Chennai Garden

Unfriendly staff! Manager was really eager to kick us out in 10 mins! Not a good experience!

Loved this place but I tried to go last weekend and it’s now closed permanently. Owner says he is converting it to a non-​vegetarian restaurant (boo). I also found out that he also owns Tiffin Wallah which is just a block over. He said the same chef from Chennai Garden now works there.
RIP

In the heart of Curry Hill — this place holds its ground against tough competition for South Indian Cuisine. Good thing is that this place never has a wait or a line — partly do with the poor service over the years.
After renovation, the pink color on the wall is simple odd and outrageous. Don’t expect much from an ambiance even though the photos on the wall do try to welcome you to India.
As for the food — all the South Indian dishes are delicious (Dosa, Idli, Vada, Uthapama). I would avoid getting North Indian food here as that is not their specialty — exception being the Chole Bhatura on weekends. The place is 100 percent vegetarian which gives tons of options to chose from.

I asked the waiter what the difference were between two dishes that had almost the same title except for one word, but the exact same descriptions… but he had no clue.
The food was decent though. No idea what the heck I was eating but it tasted fine.

My friends and I always choose this place when we are craving dosas! They are so delicious here. They use real tomatoes to make their sambar which makes a huge difference compared to tomato paste. We ordered yogurt rice, masala dosa, mysore masala dosa, paper dosa and uthapam. All were delicious!
It took a little while to get our food as it was busy on Saturday afternoon at lunch time and we were seated right next to the kitchen and watched them bring out all the the other food.
They can accomodate larger parties up to around 10 – 15 by pushing tables together, though overall it is a pretty small restaurant. Other than their odd choice of pink walls, I have no complaints about Chennai Garden. It definitely satisfied my South Indian food craving!

Disappointed with this vegetarian place. Very lackluster buffet menu. Atleast you would expect the sambar to taste good since the place is called Chennai Garden. But the sambar tastes really off. Wouldn’t come here again. Surprised this place has 4 star ratings.

Leckere südindische Küche, vegetarisch und kosher eine Kombination, die man nicht sehr oft findet. Wir waren zu viert, nur ein Vegetarier unter uns, aber wir waren alle vom Essen sehr begeistert und haben das Fleisch nicht vermisst. Eine Reservierung ist auf jeden Fall sinnvoll, wir hatten keine und haben nur einen Tisch erwischt, weil wir relativ früh dran waren. Kurz darauf war das Lokal brechend voll.
Ich hatte eine Masala Dosa, eine Art knuspriger Pfannkuchen mit einer würzigen Kartoffelfüllung sehr lecker und eine riesige Portion. Als Nachtisch gab’s Kulfi indische Eiscreme ebenfalls ausgezeichnet! Es gibt aber auch verschiedene Thalis, also eine Auswahl an Curries mit verschiedenen Beilagen, so dass man mehrere Gerichte kosten kann. Diese sind bei uns auch sehr gut angekommen!
Das Lokal ist relativ klein, aber sehr stimmig und gemütlich eingerichtet. Das Service sehr aufmerksam und freundlich, aber da hatte ich in den USA eigentlich immer nur positive Eindrücke. Anscheinend schenkt das Lokal keinen Alkohol aus, ich konnte an einigen Tischen beobachten, dass mitgenommener Alkohol konsumiert wurde, ich weiß aber nicht welche Bedingungen da dran geknüpft sind.
Ansonsten kann ich das Lokal aus vollem Herzen weiter empfehlen, preislich war es für New Yorker Verhältnisse auf jeden Fall sehr günstig und es gab für mich auch sonst nur positive Punkte. Selbst wenn man in diesem Lokal keinen Platz mehr finden sollte, gibt es in der Nachbarschaft zig andere indische Lokale.

This place is 2 things I am not: alcohol free and vegetarian. But wow is the food good! Grab a bottle of wine from the store next door and be ready to eat. The service is friendly but clumsy. The food is just awesome and lots is gluten free if that’s your thing. Lots of cheese dishes makes up for vegetarian part.
Next time I am unfortunate enough to end up in Murray Hill this is where I’ll be.

Went for the lunch buffet.
This place has some good things going for it. It’s strictly veggie, so if you’re vegetarian or if you eat kosher it’s easy. The lunch buffet is also really cheap at $ 8.65, which is a nice deal for a sit-​down restaurant in this area.
The food is solid but nothing special. I’ve certainly had much better all-​you-​can-​eat Indian buffet in the area. The lentils were my fave, with chopped okra coming in a close second. Decent mint chutney and other condiments.
Would go again but wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here.

