After noticing their snazzy new sign and poking our head in the night before it opened, we had to stop back at Von Singh's on it's opening night for a test run. Yes, they were a bit nervous and a little overeager to please, but then again, it was their very first night, and the two sisters who run the place were running their very first restaurant. Amar Aujla was an equity trader for five years, and decided she was done working for other people. Along with her sister Sandy and some business partners on the West coast, they came up with the idea of a fast, but healthy Indian restaurant. One of their West coast partners was working with a number of programmers from India who were constantly frustrated with the lack of decent quick food nearby, and thus Von Singh's was born. "Von" is Dutch, meaning of or from, and "Singh" is a very common Indian last name; it symbolizes the melding of East and West, which is evident throughout their menu. Although you will see the words "paneer" and "chutney," most of the menu uses Western terms, even when describing Indian dishes -- "veggie fritters" rather than "pakora" for example.
The end result is a variety of fresh, portable, and healthy wraps, served on flatbread or, for those of you still doing the low-carb thing, wrapped in romaine lettuce. Despite any opening day jitters, the food was solid. We went for the spicy chicken (a first day bestseller) with a horseradish and cumin dressing, accompanied by their veggie fritters. Delicious, filling, fast, and fresh. The wraps run about $5 alone and $7 for a combo, which includes a side dish and a drink -- very affordable for the local NYU crowd. They also deliver within a 10 block radius (which we're pretty psyched about, because we're in range).
Von Singh's, 40-42 West 8th Street, Greenwich Village, 212-477-8411. Open 7 days a week, 11 AM to midnight.
