Bindi

Bindi was only ok. We went for Thali Tuesday and we weren’t impressed by most of the food. We LOVE Indian food, but this just didn’t hit the spot. Maybe we are bigger fans of traditional Indian. Glad we gave it a shot, but it wasn’t anything special.

Its summer, and there is an abundance of wonderful fresh produce available, so I wanted to see what the magicians at Bindi could conjur up. I went on the Thali tuesday and was treated to a nice range of flavors. I ordered the vegetairian thali which included «butternut squash» spaetzel. balls of squash in a tomato and pea curry. It was ok. The rest of the dishes were even better though. The standout was a cold peach soup that was refreshing and spicy at the same time. The raita had a bit of avocado in it. and the chutney was watermelon, with a bit of spice, reminiscent of my grandmothers watermelon pickles. The green and wax beans served with onions and a bit of heat were a hit too. The rice was a bit of a mush. I paired this with two very refreshing summer beers. Son of a Peach from R J Rockers, and a Festine Peche from Dogfishhead. They worked and didnt over power the food. The restaurant provided a great class for the beer and kept them cold in the fridge.
Service was fine, though as I walked in without a reservation I was told they could seat me. but I had less than an hour to eat. Not the best way to great a customer but I understood.
I finished the meal with the cardomom cake. The cake was nice. the chocolate pot du crème was too much and also lacked spice. I loved the salted caramel,. personally I would reconceptualize the dessert and have the cardomom cake served warm, with a salted caramel ice cream and perhaps a drizzle of something chocolate and spicy.
The thali is indeed a bargain. With the dessert the total was 29 dollars before tip, and you are able to eat it all in an hour without feeling rushed.

Discovered Bindi from just walking down the sidewalk. Almost didn’t notice it. Dark windows, non-​descript exterior. But the posted menu intrigued us. We weren’t disappointed.
The food is a nice fusion of american food flavoured with amazing indian spices. The lamb and the glazed short ribs were unbelievable. The chai crème brulée was perfect. The service was very friendly.
By far the best meal we had while in Phila.
Note: cash-​only. Who carries cash anymore!!!

We eat at a lot of Indian restaurants. Being from the UK we find most US curry houses quite lame and bland. I would say the Bindi is definitely stand out and I really like what they have done with the fusion menu. Sure its pricey but given the quality and thought that has gone into the unique selection of dishes I would say it’s worth every cent. For two of us we spent about $ 100 without tip for starters, entrees and 1 desert. We brought a long a bottle of Rum (its BYOB) and they served us a very nice mixer (mango sharbat). We should have gone for the nimbu-​pani (Indian style pomegranate-​ginger lemonade) which was what the waitress recommended. The mango mixer was very nice but after a while was a bit sweet and sickly … well she did warn us. I have never come across this before and its a nice concept. High quality cocktails but for a very reasonable price.
The service is good and the décor modern and stylish. Location great. It’s cash only but no problem, there is an ATM at the pizza joint two doors down. The food was yummy and very well cooked. I started with the ghee poached lobster pani puri which was very different to usual puri. The puri was made into 5 tasty little parcels, very unique. My Wife had the sindhi eggplant a gorgeous little vegetarian curry. Entrée follow ups were just as good. I had the lamb two ways and the lamb was cooked to perfection and full of great flavors. My wife had the seafood goozoo which was kind of like and Indian Gumbo. Very tasty, but not as good as the lamb. Which was stand out. For desert I had the vanilla bean panna cotta. Very nice. All in all great, only comment would be everything is a touch over-​salted.
Gourmet and up-​market Indian food with a twist? I’m sold! Don’t expect large quantities of bland curry. Do expect some very unique and tasty Indian dishes. Will be back for sure.

