen now is, for years and years, and no one ever saw anyone dining there. It’s obvious that being a restaurant is not these places’ real business.
6 alan // Jul 30, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Kinara: yes
Biscuit: no
7 tim // Jul 30, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Go to Kinara! They have specials, 2-4-1 Entrees at certain times also. Forget having A/C in the summer though.
The “chain” places they are all trash, i.e. Balucci’s etc…
In the City go to Banjara, Brick Lane, Tamarind…
8 david // Jul 30, 2008 at 3:02 pm
yes to kinara.
also, bombay grill can be good for delivery – they have a good dinner special that has never messed me up, um, digestively [which indian row in the city almost always does].
the service in the restaurant is bad though, and the portions seem smaller than the delivery sizes.
9 NSleep // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:49 am
I add my vote to Kinara, for delivery.
10 Anonymous // Jul 31, 2008 at 10:18 am
It may just be that Indian food at best is just mediocre. And to American stomachs bound to cause gastric distress.
Are you from Bombay and know ‘good’ indian food?
11 Ben // Aug 2, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I’m also a huge fan of Kinara, the rest of the Indian places around here pale in comparison.