Inday

The motto is «good karma served daily,» there are artful lightning fixtures and waving palm leaves on the website. Inday appears at first glance to be the insufferable apotheosis of our current twin obsessions with health eating and fast casual dining.
But on the way to give this place a pan, I actually sat down for lunch. It was relatively quick, it was casual, and the flavors were wonderful.
There are some kinks to the ordering process. Between having the explain this particular restaurants’ take on the combination of proteins and vegetables and several of the Indian ingredients involved, it can feel like you need to pass a standardized test to get a meal. And well, it doesn’t go particularly fast. Thankfully on my visit there were just a few customers (one actually gave up during ordering in frustration).
Please, stick with it! The food that arrives at the end, from the quinoa to the different kinds of rice, is high-​end restaurant quality. I had a serious delicious piece of grilled salmon, with three kinds of chutney and vegetables. There’s a tenacity to try to get you to have everything at once, but I’d love come back and sample different parts of the menu in isolation.
I also washed this down with a very ice tea. It felt healthy but still spicy and full of flavor — exactly what pretty much every fast casual goes for and where only few succeed.

It’s like a chipotle line for Indian food. Only better. I went today for lunch and the lined moved quickly and the service was perfect. It’s not traditional Indian food but it’s definitely good. It’s like an American take on quick Indian food. Totally worth it.

Need to tamper down the hype a bit for this new Indian-​ish QSR, as the Über Eats-​delivered Chicken Grain Bowl (Grain salad with quinoa, farm raised grilled chicken in INDAY house spices, marinated kale, chickpea curry, roasted veggies, and spiced carrots. Accompanied with yogurt and green hot sauce on the side. (Gluten Free)) was far from mind-​blowing. Definitely a satisfying lunch, but nothing 5-​star-​worthy at standard prices with nothing too inventive.

I didn’t really like the food.
I love Indian food and I love healthy quick service concepts, but the flavors weren’t really up my alley.
The staff seemed to be learning the menu and trying in a nice way, but it was just off for me.
I felt like I was moving my food around in circles hoping it would taste good with the next bite. I couldn’t even stomach half of it.
I wish I liked it more.

I was expecting so much more from this place.
I went there after 6 one evening and the best table in the house was taken by the manager or employee. Four parties of two had to squeeze into the side seating.
The food was ok. Not your typical flavorful Indian but very healthy and filling. I had the Cool Grain option with steak. The channa sauce was delicious but needed to be warmer.
Overall, it was an okay experience.

Portions seem small but are quite filling! Each bowl comes with a pickled side and green with the option of a protein.
Cauliflower rice is on point as well as all the toppings. If you like spice, ask for a side of the chili sauce to go.
Not crowded at peak lunch hours for some reason — no idea why!

Great concept and delicious food. The «chef» was thorough patient and sweet. Quick as well with good atmosphere.

I like this place but it is still working out the kinks of being a new business. I love the idea and the service is good. However some of its ingredients are better than others. The chicken is good, the chickpeas are good, the pumpkin seeds are good, and the kale is good. However I disliked the «not rice» base because it had an odd taste. perhaps the actual rice is Better.
I’ll definitely come back another time and see how the place has grown! I have faith in its improvement and there is a great vibe there.

Much flavor in the same bowl
Décor is nice, one of those lunch spot that you don’t feel like to take the food back to the office and eat pathetically in front of computer

I’ve been wondering when the Chipotle formula would be adapted to other cuisines. Inday looks like a prototype that’s franchise-​ready, big time.
Don’t come here looking for chicken tikka masala or other authentic Indian dishes, any more than you’d go to Chipotle for chicken mole. These are fast, individualized bowls designed to echo the flavors of Indian food without the formality. Brilliantly, Inday allows you to easily customize your meal to specific dietary needs. Paleo, vegetarian, vegan — no problem. So you can opt for a standard basmati rice for the base, or a quinoa/​butternut squash blend, or a great no-​starch blend of cauliflower rice and shredded Brussels sprouts. Nice choice of proteins, including an all-​greens option, and a great selection of toppers, including a hot sauce that gave my bowl a vindaloo-​like kick.
My only suggestion would be to add some type of nibbler that could be shared. Pappadams with a couple of chutneys, maybe, to mirror the chips and guac at Chipotle?