The food is solid, although everything is vegetarian.
They have an $ 8 lunch buffet that is totally clutch. You can get a huge take out platter as well if you’re on the run.

Authentic flavors! Good enough to bring back memories of crowded restaurants in Kolkata where you sit shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh crammed in on benches packed into a tiny café while a gorgeous, pungent sail of a masala dosa is plunked down in front of you on a plank table.
You’ll have more elbow room at Chennai Garden, but not a whole lot more as it is a small (and very Pink) place! You’ll have a crisp dosa filled with authentic goodness and a delicious sambar to complete the wheel of flavors.
Service is lackluster and my teenage son complained the portions were too small!
If I lived anywhere in the area, I’d certainly eat there again.

Solid dinner experience. Tucked away in a less touristy neighborhood, Chennai Garden delivers delicious South Indian vegetarian cuisine. Entrees and prices were great, having split the classic masala dosai and the mushroom utthapam. Portions were generous, which is the only American influence on this very authentic meal. The chai was all right though.
The décor is positively pretty, simple, and PINK. Customers can come in a lil’ dressed up, but office or day casual works too, even during dinner. It is a very clean though small restaurant. There are about 4 tables for 6, 13 tables for 2, and a few for 4. Restrooms were clean and small too.
Service was up and down for me and my friend, depending with whom we talked and also depending on what point in the meal we were. It was a bit confusing at the end because our server asked us if we wanted our check, but then the cashier delivered it but had a different server pick up the money.

Klar, in Berlin kann man auch indisch essen fast an jeder zweiten Ecke, wenn auch in arg unterschiedlicher Qualität.
Aber vegetarisch-​koscher indisch? Und dann auch noch derart lecker und einfallsreich, dass selbst mein karnivorer Begleiter begeistert vegetarisch isst?
In New York geht das problemlos, an mindestens zwei Orten auf dem Curry Hill, dem Teil des Flatiron District mit der höchsten Dichte an indischen Restaurants: Im hier beschriebenen Chennai Garden sowie eine Straße weiter (28^th) im Tiffin Wallah.
Beide Restaurants bieten hervorragende, originelle und (zumindest für europäische Gaumen) ungewöhnliche Geschmackserlebnisse, die Vielfältigkeit und Intensität der Gewürz– und Aromakombinationen sucht ihresgleichen.
Es gibt klassische Curries, aber auch Außergewöhnliches wie etwa Utthappam (eine Art dicker Pfannkuchen aus einem Reis-​Linsen-​Teig mit weiteren Zutaten) und Dosai.
Alles ist frisch, köstlich und für New Yorker Verhältnisse spottbillig, daher ist es an Freitag– und Samstagabenden nur durch geduldiges Anstehen möglich, einen Tisch zu ergattern (oder man versucht es im oben erwähnten Restaurant eine Querstraße weiter). Das Personal besticht durch seine ostentativ zur Schau getragene Gleichgültigkeit.

Food is really amazing — had the sampler plate and it was amazing.
Restaurant was BYOB.
Only downside is the service — which I’d describe as less than attentive and a bit disjointed. But the food is so good it makes up for it.

So I ordered delivery from here… got Palak Paneer and Gulab Jaman. The food was good… but way way way too much cilantro for Palak Paneer. Chennai Garden: I don’t care what they told you in India, 1) cilantro is disgusting 2) palak paneer should not have cilantro.
But I shouldn’t have ordered from here in the first place. Because I totally forgot that 2 years ago, I had been here before… and had the same experience. And I had only discovered this fact by coming to Unilocal to write the review, and noticing the review button was an «Update» and not a «Write». Maybe I should read my own reviews before calling places.

