Archive for 'Indian'

Philly’s Mobile Indian Food from the Samosa Deb Truck

In the Summer of 2012, I noticed a woman selling Indian food outside of a corner store. Turns out Deb and her husband owned the corner store and were attempting to get more attention to the Indian food she had been making and selling inside. Since then, “Samosa Deb” had enough good feedback (I vouched for her!) to invest in a truck. She now sells her homemade Indian food around town, usually outside their Dasani Market on 9th and Catherine, on Temple’s Campus, and more recently over at the Drexel food truck mecca at 33rd and Arch. Samosa Deb is a total sweetheart and I love that she is succeeding in what she loves to do. But I loved her food first, so the bias is limited!

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$12 Lunch Meal at Tashan

In April 2012, Foobooz declared that Tashan was the best restaurant you aren’t going to. This was based on the fact that the food is amazing, but the huge space is rarely filled with customers. The explanation given is that Philly people don’t like the idea of high end Indian food. I have to say, I am guilty of such thinking. Not that I am ok with sub par Indian food. But when Indian Restaurant makes a great chicken tikka for under $10, or when 80 cent samosas from a grocery store are the best I’ve ever had, and another grocery store close by does an amazing daikon paratha, and a chaat hut uses artistic levels of colors, flavors, and texture, I get accustomed to receiving a lot for my buck. However, I was willing to hand out $12 for Tashan’s 6 day a week lunch meal. Read more »

Cafe Spice Still the Best Bet at Liberty Place

I found myself stuck in Liberty Place due to rain and needing something to eat. After surveying chains of the food court, I realized that Cafe Spice, still seemed like the best option.

I enjoyed their greasy Indian appetizers and chicken tikka 3 years ago (wow, time flies) and was happy to see it still sticking around Liberty Place.

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Kati Rolls from Spice End

I was happy to hear Philly was getting a restaurant dedicated to kati rolls (Indian wraps) and biryani.  Though we have some kati roll options here, none  come even close to the Kati Roll shop in NYC. And Philly deserves the real deal! At Spice End on Chestnut street, there are a whole bunch of kati rolls to choose from, including vegetarian options.

Kati rolls are around $6 each. Any 2 are $11, so I went with that.

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Chutney Company’s Kathi Roll

A while back I enjoyed the uttapa’s at Philadelphia Chutney Co but wasn’t so enthralled that I made many return trips. While walking by the place I saw a sign for kathi rolls, which I didn’t remember them having when I ate there originally (though apparently they did as Chef’s special at the corner of the blackboard menu). Kathi rolls are a rolled up wrap; an Indian street food. Not to be confused with dosas, which have a thinner bread and are less tightly wrapped up. I absolutely loved them in NYC and having not had one since living there, I stopped in.

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Check Out My Guest Post On Zagat: Hidden Global Lunches

This week I contributed my 2 cents to Zagat with a list of 6 global lunches that are not visible from the street. Check it out! Full reviews for each spot are on Midtown Lunch, so check back here for the full report.

Samosa Deb: Homemade Indian Food From a Corner Store

I had always noticed this sign for Indian food on the Dasani Mart corner store, but assumed it just meant frozen items and basically ignored it. When I saw Deb, who owns the store with her husband PJ, with a small table of fresh Indian food right outside the store I realized how wrong I had been.  Deb makes an array of fresh Indian food, from chicken tikka, to samosas, and even chaat. Previously, prepared food was available cold for customers to heat up at home. The hot food stand outside is a fabulous new addition.

I was gonna go with a samosa, but instead picked up a clever creation made by Deb, stuffed puri.

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