Truth be told, I’m a huge fan of Indian food—in fact, Vegetable Jalfrezi is a staple in my takeout rotation—so when I was offered the opportunity to dine at Simon Indian Palace, a new restaurant in Midtown East, I jumped on it.
Then I emailed my sister to see if she wanted to go with me, because eating Vegetable Jalfrezi together is kind of our thing. She gleefully accepted, we made a date, and then finally, after two weeks of anxious anticipation, we went and it was a delightful dining experience.
Simon Indian Palace is the first New York City restaurant of entrepreneur Nurul Amin, and it offers authentic regional cuisine prepared by three specialist chefs that include a curry specialist and a tandoor master.
Probably not surprisingly, my sister and both went with the jalfrezi as our main course. I know, one of us should have branched out so I’d have more to write about in this review, but on the flip side I can now give a double thumbs-up to this particular dish. We both really liked it—it was not quite as spicy as other variations we’ve had in the city, which was nice.
We also ordered some Tandoori Roti bread on the side—soft and doughy, it was perfect for sopping up the extra sauce. And to start, at our waiter’s recommendation we had the Lasooni Gobi—crispy cauliflower with a garlic flavoring. While I don’t often gravitate toward fried food, I have to say it was delicious, the sauce a perfect combination of sweet and sour on top of the garlic.
While we went the vegetarian route for our meal, there are plenty of options for meat and fish lovers as well.
In addition to the usual tandooris, tikkas, and curries, there is a salmon steak on the menu that I admit I contemplated ordering (despite eating a lot of vegetarian meals I am not, in fact, a vegetarian). Described in the press release as “two juicy pieces of fresh salmon filet, grilled with fragrant spices and the refreshing zing of mint,” it had me salivating a little. There are also more than 10 types of bread on the menu—everything from your classic Naan to a Keema version stuffed with lamb.
The staff could not have been more attentive and accommodating. Not only did they offer menu suggestions and check in with us frequently; they didn’t bat an eyelash when we asked to run out and grab a bottle of wine after being seated. On that note, a heads up that they are still waiting for their liquor license, so if you plan on going in the immediate future you’ll need to BYOB.
This is a nice place with good food in an area of town where there aren’t a ton of go-to places. Vegetarian, pescatarian, or full-on carnivore—if you’re into Indian cuisine it’s definitely worth checking out for lunch or dinner (FYI they offer a 15-option lunch buffet during the week for just $13.99).
Or, if you prefer your Vegetable Jalfrezi in a takeout rotation like me, they happen to deliver as well.
DETAILS:
Simon Indian Palace |
230 East 58th Street
Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York, NY
By: Reagan Daly
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