Decided last minute to head over to Bindi for dinner with 3 other friends, and had a great time.
The good:
— Turkey Keema Lettuce Wraps ($ 9): they were fresh, crispy and very tasty. Great appetizer!
— Potato Paratha Bread ($ 4): definitely order at least one of the breads to share when you’re at Bindi. I love how they have almost a pancake consistency, and are full of flavor
— The Pomegranate/​Ginger juice mix ($ 12): at $ 12 for the pitcher, and the accompanying vodka we brought, we were each able to have 2 delicious cocktails made as strong or weak as we’d like.
The not-​so-​good:
— Seafood Goozoo ($ 23): my main course wasn’t bad by any means, but I found it to be over-​salted and lacking in shrimp and scallops. For $ 23 I expected a little more, and will make sure to order a different main dish next time I go.
Overall the meal was very enjoyable, and I definitely hope to be back again. Here’s to keeping our fingers crossed that the liquor license takes a while to go into effect — one of the best things about Bindi is their BYO policy!

I love Indian food, so I was skeptical about making it fancy when it’s great in its basic form. But I was very pleased with our meal at Bindi:
I started with the light, refreshing salad that sounds heavier than it really is: Salt Roasted Beet and Mixed Radish Chaat. I then tried the Indian BBQ Braised Shortribs where the meat practically melted in your mouth and the accompanying potatoes were fantastic.

I don’t understand why Philadelphia’s Indian food scene is so lackluster. Figuring that perhaps higher prices translate into better quality, I gave Bindi a shot. I found the food bland, inauthentic, and expensive.
Having had Indian food in India, it’s hard to justify Bindi’s menu and prices. The location and fun décor make for a nicer dining experience than some other spots in Philly, but I think the food is a lot tastier elsewhere. I did enjoy the mixed drink pitchers, though.

Had the Prix Fixe which was very good! Lots of choice for the menu and the mixer juice pitchers were excellent as well.
The food wasn’t completely authentic so I guess it’s more fusion (what isn’t now-​a-​days). The mixers were great so bring some liquor!
Had a great time — definitely recommend.

Been wanting to try this place for a LONG time and finally went last night. Was not very busy arriving on Sunday night with a 6:30 reservation but the place quickly filled up. It’s not very big, probably around 50 seats. A decent room with tight seating and very dim lighting.
Service was ok. Waitress was quiet, not jumping in the conversation much when ordering (except when I ordered side veggies that were also on the vegetarian platter)…thank you!
Did not fill water glasses often and just not on top of total start to finish experience which lost this place a star.
The food, on the other hand, was exceptional. This place is modern Indian and much different than classic Indian dining. They use the spices and get creative from there!
For appetizers:
The beet salad — Excellent. This has orange and red beets with shredded radish chaat.
Tuna tartare special — Killer flavors, ultra fresh tuna, and one of the best dishes of the night (and there were alot!).
Samosa– Classic potato with spring peas, but with excellent flavor and texture. Not at all greasy. Served with a chutney base and raita on the side.
The entrees:
Chicken Tika — Perfectly cooked chicken in a spicy sauce served with chana masala (chickpeas) and rice. Loved it.
Vegetarian Thali– A sampling of lots of veggie dishes that would have been completely satisfying for the night. Saag paneer (a homemade Indian cheese dish), cauliflower (SPICY!), chana masala, rice and potato paratha (a stuffed naan).
Also had an extra side of potato paratha and lentil beans.
Don’t miss the bread. It is a treat and addicting.
We also split a warm cardamom cake for dessert. This is a must try. It has Indian spiced chocolate pot de crème, ginger crème anglaise and a cardamom cake with a light texture. This dessert had some major spice kick and it all worked together. We cleaned the plate.
We will be back to try more dishes. A nice change of pace.

