This week both the Times' Sam Sifton and the Post's Steve Cuozzo visit Hemant Mathur's midtown Indian restaurant Tulsi and come away pleased, though Murdoch's man liked it more. Sifton doesn't love the place ("It is not a particularly enjoyable place to eat dinner") but he is a a fan of the food—"No one in New York makes lamb chops like Mr. Mathur," and the Manchurian cauliflower is "a magical dish, sweet and fiery, worth ordering in multiples even at a small table." In the end though the "chain-restaurant" service and the decor ("a bazaar of tables more reminiscent of Home Depot’s patio furniture department than anything filmed by Merchant-Ivory") are too much and he gives the spot just one star. more ›

A battle of the Graffitis is shaping up on our shores. Today a lawsuit came to light between two celebrity chefs over a similar dish at their similarly-named restaurants. Jehangir Mehta, of Graffiti, is suing Graffit USA, Madrid-based chef Jesús Núñez's first New York restaurant for trying to confuse and poach his customers. In question? A dish involving an "extremely obscure ingredient" called... Pop Rocks. more ›

In his cookbook called Mantra, which was released last month, Graffiti chef-owner Jehangir Mehta includes a recipe for a cocktail he calls “Barley Legal,” a cheeky mix of ultra-healthy barley water and Johnny Walker. "This drink is dedicated to all the young celebrities out there," the chef writes, introducing the recipe. And it’s probably a sincere note of acknowledgment, coming at the tail end of book filled with new and understated ideas about food. The recipes depict Mehta sneaking sweet Kahlúa into bitter chicory soufflé, loading Financiers with fenugreek, and reimagining Yorkshire pudding laced with duck fat and turmeric. In line with Mehta’s resume, most of the botanical-crazy recipes in Mantra are pastry chef centric, and many are vegetarian. The book carries a blurb from Mehmet Oz. more ›

Like a Jedi knight with an offset spatula, pastry chef Jehangir Mehta switched over to the savory side last September when he opened his first restaurant Graffiti in the East Village. Armed with a few induction burners and assorted kitchen gadgets, Graffiti’s 4-person staff prepares and serves Mehta’s eclectic food out of a pint-sized kitchen. Before Graffiti, Mehta worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten, Rocco DiSpirito, and lots of other chefs. He was most recently pastry chef at Aix. more ›

After busy weeks of hype surrounding high profile restaurant openings like Adour and Bar Boulud, which feature a laser projected bar menu and standalone charcuterie kitchen, respectively, it's now time to catch your breath with some chefs who are mixing their concept food with a trace of nostalgia for after-school snack-time. (And opposed to the trendy new kids on the block, you can actually get a table to taste these fun foods.) more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Grayz, gives the restaurant one star. He says of the restaurant that refuses to call itself a restaurant (it’s a ‘cocktail lounge that serves small dishes’): “These dishes demand fuller attention than the setting allows, and the prices—$39 for the short ribs—only make total sense if eating is the point of a visit.” In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Belcourt, which he says is much better than... more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Centro Vinoteca. Says of chef Anne Burrell “The woman can fry,” and you’ll be happy with your food provided you choose anything fried, especially those items on the piccolini (small plates) menu. The rest is erractic: “Both on and off the plate, Centro can elate and deflate you.” more ›

Graffiti: Pastry Chef Jehangir Mehta, who has spent time at Aix, Jean Georges, Vong, and Union Pacific, takes a stab at the world of the savory. He has opened a restaurant and bakery in the East Village with a "global bistro comfort food" menu. Offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, Graffiti serves up baked goods, coffee and tea, and a dinner menu where the dishes range in size from "nibbles" to "all mine." For the kicker, the spray cans and markers are provided in the bathrooms, where graffiti is heartily encouraged. 224 East 10th Street, 212-677-0695. more ›

The last time we saw Dan "Chino" Perilla, the new chef at 5 Ninth, was about two years ago. He was gleefully cooking up sweetbreads to stuff into roulades made from pig face. Actually that's not entirely true, the last time we ran into him was at a birthday for his former boss, Zak Pelaccio. So when Gothamist heard that 4Foodies a newly launched online community for folks obsessed with all things food was holding its inaugural event at 5 Ninth last Tuesday, we rushed over to the meatpacking district. more ›

Everyone we know is doing something, however small, in response to the devastating disaster, but some are doing what they do best: cook and eat. We've heard of a few food events to benefit the tsunami relief effort, but please let us know if you've heard of any others. more ›