One of the strangest restaurants I have ever eaten in. First you are assaulted by the most bizarre color scheme for an Indian Restaurant in Curry Hill. Bright pink walls more appropriate for a bar in Miami Beach.
On a Saturday night we were seated in the almost empty restaurant right next to the host’s desk/​stand. I thought I had finally solved the problem of Indian food not being properly spiced or hot enough with a jar of Kalustyan’s «Indian Chilli Powder (X-​HOT)» strategically placed on the table. The waited seemed to understand that we wanted the food HOT, and when the Kadi Paneer Masala arrived it was hot enough, though no sweat formed on my nose. We also ordered Bhindi Masala and Chappati, and when they didn’t arrive with the Kadi, we assumed the Bhindi and Chappati would arrive shortly. At this point our waiter vanishes.
Half way through the Kadi Paneer, I got another waiter to come to the table, and asked about our Bhindi and Chappati, he assured me in knowing language that it was almost done and would be out in a few minutes. Then this waiter vanished!
When we were finished with the Kadi Paneer and rice, the manager asked us if we were waiting for anything else, had we ordered anything else. I told him about the bhindi and the chappati, whereupon he sent the original waiter back to our table, (I don’t know where he had been keeping him). This guy then with a grand flourish proceeds to tell us that we did not order the bhindi or the chappati, because he did not write it down. We told him that was impossible, so then he put the rest of the order in. About fifteen or twenty minutes later the bhindi and the chappatis come out. The chappati was not fully cooked, but was edible. Tthe bhindi was the worst I have ever had in my life. Not only was it not hot or spicy in the least, it also had no flavor other than that of cooked okra.
Either they have no idea how to make bhindi masala or it was rushed. It does not matter, when they saw we did not eat it they should have removed it from the tab.
The Kadi Paneer Masala was very good. And that is all I can say positive about this place. The service was beyond bad, it was essentially non-​existent. The servers clearly all think they are very handsome and enjoy looking at each other, and chatting together while suspiciously eyeing the few customers in the place. Their «male bonding» was entertaining.

When I think of vegetarian, I crave Indian, one of those cultures that do it justice with no pretense toward meat. In the midst of a small cluster of Indian restaurants in Flatiron, there is Chennai Garden, which serves only vegetarian food. No meat or seafood, just seasonings, textures, and flavors to make that irrelevant.
Modest sized dining room, big enough to hold a few large groups but still feel small. Casual atmosphere and tables, colored a bright pink. Service was there when we needed, polite and efficient.
Not one miss, every dish delivered its own distinct blend of flavors and textures. Tender and fragrant chickpea mash, the chana chat, went quickly, scooped into paneer wedges. The baingan bartha was also well-​spiced, a roasted mash of eggplant and tomato, smoky and flavorful.
Choosing a dosai from their long list is a must. Dosai are crispy crepes, enormous and nearly spanning half the surface of a table for two. There are lots of fillings available to choose from; they’re tucked inside the dosai and look like a small portion compared to the size of the dosai, but its a good ratio. The crisp, fragrant crepes are hearty and taste great with the bit of spiced potato filling and/​or dipped in one of the two sauces: delicious coconut chutney or tangy sambar. All perfectly paired with a tall, narrow glass of smooth, salty lasso.
The food at Chennai Garden was satisfying and very economical to boot. Great vegetarian Indian awaits.

The restaurant scene in Curry Hill has changed over the years, somewhat in lockstep with how India’s economy and reputation have been upgraded over the years. With new entrants, the likes of Saravanaas and Chennai Garden have undertaken makeovers in an attempt to keep up with their competition on one hand, and with their changing client mix on the other.
Chennai Garden has undergone a transformation for the worse since I last ate there a couple of years ago. The setting has turned a distinctly dark pink – from the walls to much of the seating. Combined with the low ceilings and the walk down from street level, it is clear that the burden of proof at Chennai Garden rests on the food, not the off-​putting ambiance.
The food is a redeeming feature at Chennai Garden, but with notable exceptions. Some of the North Indian fare is fairly well-​executed, such as the bhel puri and alu chat. Their iddly is fluffy and bland in and of itself, which is par for the course. The rava dosai is remarkably good, but if you are in the mood for spicy food, you should brave the gunpowder masala dosai, which has a liberal sprinkling of red chili. I found the Punjabi and Gujarati curries to be a distraction in the menu. And the masala tea and coffee were poorly made.
In summary, Chennai Garden is an acceptable option for South Indian food, but certainly not the best one in the area.

