Babu Ji is the Chicest, Trendiest, Non-authentic Indian Restaurant in NYC
...but there was something I liked about it.
Any restaurant that doesn't take reservations and has a two-hour wait on average makes me intrigued. Babu Ji was no exception. (Note to self: go early at like 6ish, put your name down, then the hostess recommends waiting at the bar down the block - Maiden Lane - because you get $2 off your cocktail. Who doesn't love a drink discount before din? And then you socialize, lose track of time and before you know it.. It's time for your table!).
I only had to wait about an hour and as soon as we sat down, the service was fantastic. I heard the Papadi Chaat was great, so we ordered that right away.
These "Indian nachos" had chickpeas, cucumbers, pomegranate, tamarind, mint, yogurt and an interesting salsa. It was different than anything I ever tried before, but I digged it.
Next, we got the Colonel Tsos Cauliflower which actually tasted like General Tsos Chicken. At one point, I thought I was eating chicken because we also ordered the Butter Chicken! I was hoping to take home leftovers, but accidentally finished the portion that I allotted for lunch tomorrow. Whoops.
The Butter Chicken tasted just like Chicken Tikka Masala, which is my favorite Indian dish. Yes I know I'm an amateur, but it's just the best. I was a bit disapointed when I could only find four small pieces of chicken in the pot. (Insert sad face emojii).
On the bright side, the Garlic Naan was fab, so we dipped it in the butter chicken sauce and devoured it in seconds.
Babu Ji gets a 7/10 because it was yummy. I wish I could give it a higher score, but how can you give FOUR tiny pieces of chicken in an entree dish? That's just mean! I also prefer more authentic Indian, but it was exciting to try different flavors that I wouldn't necessarily ever been exposed to. Definitely try it and let me know if there is anything else on the menu that I have to try. Maybe I'll go back if there is no wait ;)