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Utsav NYC Review: Below Average Food; Poor Service
After a less than spectacular lunch at Utsav in MidTown West the other day, we concluded that this Indian restaurant's chef must have dozed off during his cooking school days.
Utsav NYC - Below Average Entrees, Pitiful Service
What turned this lunch experience into an embarrassment for us was that we'd invited a guest little realizing that this was a pretender of an Indian restaurant.
If the food at Utsav was just dispiritingly ordinary (we're used to that), we wouldn't have complained. But what got our goat was that much of the food at Utsav was below par and the service (or lack of it) was pitiful.
In fact, we had a hard time figuring out which was worse at Utsav - the food or service.
We had to remind the waiters three times about our order for Mojito cocktail. The lumbering Utsav waiters looked like they'd just woken up from a Rip Van Winkle slumber.
If you are heading to Utsav with hopes of fine Indian food, fuggedaboutit. You are probably going to get tastier food from any of the New York Indian food carts (a pity that just four or five NY food carts serve Indian food).
Utsav NYC - Bitter Dahi Baingan
Utsav's Dahi Baingan was too mushy and bitter. We suspected that the eggplant arrived at the kitchen in less than perfect form.
Utsav Midtown - Spiceless Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Rogan Josh was far from the promised Kashmiri delicacy. It was a hard, spiceless monstrosity that any self-respecting kitchen would be ashamed of placing before diners.
Utsav NYC - Awful Dosa, Uttapam, Mysore Sambar
Dosas and Uttapams were travesties of the real stuff. Way too small and devoid of any taste, they had no reason for existence at all.
Mysore Sambar and the cold Chutney were so appallingly bad that Utsav's chef should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity and handed down the maximum sentence.
In our view, any Indian restaurant that serves cold Chutney (as in taken out from the fridge) has no respect for its customers.
Utsav Times Square - Methi Malai Mutter, Chicken Shahi Kurma
Methi Malai Mutter (dish of pureed spinach, peas, and fenugreek leaves) was one of the few bright spots in a depressingly bland meal. Delicious with both Naan bread and rice, the Methi Malai Mutter was proof that Utsav's kitchen was not a complete disaster zone.
Chicken Shahi Kurma (Cubes of chicken cooked in a rich almond & yogurt sauce flavored with aromatic spices) was the second bright spot in our lunch. Although a little mild for our taste-buds, we still enjoyed this flavorful Chicken dish.
But it was the small Aloo Bondas that carried the day. They were so tasty that we had it again with our Margarita.
Utsav NYC - Bad Masala Tea, Mediocre Kulfi, Badam Kheer
Masala Tea was a concoction that was utterly bereft of any merit.
At $8.00, the Utsav Kulfi inspired great expectation but failed to fulfil. Other desserts like Mango Mousse and Badam Kheer were also nothing to write NYIndia Home about.
In fact, Utsav's Badam Kheer is a clear instance of wrong labelling because it was basically Rice Kheer with a few Almond pieces carelessly thrown into it.
Utsav also has a full bar that serves a variety of cocktails. Among the ones we tried, Mango Margarita was the clear winner.
But the service again was sloppy.
Utsav NYC Rating
Overall, much of the food at Utsav turned out to be assaults on the taste buds while service was conspicuous only by its absence.- © NYIndia.us
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