As a Kolkatan who has lived 17 years outside of India, and all of it in the Tri-state area in the US, I have had the opportunity of trying one too many chicken tikka masala-serving eateries. And each time I have complained all the way back home about how this is not real Indian. Dhamaka, which opened two years ago in Manhattan, put an end to that misery. They bring the heat and spice that is quintessential to India’s provincial cuisine and they are, true to the name of their umbrella company (Unapologetic Foods NYC), absolutely unapologetic about it.
In 2021, The New York Times had ranked Dhamaka as the number one restaurant in New York. To use the cliche that’s now overdone everywhere from NYT to Forbes, but one that still fits perfectly is to say that Dhamaka is literally quite what its name implies — an explosion of flavours and emotions. The restaurant is from the same team behind the widely-acclaimed Adda Indian Canteen and Semma, which is the only Indian restaurant in the US with a Michelin star.
I was ecstatic to secure a reservation at the hottest new sensation in Manhattan, NYC (the waitlist on a weekend is around 1,500). Almost like winning the lottery. There is even an article on how one can get into the 78-seater restaurant at 119 Delancey Street.
The Indian spread available at Dhamaka. The restaurant will have a pop-up at JW Marriott Juhu, Mumbai, on March 3-4, 2023 Courtesy Dhamaka
Dhamaka wears a warm and relaxed vibe and the aroma of familiar Indian spices welcome you inside. The menu albeit not very extensive makes it incredibly difficult to choose. Spying on the theatrics at the next table from the corner of the eye will make you wish you had more friends. In my case, I was on a date, yet between the two of us, we ordered more than half a dozen dishes. Not one disappointed.
As I sat there enjoying the best Indian meal I’d had in ages in NYC, the jhaal making water run from my eyes and nose, I looked around with wonder. How were these American people gracefully handling the heat? I guess Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya had done the impossible. Peeled off layers of heady colonialism long put on Indian food to appease to foreign tastebuds and proved that when you speak your truth with authenticity and fervour, the world will listen.
A few of my favourites from the Dhamaka menu
Dinner began in high spirits with glasses of Gulaabo (Tokyo Night gin + rose water + dragon fruit + lemon + aquafaba) and NRI (star anise-infused scotch with coconut).
Ajwaini Paneer Tikka
House paneer spiced with carom seeds and garam masala… so melt-in-the-mouth you will never want to buy the grocery store paneer again.
L-R: Lasooni Prawn and Goat Belly Seekh
Lasooni Prawn
Huge tiger prawns with roasted garlic and black pepper. Only one word for this — sublime.
Goat Belly Seekh
Hand-cut goat belly marinated with cilantro, coriander seeds, garam masala, wrapped in wood and grilled in its own fat.
Champaran Meat
This was the star of our dining experience at Dhamaka. Mutton with all the goodness of mustard oil, red chillies and a whole bulb of garlic smashed table-side for maximum oomph and drama.
Dal Dhamaka, Chapati and Ghee Bhaat
Go ahead and ring in the order, you won’t regret it. Chapati straight from the tava to your plate, no skimping on ghee in the ghee bhaat and the dal gets a fancy fiery tadka table side.
Chhenapoda
We wrapped up the explosive night with India’s answer to the cheesecake from the state of Odisha.
The ongoing #DhamakaIndiaTour, a collaboration between Masters of Marriott Bonvoy x Culinary Culture, brings New York’s hottest Indian restaurant to Mumbai on March 3-4, 2023. Click here for details.
The author is a Kolkata girl and an alumni of Johns Hopkins University in the United States. A software engineer by profession, the half-Bengali dreams of breaking free from her desk job to follow her passion for food and writing some day. After all, Roni was a software engineer too, until he was not.
