Bhojan Vegetarian

I ordered a late lunch/​early dinner from here yesterday and it was decent. There are so many restaurants to choose from in this area, but I do like that Bhojan is an all-​vegetarian restaurants.
I got the saag paneer and puri. They give you two large puri’s, and they were good, just very dry. They were very filling though.
The saag paneer was OK — I would’ve liked it to be a bit more spicy. I asked for medium spicy because Indian restaurants are all over the place with their spice levels (similar to Thai) — it’s different everywhere you go. Here, the medium spice didn’t do it for me, so I’ll have to ask for it to be a bit more spicy next time. The saag was pretty tasty though, but the paneer was a bit too chewy for me.
Overall, it was decent and I’ll probably order from there again. There are a lot of other Indian restaurants in the area that I also want to try.

This review is for a lunch thali on a saturday morning.
Ambience — Nice and warm
Wait time — No wait, walk in. No reservation was required.
Service — Good
Food — Horrible — Bad taste, stale dishes, hair in food, cold food.
We ordered two different thali’s. Both the thalis (fixed platter) were full of substitutions against what was listed in the menu. The food was not well prepared. The chapati (nan bread) was chewy, dal (lentil soup) tasted stale.
The worst was a strand of hair which came floating on one of the soups. The restaurant was nice to replace it. But that was pure disgusting.
All in all, the two stars are for the ambience and service. But when it comes to food, I would award this place a 1 star. There are better Indian joints in the neighborhood!

Terrible terrible lunch there. Paneer was rubbery — some bits were uneatable, lentils were in a watery sauce, eggplants purée was tasteless and thick, and naan was hard — like in not fresh.
there’s a whole city of indian restaurants in the vicinity, and you are unlikely to just bump into this one by sheer bad luck, but if you do and if the gods are nice enough to invite you to Unilocal the place, it’s not to late to eat elsewhere.

Awesome, mouth watering veggie food. ambience is good, wait staff is very cordial and responsive.
worth many visits.

The food is stunning and unique here. As an Indian American, I have grown up tasting lots of Indian cuisine and Bhojan is different.
Most importantly, they have lovely service and a beautiful environment to enjoy lunch or dinner. Also, you will love their manager, Bhim, he brought out extra desserts to celebrate my girlfriends birthday.

+ Good Menu choices
+ Mild and Fresh Food
— Slightly uncooked and raw then expected

I love Indian food and I can even do it without meat but for some reason I did not enjoy this place too much. Maybe it was the kosher element? I don’t know.
First off this is a very brightly lit space along with a lot of shiny shimmering surfaces so your senses were overwhelmed. We ordered an assortment of dishes, all of which were just dippable mushes of what resembled Indian food. One that did stick out was the yellow much which tasted like popcorn. Also the mango chutney was good but it got to the point where I was mixing it with everything because it was all very bland. Nothing was seasoned of spiced. Even my vegan friend didn’t enjoy it too much neither.

I really enjoyed this place! I eat a lot of Indian food, but had never been to a restaurant that specialized in Ghujarati cuisine. I really enjoyed the variety and spices. Food quality was high, and the presentation was strong.
Service was really gracious at first, but turned suddenly brusque midway through our meal. That can happen, especially at mom and pop restaurants, but, it was a little weird.

I have eaten at Bhojan several times. Remains one of my favorite places for indian/​gujarati food and small bites.
I had a potluck and needed to make an order. So I emailed them, received a response right away. We did a small platter of khaman dhokla. Arrived on time, fresh dhokla with green chutney and tamarind chutney. Absolutely delicious. Fantastic service. Seamless from order to delivery!

I was craving some Indian casual street food a few weeks after returning from India… There are very few Indian restaurants that do street fare well.
Given the mixed reviews for Bhojan, we knew it’s a bet at best. We were very happy with our food! Their pav bhaji, dabeli and bhel puri were excellent! The chilli cheese toast was okay. And the sev puri was a little soggy. The alu paratha with raita and achar was quite good as well.
Will surely return often!

Went there with a groupon deal. 4 thalis (big plates with rice, bread and a variety of vegetable dishes), as well as 4 drinks for $ 39 pretty much cant be beat as far as prices goes.
Food was pretty solid; we tried both the Gujarati and Punjabi thalis. Both were fair representations of the respective cuisines but Punjabi was my personal favorite. (probably biased being punjabi originally).
I thought I had a good meal given what I paid (hence the $ 4), but not sure I would come back at full price (at least not for the thali)

This was my first Indian restaurant experience. I have to admit, I was nervous about this. I didn’t know what to expect. The idea of having a completely vegan meal is pretty foreign to me.
To my surprise, I loved it. The waitresses were very welcoming and warm. They are very detailed when explaining the menu and the different choices. I was clueless on what to order and ended up ordering some type of Sampler type dish that she recommended. It’s around $ 17 and brings a little bit of everything including Okra, Cheese in Tomato Sauce, Sauteed Chick Peas, Flat Bread, Rice, Corn, even dessert and more.
As appetizers, we had the samosas which were addicting and very filling. I couldn’t finish my meal I was so stuffed. The drinks were on the weak side though. This was a unique experience. I’m always up for trying different types of cuisines. The place is a little fancier than I expected too. I will be returning soon :)

