More often than not when one thinks of Indian cuisine one thinks of curry. Perhaps that’s because Indian food hasn’t quite found its place in the realm of fine dining; our conception of sophisticated cuisine normally stays within European borders. Whether that be because of long-standing, curated biases of what “fine dining” ought to be or because of geographic limitations, the fact of the matter is there are predominant cuisines and there are those that are peripheral.
But there’s a redefining going on.
The culinary door is being opened as Indian restaurants enter the the same sphere of technical precision and artistic innovation that characterizes a Michelin Star experience. There are a few restaurants that are having an elevating effect on the cuisine as a whole. The baseline is being raised, and attitudes toward the cuisine have become more accommodating. Now, Indian food is making a sharp turn away from just being synonymous with Manhattan’s Curry Row or London’s Brick Lane.
I had the pleasure of experiencing a new attitude first-hand at the new “urban Indian” restaurant, imli, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Not even a year old, this restaurant is just beginning to nestle into the food scene, and it’s making good impressions.
imli’s menu is largely comprised of reinvented street food. Served as tapas and ready to share, these dishes acknowledge their origin as the quick and delicious bites you might see walking down the streets of Mumbai and the markets of Chennai. Though, Chef Manuel Butler presents them as if to say, “Yes, it is street food, and it’s delicious enough to be in my restaurant, too.”
Crispy Okra, perhaps my favorite of the dishes I tried, is piled on the plate with fennel and red onion, and despite being deep-fried, it’s light enough to snack on throughout the night.
Cauliflower tiki, a variation on traditional aloo tiki which is made with potatoes, is lighter and more floral than its spud counterpart, so it doesn’t have the same comfort-food, hug-in-your-stomach type heaviness. And the underrated veggie really plays better with the sharp, tart notes of the cilantro chutney.
Kerala beef is marinated in a yogurt and cardamon sauce and falls apart in your mouth. It’s spicy but not enough to discourage those who normally order mild.
Aside from street food and the classics (chicken tikka masala, saag paneer), imli also took a shot at interpreting some European staples from the perspective of Indian flavor. In this area, there are hits and misses: The Tandoori Pizza and Spicy Burger are riffs on American classics that have good intentions, but border on over-the-top. Other menu items like the Scottish Egg and Crème Brûlée topped with gulab jamun more hit the mark. These dishes are close enough to the originals that the reinterpretation redirects your expectation and offers a new side to their flavors.
The Scotch Egg was definitely the most interesting dish of the night. Prepared much like a normal scotch egg (soft boiled egg delicately folded into ground meat and placed in the oven to broil), Chef Butler took a slightly different route and used lamb instead of beef, seasoned the entire thing with fragrant spices and added a drizzle of tart yogurt sauce before serving. For lunch, it’s offered as a burger.
The Crème Brûlée with gulab jamun was a close runner-up. It’s entirely as you’d expect from a French restaurant, with the flat-bottomed dish holding three inches of creamy custard caramelized on top and with a single milky-sweet dollop sitting neck-deep in the middle. The nuttiness of the gulab jamun deepens the flavor profile while adding another texture to the mouth feel.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the cocktails. Fun and playful, they flirt with spices foreign to the European palate. Being a sucker for mojitos, I was drawn to their take on the Cuban highball, the Mumbai Mojito. Teetotalers will love Jaljeera, a popular summer drink that originated along the Ganges River. Jaljeera is primarily made from cumin powder but often includes ginger, black pepper, mint, black salt, a citrus zest, and hot pepper powder.
Whether giving new perspectives on traditional European cuisine or sharing street food inspired dishes in a restaurant setting, imli holds its own in the realm of elevated casual dining, and perhaps in that way offers a glimpse of a new kind of Indian restaurant.
imli
1136 First Ave. (betw 62nd & 63rd)
New York, NY 10065
212-256-0073