Desi Junction

I’d say don’t go for the ambiance, except the ambiance kinda makes this place fascinating. I guess what I mean is, don’t go for a date, unless you are dating a cabbie.
Desi Junction has a yellow and black checkered take-​out menu, which should tell you something right there. Their late-​night clientele is a United Nations of cab drivers, featuring a strong delegation from South Asia, each sitting alone under the buzzing flourescents and presumably dreaming of home.
Who knew that drivers liked SUCH GOOD FOOD?
I imagine that the reviewer before me only tried the food from the front counter, where the lunch special is scooped out from pre-​made bins of food. This is tempting, because it is super cheap, but I *highly* recommend sitting down and ordering from the aforementioned menu. For only $ 1 – 2 more, the food is prepared fresh in the kitchen, and to your spiciness specifications.
Honestly, this was the best Indian I’ve had in NY, including Jackson Heights. I went with an Indian friend (to whom I am grateful for introducing me to this place) who said that he ONLY eats saag paneer at Desi Junction. We also got delicious daal tadka, kadi pakora and garlic nan. Their chai tea was a nice capper. Oh, and it’s all vegetarian, which I consider a plus.
So yeah, don’t go for the ambiance. Go for the food.

Lost in the shuffle is this little Indian hole in the wall, offering a good variety of made-​to-​order Indian food that become the late night sensation for many cabbies and night owls alike. This section of Hell’s Kitchen is mainly composed of a mesh of industrial businesses and gas stations, which makes places like this on 10^th Avenue all the more difficult to find.
The food is not that impressive and anything in Jackson Heights would blow this place out of the water. Samosas are coated with a little too much grease and not enough flavor. For the most part, curries are a little bland but are fairly spicy. Palak Paneer is edible but what isn’t is the Khadi Pakora, which was borderline disgusting.
Prices are solid and surprisingly they accept credit cards. None of the entrees will cost more than $ 10 each and their lunch combinations are a good deal. I wish they were on SeamlessWeb or DeliveryDOTcom but appearing on there is unlikely as they don’t own a computer. The setup in the place is similar to a food court style buffet, where they just assemble platters at one’s request with a few spots to sit. The food seems to be the most fresh during lunch time, which would be my preferred time to order.
To Desi Junction’s credit, it is one of the only places in the area that is open though it is one of the few Indian joints that are open past midnight on weeknights. Though it is a real shame, I think I’ll just stick with the diners instead.

I have been to this restaurant several times and it is because the food is as authentic as it can get in NYC. Unless of course you travel to India. My family is into Punjabi food and they always insist on take out from Desi Junction. We traveled from Queens for this!

Inexpensive vegetarian food. If you get a chance to head up to 10^th, checkout this place popular with cabbies.