Last Updated on June 6, 2015 by Chef Mireille
I don’t usually review the same restaurant twice, but my first visit only a few of their vegetarian appetizers were sampled. This time, a complete dinner was sampled from beginning to end including King Fisher beer and galub jamun for dessert. Galub Jamun is an indian dessert that are basically fried doughnuts, but they are very light and airy, traditionally made from mostly dry milk powder instead of all purpose flour, which leads to its lightness. These doughnuts are then marinated in a light syrup flavored with cardamom and rosewater. Most Indian restaurants in NYC don’t make this the way it should be. To aid in mass production for easier frying, the doughnuts are heavier and sometimes they are just dipped in the sauce, so they are very bland. At Chola, the Galub Jamun is perfectly made and are thoroughly soaked so that you get the strong cardamom flavor in every bite.
Chola may be a bit pricier than most Indian restaurants but you get a lot of value in flavor and quantity. All of their portions are very large, so you will definitely be taking leftovers home and so, in actuality are getting two meals for the price. Even their appetizer portions – (see photos) – two huge lamb patties flavored with sweet spices like cardamom and nutmeg or four delicious spinach fritters in a cashew sauce.
Chola offers many of the foods typical at other Indian restaurants like Mixed Tandoori Grill – wonderfully seasoned and delicious – not dry like Tandoori can sometimes be. The vegetables usually included in Tandoori grill are just onions and peppers. At Chola, it was served with a variety including cauliflower and carrots.
They also have many unique dishes, especially in the South Indian section of the menu. A spicy red fish curry flavored with chile and ginger is definitely a winner, as well as a vegetarian entree made with pumpkin and okra. Each curry is made with its own unique blend of spices, so that no two curries takes like one another.
A great wine and beer list (including both King Fisher and Taj Mahal Indian beers), a friendly and accomodating staff, a clean and pleasant ambience, unique and delicious food, large selection of vegetarian and vegan options – Chola is the perfect restaurant to enjoy dinner – especially for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Everybody, no matter what your dietary limitations may be, will be able to find something to enjoy here!!!!!
Chef Mireille
https://www.globaltasteinc.com
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