A group of us came here for the lunch buffet. South Indian Vegetarian Kosher cuisine. BOY, do they cover a lot of bases, but the quality is not sacrificed in this effort.
Everything there was really fresh — their salad was delicious! The naan was pillowy and helped me eat the delicious veggie curries (3 – 4 separate dishes). Their rice was delicious and the honey soaked fried bread was a dessert I never tried before — it was delicious! This buffet was on the small side, but there was enough variety for me to be satisfied. I obviously went back for seconds and had my fill, but didn’t feel like I was going to to have a food baby! It was an amazing feeling, to be quite honest, especially because I knew I had a busy day ahead of me.
The service was attentive and the setting made it really easy for us to talk and have good conversation. Just a warning, the bathroom was really tiny (I had to straddle the toilet to exit the loo), but I feel like it comes with the territory here in the city and it didn’t phase me.
When we were paying for our bill, another wave of happiness swept over me — the buffet was unbelievably affordable. After eating in other places around the city, I was thrilled to be saving my money without getting shortchanged on food quality. I definitely recommend this spot — it’s also great for people who are on a gluten free/​dairy free diet so everyone wins! :)

A good option for South Indian vegetarian food. A small restaurant with simple décor. We came here once a party of four for dinner. All of us enjoyed our meals. I had alo gobi which was pretty much what you can expect if you ever had it before, no experimenting with new spices or ingredients. The dosas are pretty huge here.
Let’s talk about service now. It doesn’t exist here. It’s unfortunate having to keep seeing this pattern at almost every Indian restaurant that is not classy or upscale. Waiters who don’t care, talk back, or generally just seem uninterested in their work. We asked them to wrap up some of the left overs to go. They came out and gave us the plastic boxes telling us we had to pack it up ourselves. Very odd and I have never encountred that before. We asked for more boxes because everything didn’t fit and we didn’t want to put different dishes next to each other in the same box (because of allergies). The waiter told us that he had given us «so many» boxes already and with a heavy sigh said: «What more do you want?! That’s nice. How much does it cost to give a plastic container? 2 cents? I think that’s fair when dinner costs almost 70 usd.
I think I’m still quite generous giving this restaurant three stars based on the food. Don’t come here if you want attentive and good service. But if you crave South Indian food and want to try something else than the other Indian options in the area, why not?

This is my favorite South Indian restaurant in New York. The three years I was there, I visited this place at least once a week. Before I talk about the food, let me first say that the service here sucks. I am a regular at this place, but I have yet to see the staff smile. I often feel like telling them a joke just to see if they can smile at all :)
Now that the service is out of the picture, lets talk food. I think its due to the quality of the food that this place is still in business. I am a fan of South Indian food, and this place tops all the places in the area. For appetizers, ‘Idli/​Sambhar’, ‘Bhel’, ‘Dahi Wada’ are my favorites. For entrée, I either get the ‘Rava Masala Dosa’ or the ‘Masala Dosa’…both of them as delicious as it gets. The dosa is served with sambhar and coconut chutney. Don’t forget to ask for their tomato chutney, which tastes great with dosas. The ‘Chana Bhatura’ is mouth watering. For dessert, try ‘Rasmalai’ or ‘Gulab Jamun’. You just cannot go wrong with the food here.
I am often asked why I still go to this place when the staff is so unfriendly. My answer is the food… their food tops Sarvana Bhavan, Tiffinwala, and Pongal (in my opinion). So if you can ignore the impudent staff — I would say go try out this place. Every time I visit New York, I make sure I eat here once.

Goldilocks says «Not too spicy or salty or sweet, EVERYTHING IS JUST RIGHT, including the portions.»
_​Garden Soup = creamy, yummy, not too spicy. $ 4
_​Garden Salad = iceberg strips, tomato, cucumber, carrot, homemade raita dressing. $ 4
_​Thali (the first Combo Dinner) = Server offered to substitute wheat bread for Papadum (gluten-​free lentil wafer) without any hesitation! $ 15
_​Mango Lassi = tasted like real mango w/​o unneeded sweeteners
Shared all of the above with my date completely satisfied, even a bit full even after an intense workout.
Will gladly return!

You shouldn’t have closed for renovations, because Tiffin Wallah might have gotten my heart!
I’ve been coming to Chennai Garden for a few years now and love the fresh food. Everything is really, really good. Except the service. I feel the staff has an air of anti woman or something, because they are always just a little rude.
That being said, the food is always good and fresh.
I have celebrated my birthday here several times and they have been nothing but accommodating with reserving a table for a large party.
Open up again so I can get rude service with good food!!!

El restaurante hindú Chennai Garden está considerado como algunos, ente los mejores de la ciudad. Esto no significa que sea caro, sino todo lo contrario, es un sitio con muy buen precio. Durante la semana ofrece para el mediodía un buffet libre de buena calidad y por menos de 10 $. Todos los platos están riquísimos: tortillas hindúes, refritos de verduras, hummus, pollo picante con verduras, etc. De postre, el buffet sólo incluye el arroz con leche, que està para chuparse los dedos. Es uno de los mejores que he probado.

Edible.