Dropped by to the restaurant on Sunday afternoon and was surprised by the ambiance. It has a bit of a hipsterish feel with a jungle twist. I know that probably makes about zero sense, but with all the plants, coconuts, and bowls of leaves scattered throughout, it didn’t feel like a typical casual fast food place, which it is not, to be fair. It has the Chipotle-​feel of «pick your options and put it all in a bowl» but the ingredients are far more fresh, natural, and organic that you begin thinking you walked into a place altogether different.
Between the two of us, we greedily consumed three bowls to taste the various proteins and «carb» options (thanks Viraj!). We had the Salmon with Jasmine Rice, the Steak with Quinoa, and the Chicken with «Not Rice» which I believe is cauliflower. Personally I enjoyed the Jasmine Rice best as the carb option because I like my base to be flavorless and simple so that I can specifically taste the flavors of the main or side dishes. The «Not Rice» had a strong flavor that complimented the Chicken, but I found it somewhat overpowering. My GF liked it the most, so everyone has their own tastes.
The sides included grapes, pickled carrots, and yogurt sauce (along with some others that I can’t remember exactly) that heightened the flavors in the bowls. The freshness of the ingredients made the meal a very satisfactory experience. Of the three proteins we tries, the Salmon was my favorite being perfectly grilled with a nice, soft skin at the top (I’m salivating as I write this). The Steak was also delicious. I thought it was juicy and moist, but my GF felt it was dry. Not sure where that difference came from. The Chicken was the driest of the three, though no less flavorful.
The natural ingredients and the fresh take on the «casual fast-​food» approach make Inday a perfect spot for lunch or dinner. You can sit down and eat gourmet food or take it to go and enjoy it at home. I strongly recommend stopping by!

The ambiance of this place is absolutely fantastic, and it’s so heartwarming to see more of these healthy fast casual spots popping up around town.
Walking in to Inday feels like ultimate zen. Rustic interior, wood tables, candles, the whole shebang.
The menu is fairly simple– there are a variety of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ bases (brussels sprouts and cauliflower, salad, etc.) and then you add a variety of sides (veggies, etc.) and a protein option (chicken, turkey, smoked tofu, etc.).
I did the «not rice» option — added chicken — added the yogurt sauce + hot sauce, as well as all of the sides (broccoli, carrots, chickpeas *extra charge*). The dish tasted great, but was not overwhelmingly amazing. Aka I wasn’t obsessed with it overall. Here’s a breakdown of the + and -:
+texture of the «not rice» was AMAZING and the taste was great too
–hot sauce was way too spicy. if you are sensitive to spice, stay away!
–texture of chicken was a little off. i prefer pieces of chicken meat as opposed to shredded.
+yogurt sauce was fantastic and added an extra dimensional layer to the dish. definitely get this!
+chickpeas wee tasty as well, but an extra charge? come on.
–WHERE WAS THE PANEER!!! there was the option to add a «paneer scoop» for $ 1 but i imagine this was pretty skimpy.
–the piece of cracker it comes with didn’t taste good at all
–overall, felt a little like flavor/​seasoning/​texture overload. Couldn’t enjoy the mixture thoroughly!
Overall, I paid $ 12 for the meal… the portion size was HUGE (I could only eat half of it) but it still felt way too expensive.
I DID GET A FREE SOUL CYCLE COUPON with my purchase though — they were doing a promotional thing when I visited this past weekend and so I used the coupon to get a free 6am slot at Soul Cycle. AMAZING DEAL.

Flavor bomb!
— choose a base. add stuff.
— if you don’t know what to order, like I did, the staff (very helpful and friendly) will walk you through it.
I chose the cauliflower based Not Rice. I really wanted to try the tofu because of the rave reviews, but it was sold out. I guess it’s that good. I chose the salmon instead. I think I added all the add ons, the chick peas and several salads. Came to a little over $ 14, but the flavor experience was worth it. I felt that I didn’t even need the salmon, the bowl itself was delicious without it. I eat mostly vegetarian, Erickwhich can be limiting sometimes, so i love being surprised with healthy food that’s super tasty. Lots of space and seating and didn’t feel rushed to leave. I’m definitely coming back for the tofu.

My new favorite lunch spot in Flatiron! Fresh and not greasy Indian meal and I am pretty impressive on how they have developed the menus.
Just one thing I don’t like is it is pretty expensive compare to other places like this. But I wouldn’t mind paying $ 13 for this refreshing dish :)
Not rice was my favorite and I really liked it with beef more than chicken (chicken was way too salty, just salty). The pickled carrot was also my favorite with their homemade hot sauce.
Salmon was okay too but I am not a big fan of salmon so I will just go with beef or something else. Need to try their tofu and turkey ones.

