*This restaurant is now closed
Indian cuisine has always done very well in NYC and has been generally well received by dinners and food critics alike. But there are very few well known Indian fine dining establishments in the city other than Devi and Tamarind. Early this year Tulsi opened in Midtown East and became an instant success. The restaurant was awarded a coveted one Michelin Star in the guide’s 2012 edition. It’s Executive Chef/Owner, Hermant Mathur is no stranger to such accolades having earned a star in 2009 for Devi, his other Indian restaurant. The star he earned for Devi was the first of its kind for an Indian Restaurant. So when it came time to partake in some Indian food I chose Tulsi and it meet my expectations and beyond.
Dining at Tulsi is like dining at the Maharaja‘s Palace but instead of princes and princesses, you dine alongside Midtown’s corporate crowd. The restaurant’s Sanskrit inscribed glass façade allows for a sneak peek into the glorious palace. Once inside, you are greeted with the restaurant’s soothing and relaxing atmosphere. The dining experience starts at the bar/lounge where you can have pre-dinner drinks at the lighted dark wood bar which displays a mirrored wall design of the world map; or while waiting for your a table you can sit and relax on cream colored sofas at the lounge area. The overall décor is a showcase of Indian aesthetics. As you make your way to the dining room which seats about 50 guest, the main colors are cream and brown with a touch of basil green. The tiled floors are made out ceramic and steel and the chandeliers provide soft lighting while music from the region plays lightly in the background. The tables are covered with white table cloths paired with beige upholstered chairs creating an elegant look. Along the sides of the dining room are four tent-like spaces with hanging cream curtains. Ornately designed steel jaalis and turquoise colored seats accompany the tent-like spaces which are great spots for a nice intimate dinner.
Tulsi serves regional Indian food. They offer a dinner tasting menu option – 7 courses for $65 (the vegetarian version is the same price) with an additional $35 for wine pairings. Their lunch offering includes a $20 two course menu, and the a la carte is available for both times. Indian cuisine is an acquired taste, it’s full of spices and herbs that give each dish a unique flavor. I will mention a few of the appetizers that I had. The Mixed Sprouts – green moong, bean sprouts, black-eyed peas, potatoes, tomatoes, red onion and mint yogurt dressing, has an initial not so pleasing taste, however the flavors gradually rise and your taste bud come around. I then tried the Chaats – avocado and jhal muri. This was one dish that surprised me; I thought I would not like it. The avocado was combined with unfamiliar ingredients, but the taste was surprisingly delicious. The Black Pepper and Coconut Shrimp papri was spicy and had a tomato and cream taste that I enjoyed. Next are the entrées; I had the Roasted Pesto Portobello Mushroom – paneer-stuffed, tomato-fenugreek sauce and semolina cakes. I loved it, it become my favorite dish. The taste of the fusion of tomato sauce and the mushroom was incredible. Next up was the Stuffed Achari Chicken – paneer and mushrooms, tomato and rice. The chicken was neither juicy nor dry but just about right. The stuffing complimented the chicken with the rice that came with the dish. The most interesting dish was the Lamb Nargisi Kofta – cashew nut sauce with cumin-green pea and quinoa. The cream sauce with the hardboiled egg on top of the lamb tasted very good. And for dessert I had the Raspberry Kulfi – valrhona chocolate cake, berry compote and chocolate sauce; and the Jalebi – Indian funnel cakes, saffron syrup and spiced almond milk. The Rasberry Kulfi was ok but the Jalebi was amazing.
Tulsi has a descent wine list, but I was more impressed with their exotic cocktails. I had the Tulsi Martini, an in house concoction with mystery ingredients. The drink was sweet but not overbearing and a touch Absolute made the drink perfect.
Would I recommend Tulsi? YES!!!! The service was a bit spotty at times but nevertheless it wasn’t that bad. I’ve dined here both before and after it earned a Michelin star; the food was consistent if not even better on my second visit. If you’re crave Indian food and don’t mind shelling out a couple of dollars this is it the place to dine.
Tulsi
211 E 46th St
New York, NY 10017
212 888 0820
Official Site
For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be elaborate. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a therapy prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to regard about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you should ask your pharmacist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In addition, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are as a rule able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may switch on erectile dysfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other folk even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.