Great news for Hell’s Kitchen vegetarians and vegans: the neighborhood’s newest Indian restaurant is completely meat-free and opened just in time to celebrate Diwali earlier this week, the Hindu festival of lights.
Ammy Sharma, a server at Annapurna Bhavan, lights diyas and presents an offering to Lord Ganesh before the dinnertime rush on Diwali. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
Annapurna Bhavan, which opened earlier this month on 9th Avenue between W43rd and W44th streets in the space previously occupied by Indigo Restaurant and Bar, boasts an extensive menu spanning North and South Indian cuisines – with four chefs dividing the kitchen by speciality.
Chef Vinoba Ponnusamy arrives at 5:30 each morning to prepare 32 types of dosa – thin, savoury rice-and-lentil crepes stuffed with vegetables, cheeses and spices – and South Indian breakfast classics like idli (spongy rice cake) and vada (lentil donuts). He is later joined by chefs who respectively handle classic North Indian curries like paneer tikka masala; street food classics like samosas and pav bhaji; and elaborate “thalis” – vibrant platters featuring a medley of curries, vegetables, pickles and sweets encircling rice.
Avinash poses with Chef Vinoba Ponnusamy, who prepares 32 varieties of dosa and other South Indian specialties at the new restaurant. Photo supplied.
The diverse range of dishes reflect the home-cooked flavors of co-owner and general manager Avinash Kaushik’s life journey, from his upbringing in Haridwar – a holy site for Hindus on the Ganges River in which no meat, fish or eggs are sold – to his time as a microbiologist in a Bangalore hospital, to the years he spent managing a South Indian restaurant in downtown Manhattan.
It was at this restaurant that Avinash discovered his calling in hospitality – and began shaping a vision for his own place.
Avinash Kaushik, co-owner and general manager of Annapurna Bhavan, Hell’s Kitchen’s newest, all-vegetarian Indian restaurant. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
“This was a dream for me, that one day I’ll open a restaurant and tell customers this is the real taste of India,” he said.
A 6th generation vegetarian, Avinash wanted to offer authentic Indian cuisine catered to those with pure vegan and vegetarian diets, including Jains – whose lacto-vegetarian diet extends to vegetables whose harvesting could harm small insects, like onions and garlic. Annapurna Bhavan’s menu is 100% Kosher as well.
Channa Buthara, chickpea curry served with a fluffy fried bread, is a popular Indian dish served at Annapurna Bhavan. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
Avinash’s first goal for his restaurant was authenticity of flavor and ingredients.
Many of the restaurant’s new regulars are from India, and often tell him that his food “tastes and feels like home” – the most rewarding review he receives, he said.
“I want Indians here in the USA to feel like they’re going home,” he said. To curate this experience, Avinash ensures that each guest receives not just “real Indian food,” but also “real Indian hospitality.” He personally welcomes patrons “like family,” and checks on them regularly. Even the mailmen and delivery drivers get offered water or soda.
Diyas adorn the bar of Annapurna Bhavan during its Diwali dinner rush. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
His second goal: Keep it simple.
“Our motto is no fancy food and no complex recipes,” he said, pointing to the simplicity of the dosa.
“South Indian food shouldn’t take too much time, but the quality should be high,” he said. “You should feel the chili, the turmeric and all the spices in your mouth.”
This doesn’t mean his menu doesn’t have some striking dishes. Take the dry fruit dosa – stuffed with diced nuts, dates and raisins and flavored with coriander, cumin and other spices. Or Avinash’s childhood favorite, paneer pasanda, which features dry fruit-stuffed paneer cubes cooked in a cashew-tomato gravy.
Other dishes may not pop out from the menu, but deliver a splash on the plate – like the king masala dosa, which extends the length of a two-top table.
Avinash poses with one of the new restaurant’s most popular items: the King Masala Dosa. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
On Monday night, as the restaurant’s idol of Lord Ganesh glowed amid candles and offerings for Diwali, Avinash was in motion. The seats were packed, a line of takeout customers and delivery drivers stretched out the door and his perennial smile often gave way to focused determination. However, every guest still received his trademark, thoughtful service, which he says is rooted in his culture and the humility instilled in him by his grandfather, Jai Prakash.
“He told me, whatever you do, do it with honesty,” Avinash said.
Annapurna Bhavan is located at 615 9th Avenue between W43/44th Streets and is open daily from 11am to 11pm.
Annapurna Bhavan is located at 615 9th Avenue between W43/44th Streets and is open daily from 11am to 11pm. Photo: Catie Savage