I am not a vegetarian or vegan but usually eat vegetarian when it comes to ordering off an Indian menu. This place was amazing.
What we ordered:
Appetizers:
— Samosa: very good. Not too overly fried and good mix of flavors inside with diced cubed potatoes.
— Vada Pav: they were almost like potato cake sliders. Good but I’d skip it next time. Too much bread — ratios were off.
Main dish:
— Tofu Jalfrezi: excellent tofu with vegetables in a red tangy sauce. Great flavor and cooked well.
— Chole Punjabi: spiced chickpeas were really good. Not for people who only like mild spice but if you like a kick it’s great.
— Kitchidi: AMAZING! It was a yellow colored lentil, rice and potato mash that tasted like Cream of Wheat or a porridge. So good! Great comfort food. My favorite dish of the night.
We ordered a side of brown rice that was great too though it came with one small dish of rice too. We got a side of mango chutney that was great too. And the bread they give you was incredible (I think it was batura).
Definitely would recommend this place! I think it is on Groupon sometimes too for those who are looking for a deal.

Being the insufferable people that we are, my sister and I decided to buy a Groupon to Bhojan to try their thalis and «compare them» to the ones we ate in India last month… Yes, I know.
In any event, Bhojan’s deal was hard to pass up and we found ourselves here on a recent Friday night. We stopped by around 9:30pm and the restaurant was mostly empty save for a large group celebrating a birthday. Our deal included two thalis and two drinks, so we went with the Punjabi thali and a Kingfisher beer each. The waitress explained that the Punjabi thali is more saucy whereas the Gujarati thali is more chopped vegetable/​chutney-​based. That made some sense, but either way, the thalis we ordered were ample and delicious. A very authentic mix of vegetable-​based curries (including saag, paneer masala, etc.), papadam, chapatis, a pakora, a large serving of rice, yogurt and gulab jamun (my fave!) for dessert. I think the photo I added does more to explain it…
Overall, Bhojan’s offerings are terrific and even worth paying regular price for. I am so glad to find a thali place like this in New York. The service was quick, friendly and approachable and the restaurant is stylishly decorated. Recommended.

I’m a carnivore, so I hesitated when a friend invited me here until I remembered that some of my favorite Indian dishes actually had no meat. This is a vegetarian restaurant. Plus they offer some tasty interesting cocktails.
They try hard at providing good service, but the food was ok at best. The restaraunt was pretty full so perhaps my opinion is a bit off. I was somewhat confused by this to be quite honest. «What did I order that was wrong» OR «what did they order that was so right?»
I also found a hair on my fork that was clearly not mine. Clearly others that review this place have found redeeming factors. Perhaps it was in the awkwardness of the bathroom being in the middle of the restaurant? Or the chili cheese appetizer options that made me question, «why would someone combine this?»
Maybe some of my issues with this place was in the type of Indian food that it was rather than this actual restaurant, but either way, I am unable to decipher the 2 and simply end up not being a fan.
I’ll take the, «Meh. I’ve experienced better». There’s no more to say.

I never knew a meatless meal could rock so hard until I visited Bhojan last night. My friend and I decided to try a vegetarian dinner just for the hell of it. The friendly service and delicious and DIFFERENT food that is offered at Bhojan is terrific. By «different,» I mean that most of the food has a Punjabi or Gujarati influence, neither of which I had tried before –very unique flavors and very tasty.
We started off with appetizers to share… when the Dabeli arrived at the table, I was like WTW is that!!! Only a HUMONGOUS SUPER TASTY patty of ground potatoes, peanuts and red onions smooshed between an enormous bun (called «pau»).
We were going to order samosas as well but our server suggested another dish… I forget what it’s called but was kind of like an open casserole with chickpeas, a tasty brown sauce and red onions. Really good as well. I was already full after gobbling these up but soldiered on to the main event because I just had to!
For entrees, we shared Baigan Bharta — delicious pureed eggplant, onions and ginger and Navratan Khorma, sweet and creamy pineapple, mixed veg’s and mint — all were yummy. Poori was crisp and a perfect accompaniment.
To sum it up, great food + great company + great ambience = Perfect Girls’ Night Out! We will def be back for more!