If you want to get happy then shove some Bindi in your face.
I’m sorry if that opening line was too strong for you but that’s what you get for looking for dining advice on the internet.
Bindi takes your usual Indian food and puts a nice glossy sheen on top of it. The menu is really creative and you will probably have a hard time deciding what to get. Don’t forget to bring booze.
We began with the salt roasted beet and radish chaat. I liked it but it did not make me insane with gustatory satisfaction.
By contrast, the seafood goozoo and potato paratha were great. The goozoo is best described as Indian-​influenced jambalaya. It is shrimp, scallop, and mussels in a tomato-​based curry sauce with rice. Just imagine someone dancing the Banghra in the bayou. Yeah, that’s kinda how this tastes.
The potato paratha is also worth getting. It is solid potato bread with a scrumptious raita.
On a crowded night, Bindi will make use of every square centimeter. I have no problem with dining next to strangers because I harvest eavesdropped secrets hoping to one day sell them to the highest bidder. However, if you are someone who needs plenty of personal space (or are planning to drop secrets over dinner), it is best to hit this place up on a weekday night when it is less busy.
On the action-​movie-​parallel-​satisfaction-​scale, this place is Serenity (I was a huge Firefly fan so this movie has a special place in my heart).

(French Fusion = Typical
Chinese Fusion = Expected)
INDIAN FUSION = Surprising, Spectacular, Savory… and perfect for those of us who yearn for a little diversity when an entire table isn’t there to order the gamut of traditional Indian cuisine.
It’s terrible that I don’t remember the name of the lentil + wild rice cake I ordered. Just like a perfectly seared crab cake, the top was crisp, and the interior was warm, soft, and fluffy. The nutty flavor of the lentils was only enhanced by an amalgamation of expertly selected herbs.
To accompany that model vegetarian patty came with two sides: grilled vegetables (baby bok choi? perhaps) and a creamy, saffron-​y, curry-​esque bowl… which I happily lapped up like a kitten and a bowl of milk.
Oh, and as for the bread? Griddled, warm, and easily chewed, the potato parathas were absolutely paragon.
…but all of this deliciousness came at a mild price: that of sweet, precious time. But what a small price to pay for such diverse cuisine.
…and of course, it’s BYO, so do so.

Mmm. Thali Tuesdays. What a fantastic idea! My stomach and wallet are both happy campers.
So here’s the deal: Pick one of three options — meat, seafood, or vegetarian (the night I was there: lamb, shrimp, or mushrooms). With it you get 7 small portions of Indian dishes. Everything was fantastic, but here are some highlights:
— The lamb skewer was smaller than I thought it would be, but there was plenty of food on my plate to keep me full
— Gobi-​matar was absolutely delicious. (cauliflower-​green pea, bhaji, curry leaf, chili-​lime butter) I can’t pretend to love cauliflower, but this really was good!
— I wish it came more of the zucchini masala paratha. I felt like I didn’t get to really eat all the chana-​fava dal or mint raita because i felt silly scooping it up alone on my fork
— the basmati lime rice really hit the spot. yum.
Note: the offerings change each Tuesday (I think) so expect some different variation of the above
All in all, definitely worth the $ 20. I will most certainly be back.
Bindi is a BYO, so come with some rum to add to their delicious drinks! The Mango Sharbat was really refreshing and tasty.
Also, don’t forget, this is a cash only restaurant!

The food was good and well prepared. I enjoyed the ambience and the service was very attentive. I was not blown away but I definitely enjoyed myself and may return again…
I would say this is indian food that is good for people who are afraid of trying traditional indian food.