The food here looks very pretty. If you have a hard time making decisions you can actually ask for samples. I tried new salad, which had a nice blend of greens and a refreshing tamarind dressing. I also tried not salad, which is a slaw that to me tasted flavorless. I ended up ordering the not rice because it seemed healthy and more substantial than leaves. The cauliflower rice had good curry flavor but can do without the raw brussels sprouts. Salmon was tender and grilled to crisp. All side veggies are tasty so ask for all of them. I really didn’t like how the yogurt paired with the curried cauliflower so I don’t recommend getting the yogurt unless you get a milder base like the slaw. The hot sauce is really really hot! Be prepared.
The line moves fast which is a great thing but if you are a first timer definitely read the menu first.

My five-​star ratings are categorically relative. That’s probably not the right expression, but it sounds good. What I mean is this: the fact that I’m given Inday five stars does not mean that it’s as good as the five-​star experiences I’ve had at upscale eateries. Rather, it means that relative to other healthy midtown lunch options, Inday deserves the highest praise. The food is innovative, healthy, and most importantly, DELICIOUS. Seriously delicious. Read on…
Inday is a fairly new, fast-​casual eatery in the oft-​trafficked Flatiron district. As previous reviewers have mentioned, the setup is along the lines of Dig Inn/​Chipotle. You start with some kind of base (grains or veggies) and travel down the human conveyor belt to receive your finished product. Personally, I like this better than Dig Inn — less greasy/​heavy than some of the options there. The steps at Inday are as follows:
–Base: Two grain («warm) options (quinoa, cauliflower rice, etc.), two veggie («cold») options (salad-​esque). Important note: These bases ARE seasonal. My first time here, I came in expecting to order the Emerald or Rainbow bowl. To my (initial) dismay, they had already changed their menus for fall. But I’ve always been a fan of seasonal menus so I’m not going to fault Inday for this.
–Vegetable sides (also seasonal): Pickled carrots, butternut squash and charred broccoli (free)
–Protein: Chicken, salmon, turkey, steak, smoked tofu, paneer scoop. Portions range from adequate to generous, and all are seasoned with various spice/​sauce blends. Props for options — catering to carnivores and vegetarians alike!
–Optional yogurt dressing/​hot sauce
What I’ve had here (both pictured, both $ 12):
–The «not rice» (cauliflower rice and brussels sprouts) bowl with charred broccoli, pickled carrots, and chicken (farm-​raised, grilled in house spices) w/​hot sauce
–The «new salad» (mustard greens, spinach, tamarind vinaigrette) w/​charred broccoli, pickled carrots, and smoke tofu (charcoal-​smoked in tomato chutney)
Man, so much FLAVOR here. I’m not even sure where to start. While I’ve definitely tasted all of these ingredients at one time or another, the combinations/​blends/​whatever you’d like to call them here are creative AND healthy. That’s not an easy feat, folks. It’s important to note that I actually don’t like Indian food that much — too heavy and overpoweringly spicy a lot of the time (in my limited experience). Inday offers a lightened up and much healthier alternative while still staying true to Indian flavors (again, I’m no Indian food connoisseur, so I might be off the mark with that comment). The food here is quite filling but not in the «I feel like s**t» way, more in the «wow that was satisfying and now my belly is happy» kind of way.
The warm/​cold options are hard to compare — they’re both so good! I’d honestly recommend them both. If I HAD to choose, I’d recommend the cauliflower rice but it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. What I’m trying to say in way too many words is: you can’t go wrong. TIP: Try the tofu. Seriously. Seriously seriously. I’ve said that word too many times in this review, but it must be repeated. I’ve never had a tofu preparation like this and it was just so yummy. It’s shredded and seasoned in tomato chutney — THIS is the way to prepare tofu. Tofu on its own is bland — the sponginess of it lends itself to soaking up flavor. We all know this. Yet that property isn’t always taken advantage of properly. Inday does — I forgot I was eating tofu halfway through my lunch, and just delighted in the yummy chutney. Meat-​eaters, you might be pleasantly surprised with this one.
Quick note on service: The people working here are just divine. I’m not sure if this is because the hiring manager has a fantastic head on his/​her shoulders or because these folks aren’t jaded by the midtown madness yet, but regardless, I’ve noticed. Everyone I’ve interacted here has been sweet, helpful and informative. I was confused about my tofu when it was first served — I had never seen that kind of preparation before — and the guy helping me dealt with my newb ambivalence by graciously providing a little explanation. (Non)problem solved.
Unlike the Dig Inn on 28^th and Broadway, there’s plenty of seating here. Definitely would recommend for a quick sit-​down lunch with friends/​coworkers!

