Babu Ji

West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District


A playful spirit marks this Australian-run Indian restaurant near Union Sq. Many dishes play fast and loose with tradition, such as 'naan pizza' with sweet-pickled-chili butter, mushroom tikka with lemon-garlic sour cream and herbs, and tandoori-charred dorade with orange curry sauce, cucumber and daikon. A $62 tasting menu, obligatory for the entire party, can be matched with beers or wines.

The feasting happens beneath the benevolent gaze of babujis (a term for self-appointed neighborhood 'identities'), whose photos adorn the walls.


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