Came here for dinner last Friday night (damn you Katy Perry!) and had a really nice time. Made a reservation for 7:30pm but it probably wasn’t necessary as the space is not that small, and there were still a couple of open tables by the time we arrived.
Once seated we were promptly greeted by a server who brought us menus and water. He was very observant and noticed we were taking our time reviewing the menu and did not rush us, which was much appreciated. We asked him several questions and he was very helpful. The only reason I found the menu to be extensive and slightly overwhelming is because everything sounded so good! And since this place is vegetarian– they even have some vegan choices– I had loads of options to choose from. Thus, it took me a while to decide but ultimately I went with the dabeli to start and the simla aloo gobi for my entrée.
The best way to describe the dabeli is like a spicy spicy spicy vegetarian burger– definitely large enough to share between two people, served on a bun with lettuce and tomato. Thank God for the mango lassi, as it was the only thing that saved my mouth from going up in flames! This was my first time trying lassi and I was instructed to go with the mango flavor. It’s a milky, thick, yogurty drink meant to offset the spices. The simla aloo gobi was off the vegan section of the menu, and I really liked it. Served in a small soup dish/​cup, it appears to be a tiny portion but I could barely finish half of it! Not sure if it was the lassi that filled me up or all of the potatoes I had consumed already, but I was stuffed.
Some minor issues I experienced have nothing to do with the level of service or quality of food, but more housekeeping related:
— the chairs they have are HORRIBLE! They made this awful screeching sound against the flooring of the restaurant and it pierces your ears like nails on a chalkboard. I literally winced every time someone got up from their seat
— the temperature. Much too warm for comfort
— only one bathroom, which seems problematic given the amount of curry being consumed…
While it’s not the fanciest Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to (Quilon in London still takes the cake), this place works for those who are looking to enjoy a good, hearty meal out that doesn’t break the bank.

Get the Lunch Thali ($ 9) on a weekday!
What a delicious, healthy, satisfying (without the food coma!) lunch experience.
Expertly prepared fresh food, Ayurvedic-​ally informed. The different little bowls of food keep your taste buds tingling; there’s a *balance* of *all* the flavors for your palate. So much so that I took the time to write out what was in my thali:
–Accompaniments — Raita yogurt; cooling, sour. A side of basmati rice, of course. 2 chapati (flat Indian bread), 1 cumin-​flecked papadum
There was even a little piece of cornbread.
–Shahi paneer: rich, creamy, slightly spicy (cheese cubes in creamy tomato sauce)
–A bean chili-​esque dish: spicy, hearty
–A curry of flat beans and onions in tamarind (?); spicy, savory, sweet
–A curry of zucchini; spicy, savory
–1 gulab jamun for dessert; sweet
I eat here literally once a week.

Indian restaurant food almost always disappoints me — it’s usually too oily, too heavy, and over– or under-​spiced. Bhojan, however, makes excellent, light and unusual dishes. This is the type of Indian food that you rarely ever see and it’s almost akin to what you’d get in someone’s home.
Their $ 9 labeled vegan lunch thali was superb: you get four or five vegetable dishes (one with lentils, one with beans, etc.) all seasoned differently. These curries are simple, taste home-​cooked and feature vegetables and beans that you don’t usually see in Indian restaurants (such as pigeon peas and kidney beans). Be warned that the dishes can be quite spicy, so ask them to temper the chili if you’re averse to spiciness.
Unfortunately, these delicious, rare dishes you find in the vegan thali are NOT available a la carte on the menu. That’s disappointing, as I’d like to order take-​out of some of the thali dishes.
The whole wheat roti they gave me was also excellent, but they don’t have brown rice, which was a bummer.
You also get a vegan dessert, but it wasn’t particularly good. It was basically a coarse bread sweetened with jaggery (an unrefined cane sugar product common in South Asia and Latin America) and wasn’t particularly appealing. Why not offer a coconut cream tapioca pudding? Or chai with almond milk?
The service was efficient, but curt. Seating is limited if you come during the main lunch rush.
All told, Bhojan makes unusual and great Indian food, especially in their vegan thali. I’ll be back.

Sunday noon hunting for a rare Indian dish, my friend and I (both vegetarians) were trying ancient method of hunting for good place by going around on foot and testing our judgments! After a quick glance on menus put up out in couple of restaurants in Little India (Lex Av around 28 St), we headed inside Bhojan.
The place is just enough in terms of space and number of tables. We were lucky as it wasn’t a busy day but it is always safe to ask for reservations.
The ambiance is simply great with yellow copper base lighting of wine bottles and copper pots on ceiling.
The staff is good, trained and takes proper care.
We started with Mango juice to drink which as predictably was like Maza. Nothing great and can be skipped!
For appetizers, we ordered a Dabeli and Chili Cheese Toast. The Dabeli was great in terms of the mix of spices but the potato was almost a paste rather than mashed. My friend liked it and it was not a big let down for me either. Serving portion is good so think of sharing appetizers. Chili cheese toast was probably one of the best versions I ever had. Mind it is literally raw green chili on top of a toast with cheese and toast. It is spicy for an Indian tongue too. Only daredevils should try! :D My friend and I were really happy to see something very much like a dish back home. The other chaat items description were good and worth a try next time.
We were hunting for Dal dhokli (dumplings/​unbaked bread slices boiled in lentils) and surprisingly found it here. We quickly ordered it and it was served with rice on the side. The dal dhokli was really good, made in Gujarati style little sweetened with gud (jaggery).
The service was nice and quick
We didn’t have room for desserts: D
Overall: Superb place, definitely worth a try!