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Diwan Hicksville Review
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Address: Diwan
415 South BroadwayHicksville, NY 11801 Other NYC Indian/Pakistani Restaurants |
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Diwan Hicksville Review: Good Value; Good Service
So, you still think Long Island Indian restaurants are ugly step-sisters to their pretty Manhattan siblings.Wake up Rip Van Winkle. Wake up.
There was a time when we dined at Indian restaurants in Long Island and often came out in tears over the pitiful quality of food and service.
But things have changed a lot lately - and thankfully, for the better - for Indian food aficionados in Long Island.
North Indian or South Indian or Indian-Chinese, Long Island today offers plenty of fine choices for lovers of Indian cuisine.
Yes, Hicksville (on Rt 107 a.k.a. Broadway) continues to be the magnet for Indian restaurants in Long Island, as it has been for over 10 years now.
A recent arrival in Hicksville is the Diwan restaurant (offshoot of the Diwan on E.48th St in New York City and Jackson Diner in Jackson Heights) located in the huge Patel Plaza on Rt 107.
Buffet Lunch
Our Buffet lunch ($6.95) at the spacious Hicksville Diwan restaurant the other day was a delightful experience with far more hits than misses.With a nice pungent flavor, Saag Panner was a tasty delight. So were Paneer Makhani, Chole and Gobi Capsicum.
Have the Paneer Makhani with rice or Naan bread and either way you are a winner.
Wow! We were in the seventh heaven by this time.
Juat as we were patting ourselves on the back for a lucky find, we hit a bad patch in the form of Dal Makhani. What a let down Diwan's Dal Makhani turned out to be without any pleasing aroma or taste.
Dal Makhani is a fairly common dish in North India and to fail at that is a disgrace for any kitchen.
Naan Bread
We also tried our perennial favorite Garlic Naan ($2.95). While Garlic Naan was very good, we found Diwan's Plain Naan served with the Buffet lunch to be even better. As a matter of fact, Diwan's Plain Naan is exceptionally good.In our opinion, the secret behind Diwan's superb Naan bread is that the kitchen seems to make them in small quantities rather than making a whole lot and dumping them on the buffet table.
Chicken and Meat
Tandoori Chicken left no room for complaint but the Malai Kebab was exemplary.Made from white Chicken, ginger and cilantro, Diwan's Malai Kebab was a succulent delight whose memories lingered long after the meal was over. Be sure to try it.
Chicken Makhani was so-so, a little lacking in flavor.
But Diwan's Goat Curry was more than a disappointment. It was an insult no diner should be subjected to. With far too many bones and far too little spices, the Goat Curry was the worst dish on our lunch table.
Desserts and Beverages
Mango Lassi ($3.95) was decent. No more and no less.Avoid the Diwan Punch ($4.95). This combination of Orange, Mango, Pineapple and Cranberry juices with light cream was nothing to write home about and just not worth five bucks.
Masala Tea ($2.95) was too underspiced for Indian palates that we wondered if it was really Masala Chai. Like Yuva in Manhattan, Diwan is considerate enough of its diners to offer warm milk on the side with Tea.
Rice Pudding was such an impressive sweet temptation that we returned to the Buffet table for a second helping.
Service
Diwan's wait staff (mostly Telugu-speaking students from the nearby NYIT in Old Westbury) were unfailingly polite and attentive. Water glasses were filled promptly and used plates removed after checking with the diners. We even noticed the wait staff alerting the kitchen to refill various items on the buffet table.Diwan Hicksville Rating
Its few disappointments notwithstanding, Diwan is a welcome addition to the Indian restaurant scene in the Hicksville area of Long Island.At a mere $6.95 (on weekdays), Diwan's lunch Buffet is a solid value for your money.
With mostly good food and attentive service, Diwan is sure to create a stir in Hicksville and its reverberations likely to be felt by other Indian restaurants in the area. - © LongIslandIndia.com