My girlfriend and I came here for Restaurant Week.
Started with the Nimbu-​Pani and added a splash or two of the rum we brought. $ 12 is a bit steep for a pitcher of something with no booze in it, methinks… but good nonetheless.
For the appetizer course, my girlfriend and I shared the samosas and the pumpkin chaat. I LOVE CHAAT and I LOVE SAMOSAS so I was happy with these 2 dishes, particularly the chaat because of its interesting mix of flavors and tidbits. Seemed more beet than pumpkin, but as a fan of beets I was rather happy with this surprise.
We shared the vegetarian version of the almond chicken curry (they sub really fantastic paneer for chicken) and the dal and wild rice dishes for our entrees. Perfectly portioned and again, full of interesting tidbits of flavor.
For dessert, we (again) shared both dessert dishes. By then we were stuffed and couldn’t finish either, but I loved the cinnamon puri used as a garnish on both desserts and although I am not a cake lover, I thought the coconut cake was delicious!
Service was OK considering how busy the restaurant was– I assume it’s much more attentive when it’s less busy and crowded. My two specific complaints are that we had to wait about 10 minutes for them to notice we were done with our entrees and another 10 – 15 minutes were spent waiting for dessert… AND we never got our pappadums everybody on here seems to be raving about. Maybe I’ll get better service next time I go– the food more than made up for it.
If you’re looking for «traditional» Indian, Tiffin or New Delhi would be more your speed.

The food here is delicious, fresh, and innovative; it’s not traditional Indian fare by any means, but rather more «inspired» by the spices and flavors commonly found in the cuisine. Being a BYO, we brought our own bottle of red which went very well with our meal.
The complimentary starting pappadum with tamarind sauce was strangely addictive. I’ve had pappadum at other places but the ones here were fried to a perfect airy crisp and were very aromatic and flavorful. We just couldn’t stop and ended up begging our waitress to take them away so we could have room for…
The appetizer! We started with the Sindhi Eggplant, which was phenomenal. The semolina polenta cake was crispy on the outside, creamy and buttery with the perfect amount of chew on the inside. The eggplant sauce was flavorful and went very well with the whole baby eggplants and mushrooms. Then there was…
The entrees! We got the Pork Vindaloo and the Grilled Mahi. Both meats were tender and cooked perfectly. What I liked most was that each entrée came with a generous serving of side items incorporated into the dish itself. The pork dish was served atop a bed of sauteed kale, potatoes, and a spicy red curry. The mahi came with lentils and sweet potatoes. The pork dish was apparently supposed to be the spiciest dish in the restaurant, however, it was fairly mild compared to Indian food at other places. Again, while lacking the true spicy kicks of more traditional Indian dishes, the dishes were still flavorful and rich. Speaking of delicious, I can’t not mention…
The sweet goat cheese paratha which came with a side of slightly sweetened cardamom yogurt for dipping. The bread was flaky, creamy, with a slight tang from the goat cheese and a syrupy sweetness from the honey. This would have made for an amazing dessert but we ate it happily alongside our meal.
After everything, we were stuffed! All in all, it was a great experience. The restaurant is dark and small, but nicely decorated and romantic. I found their cash only policy to be slightly strange for an upscale restaurant but apparently it’s quite normal in Philly.

Tuesday Thali nights for $ 20 renewed my love for Bindi. For $ 20 you get a little sampling of everything that Bindi does and you come away, full, sated and happy.
Though service is always a little touch and go, the food has been consistently good as of late and I never leave feeling like I haven’t had enough to eat. The ingredients are always so fresh, the end result is yummy — and I love that they locally source everything and support our local farmers.
Okay, so it isn’t traditional Indian food, not even in the least, but I know it, they know it — so get over it and enjoy it for what it’s worth.
As always, I’ve got to give a shout-​out to the owners (who I don’t even know, but admire), Marcie and Valerie, who are almost entirely responsible for the revitalization that has taken place on 13^th Street in the last 7 years. Power to the women!

Modern Indian cuisine which is still familiar to the traditionalist.
Recommended items:
Duck Pani Puri
Thali
Sindhi eggplant
Short rib samosas
Lamb vindaloo
Avoid:
Chicken Tikka masala (too many chickpeas for my taste)
Service is friendly, but can get slow when busy.
Remember this is a BYO, so take some wine or beer or spirits (or better yet all 3).

