DEVI
8 E. 18th St.
212-691-1300

Let’s say you’re a devotee of Indian bread. Have you ever had a puffy piece of kulcha baked with onions and a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese? Or maybe you’re a tandoori freak. The tandoori lamb chops at Dévi are impossibly tender, and served with a touch of sweet pear chutney. Suvir Saran and his accomplice, Hemant Mathur, are masters of this kind of exotic, unexpected Indian recipe, and their entire impressive repertoire is on display here. Try the peppery Malabar chicken, or the crunchy kararee bhindi (fried okra), or the plump yam dumplings called zimikand ke kofte. And if you’ve been scouring the city for a good plate of paatra ni machi (halibut, cooked Parsi-style in a minty coconut chutney), you’re in luck. Messrs. Saran and Mathur know how to make that one, too.