Houston-born Pondicheri, an all-day Indian eatery led by Chef and Restaurateur Anita Jaisinghani, has set down some roots up north with its first NYC restaurant on West 27th Street. The expansive menu—which just covers breakfast and lunch until dinner launches in a few weeks—transfers some dishes from the Lone Star to the Empire State and will act as a home to Bake Lab, an experimental sweet and savory bakery component led by Pastry Chef Ashley Dickson.
The restaurant will accommodate all types of diets, including vegetarian and gluten-free. Breakfast items include their version of the morning sandwich, a Breakfast Frankie roti wrap supped with masala eggs and cilantro chuntey and a gluten-free Jaggery Coconut Pancake dish made with rice and almonds scented with cardamom and topped with bananas and a jaggery syrup.
The lunch offerings are anchored by sandwiches like the Frankies, made with roti, and Bun Kebabs, a type of roadside sandwich. The Mushroom Frankie comes stuffed with pan-sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sweet potatoes and black chloe and the Lamb Mint Bun Kebab with skewered lamb with onions in a kalonji and mint masala on a brioche bun.
In deference to the vegetarian culture of India, the restaurant will be completely meat-free on Mondays. Paneer, an Indian cheese, abounds, as do tons of roasted vegetables, mushrooms and naan breads for sopping up curries and soups.
15 West 27th Street; website
Pondicheri Breakfast & Lunch Menu by Nell Casey on Scribd
Pondicheri Meatless Mondays Menu by Nell Casey on Scribd