A definite fan of the Thali Tuesday concept! For $ 20 you get a plate full of little silver bowls filled with different kinds of food. The menu changes every week which is really neat because you get to try a lot of dishes and the dishes are somewhat influenced by the season. All of the dishes we tried were really quite fantastic but I would easily go back for a huge plate of the Malabar Swordfish Lettuce Wrap or a bowl of the Mint Raita with the Date-​Pecan-​Goat Cheese Paratha. Although the paratha was a little greasy (it’s made with CHEESE people) the mint raita was awesome and a perfect complement to the heavier paratha.
Also worth mentioning is that the place is cash only and byo. There is a wine/​liquor store a few doors down on Chestnut st. so I headed over and grabbed a bottle of cachasa just before dinner. The pitchers of mixers were $ 12 each but absolutely huge. My friend and I shared the nimbu-​pani (pomegranate-​blueberry ginger lemonade) and it was fantastic with little floating apple chunks. Kind of like a white sangria. The price is totally reasonable especially when you consider adding the byo alcohol and the fact that we didn’t even finish our pitcher before leaving.
In short, the food was awesome, service was on point, the drinks were bangin’ and dinner for two came to $ 56 before tax and tip. There is not a doubt in my mind that I will be back!

I don’t consider myself an expert on any cuisine, but if there’s one thing I know is Indian food, having spent many many sweaty hot months in the motherland, plus its the one thing my mom knows how to cook– go figure :) So needless to say I had way too many expectations for this place. In all fairness maybe I’m not the best judge– I’m biased off the bat. I’ll say this though I was super excited to give this place a try… so starting with the ambiance– it was quaint and dark– like super dark. I think the outdoor street lights were providing most of the lighting… super romantic– awesome for a date, not so awesome when you’re grabbing food with your friends…
We started with the samosa– always my favorite. Bindi bills itself as Indian fusion but ummm no not really. The samosa tasted like your typical samosa (read– yummy!!!) and the chutneys accompanying it tasted like traditional chutneys. The only thing fushion about it was the way it was plated (in a much more modern way).Accompanying our samosa were some yummy mango lassis. Our bad for forgetting the booze, but the drinks were good nonetheless.
This is where the meal went downhill. For main courses we split the rogan josh and the vegetarian thali (basically vegetarian plate with channa masala (garbanzo beans), eggplant, raita, and parathas (bread). The raita was the only thing on the plate that tasted like Indian food and the rest was some random interpretation of Indian food (once again not fushion). The flavors were totally lacking, which is often not a complaint with Indian food.
The rogan josh (lamb curry) was beyond disappointing. They basically served us a ginormous bone with some meat on it. My dogs would have died had they seen this bone. It was totally weird and the meat on it was sparse at best. The flavors were also totally not what I would expect with rogan josh, but also not any sort of «fushion flavor». Now I was beyond confused and still hungry… I guess the only plus side was that since I ate so little of the meal I didn’t walk away with ulcer inducing heartburn…

Brought some friends and a few bottles of vino. This Indian Nouveau place is tiny but we had no trouble getting a table for 4 (it was on the 9ish side). We shared a bunch of plates including the vegetarian thali – a fun mixed plate of vegetarian goodness. I can’t remember exactly what the salad was we had – maybe it was the beet salad? – but it had exotic flavors, like jicama and a particularly lovely salad dressing – that when I asked the waitress about, she talked to the chef and got me the recipe for it.*** I will definitely go again, and bring some vodka for the mango sharbat pitcher, which I envied on nearby tables. Service was great, and food was fun and innovative upscale-​American-​Indian. A bit pricey (I’m ranking it as $$$, but it was only just; if you eat a little less, it can be $$) but I was happy and full, and it’s not your average Indian joint. PS – CASH ONLY!
*** Bindi salad ingredients: beets, mango, jicama, shallot vinaigrette, cilantro chutney, tamarind chutney, seasoned yogurt, herb mix: cilantro (1 part), mint (½ pt), scallion (½ pt). It’s something to go on, but I also don’t think they gave all their tricks away.