Interesting concept, much like an indian chipotle. They will walk you through the concept when you get there. The best part, is this is not traditional indian food, as its not greasy or oily or heavy, everything is super fresh and clean. I don’t even think they have curry.
The portion size is HUGE, I got the tofu, and it was interestingly cooked, not cubed, but almost shredded. Really well done, and a tad spicy.
I would definitely recommend as a lunch spot, but while the portion size is huge, the prices are as well, it’ll run upwards of $ 9 total.

It just opened recently.
Food was healthy but taste wise it was alright.
Here’s what I got in my Bowl:
— STEP 1: Choose a Warm Dish or Cold Dish for $ 8:
½ «Not Rice» (Shredded Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout «Rice») + ½ Grain (Red Quinoa, Orange Lentil, and Spinach) /​/​I wanted to try both of them and Inday let me get half of each. They both were good, it’s like eating the healthier version of rice.
— STEP 2: Fall Sides: (the following is automatically included in your bowl)
My favorites were the squash and grapes.
1) Roasted (Acorn squash, mustard seeds, lentils)
2) Pickled (cucumber, squash, sesame)
3) Charred (Broccoli, Scallions, Grapes)
— STEP 3: Additions: (choice of chicken, steak, pork, salmon, turkey, smoked
tofu, paneer scoop) for additional cost from $ 1 — $ 4.50
1) Salmon — it was alright. It was a little dry and taste quite similar to Dig Inn.
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PROS:
— nice décor. very modern.
— food is healthy
THE OKAY:
— the taste was OK. I actually found the bowl setup and taste a little similar to Dig Inn. I actually prefer Dig Inn more than Inday.
— Hibiscus Tea $ 2.50 was alright. There’s honey available if you found the tea too bland for your tastes. It’s a good cleansing drink but eh.
— there were hot sauces and yogurt available to add to your bowl. The yogurt really helped enhanced the flavor for the bowl. The red and green hot sauces were a bit too spicy for me.
CONS:
— pricey ($ 12 — $ 16) meal depending on whether you add drink.

The bowl paradigm marches on. It’s different than Indikitch (way more veggies) and Chipotle (no taco-​burrito-​like options) and reminiscent of them all at once. Start with a base: rice, grain (quinoa, lentil, spinach), or not-​rice (riced cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) for $ 8. You can add a protein (steak, chicken, smoked tofu, salmon, $ 3 – 4, or $ 1 for paneer ‘scoop’, which I did not understand), and then you get a bunch of veggie add-​ons and sauces. My first try was grain with smoked tofu, and the cucumbers, radishes, and cilantro, $ 11.98 with tax (about $ 1 more than the biryan rice bowl with paneer at Indikitch). The smoked tofu was completely new to me. It was a delicious alternative to meat.
I plan to try Inday again with rice and chicken.
Here be the deets!
Grains hot bowl, 8
Add smoked tofu, 3
TOTAL, 11.98 (with tax)
TIP — enter on the south side of 26^th Street, just west of Broadway, behind the Italian café
BONUS — read a 40-​year-​old National Geographic when you eat in, if you want
BONUS — pleasant staff

If you are looking for heavy, greasy and overly spiced Indian food, this is not the restaurant for you. My absolute favorite new restaurant in New York, Inday’s food is absolutely delicious.
Everything I have eaten (the five times I have gone since opening day) has been extremely flavorful. While the cauliflower rice is a satisfying (low carb) base, I adore the cool bowls. The Emerald and the Rainbow are my favorite. The Rainbow, which is in my opinion a culinary innovation, is a salad I have craved every day since having it the first time.
The proteins are delicious, almost all of which I have tried. Each protein is spiced with traditional flavors, which distinguish Inday from being just another health conscious restaurant, and speak to the Indian influence. And while there are no heavy sauces, Inday does not let the fact that the food is healthy compromise their flavor.
The Chutneys and dressings deserve their own mention. The Green and Coconut chutneys are both spicy and sweet at the same time, which is a welcomed addition on the top of every bowl. And the dressings are the perfect amount of sweet, which add depth to the raw, tart, vegetable salads.
My favorite part about Inday, is you leave feeling full and satisfied, never sick or heavy.
The warm and welcoming staff, and chic décor, are only the cherry on top. Can’t wait to go back for lunch tomorrow!