Modern Desi Restaurants & My Review of Ambassadors Clubhouse New York

The Ranjit Shahi Lobster at Ambassadors Clubhouse

My father cooks Bengali food constantly, which you can find evidence of on my clothes that are stained both visually and aromatically. It's delicious, but it admittedly often feels repetitive and heavy. That's why, as a half-Bangladeshi woman who was raised on both home-cooked food and takeout from Jackson Heights, I was intrigued by the recent buzz around a handful of new Indian restaurants among non-Desi crowds.

Eating with my hands

Semma has been open for almost five years now, where many diners are trying their first dosa and raving about their Valiya Chemmeen Moilee (lobster tail curry). Across the pond, there are seven Dishoom locations, each bustling with a long queue out the door. Establishments under JKS Restaurants, the most popular being Gymkhana, are turning walk-ins away at the door even at off-peak times. I visited London for the first time earlier this year and managed to get a solo table at both Dishoom and Trishna.

A complimentary House Chai at Dishoom

The Chai Caffe Martini at Dishoom

I lined up at Dishoom Covent Garden late in the evening on Valentine's Day after seeing two ballets at the Royal Opera House, the first starring Natalia Osipova, and Marianela Núñez in the second. I even spotted Laufey seated only a couple rows in front of me. How glamorous! Everyone in line was greeted with a small serving of their delightfully warm House Chai. I was seated relatively quickly, within about ten minutes. I ordered a cocktail—the Chai Caffe Martini, if I'm remembering correctly—and the Prawn Pathia, which was perfectly tart and spicy. I spent all day alone but feel like I out-chatted myself there, starting with their friendly staff and ending with two guys sitting at the table next to mine, all of us brown. How at home I felt! It was an unexpectedly social evening after the long solo day of arts I had (I squeezed in Sir John Soane's Museum and the National Portrait Gallery between the matinée and evening performances) surrounded by couples in love. The bill came with two nostalgic Parle Mango Bite hard candies.

The Prawn Pathia came with a side salad and roti

Nostalgic Mango Bite candies

Two nights later, I had a pre-theater dinner reservation at Trishna. I may have been the first guest to arrive right when they opened. The staff were welcoming, and my server was so thorough when explaining the menu to me. To drink, I chose the Whisky Parsi Soda, fermented and topped with real raspberry. It reminded me of the Raspberry Cordial from Anne of Green Gables. I specifically made the reservation for their Nandu Varuval, a fried soft-shell crab. I only realized it was a starter after closely looking at the menu. When I mentioned this, the server added that he could put in an order for just one crab instead of two, which is how it is usually served for non-solo diners. I appreciated this accommodation, but I now regret not taking the full serving of two! I ordered the Coconut & Curry Leaf Scallops as my main course. I loved how light this dish tasted. To warm up and digest before dessert, I had a nicely frothed Bombay Chai. The Parsi Kulfi Falooda as the finale was a no-brainer, as someone who's loved kulfi since childhood. While the traditional frozen dairy dessert is always fragrant and flavorful, this was the fanciest version of it that I've tried, floated on top of a pistachio-and-tutti-frutti basundi with pink vermicelli, and adorably topped by a pair of mini rose meringues and an edible flower at the center. With the bill came their complimentary petit fours: a rose-coconut barfi and a mukhwas-covered chocolate truffle.

Whisky Parsi Soda, inspired by Duke's Raspberry Soda

The soft-shell crab I came for

Coconut & Curry Leaf Scallops on a bed of Vermicelli

Frothy Bombay Chai

A colorfully plated Kulfi

Petit fours on a bed of mukhwas

After comparing these two phenomenal meals to two underwhelming samples of traditional British cuisine (a full English breakfast at Ffiona's and a lunch of White Crab Salad, Half Lobster, and a side of Creamed Leeks at The Devonshire), I realized how much I took for granted my ethnicities' (I'm also half Japanese) refined yet bold tastes and went home craving more. It just so happened that a new location for Ambassadors Clubhouse opened in New York that same week. I tried securing a reservation for months and kept failing, even for a post-commencement dinner and my birthday. On a random September Friday morning, as I was habitually browsing Resy to see if there was anything I could look forward to after work, I found availability for bar seats at Ambassadors Clubhouse!

Dinner at the bar in Ambassadors Clubhouse

I rushed downtown from the office to my 5:30pm reservation. I got lost looking for the correct entrance, but I made it with just two minutes to spare. I was seated at a corner of the bar and had a fabulous view of the entire dining room. I was given an extensive drink menu and scoured it, as I only ever looked at the food menu beforehand. Everything sounded astonishing. The Tamatar Martini sounded right up my sister's savory alley. She was running late. I decided I was between the Masala Margarita and the Tandoori Margarita. I asked the bartender for his opinion, and he said the Tandoori resembles most other spicy margaritas, so I went with the Masala. I had a sip and was impressed. The masala rim and the whiff of spices in the air made me crave the food even more. The bartender presented me with the dinner menu, even more extensive than the drinks list, suggesting 4-6 plates for two. Where was my sister?

The Tamatar Martini and Masala Margarita

At last, she arrived 15 minutes later. "I have just the drink for you," I insisted, and pointed to the Tamatar Martini, which she did go for. Her eyes widened when she saw the onion garnish. She took a sniff and a sip, and had a look of bliss. "Yeah, you were right. It's perfect." I gave her a rundown of what I was thinking from the dinner menu. Although it was a splurge, I had my mind set on the Ranjit Shahi Lobster. She agreed, and we also wanted the Beetroot Raj Kachori Chaat as an appetizer. We were warned by the white bartender that it would be spicy, so we glanced at each other with a chuckle like, can he not tell we're (half) brown? We were leaning towards the Original BBQ Butter Chicken Chops but preferred another curry dish, so we were recommended the Punjabi Murgh Changezi instead. Alright, with a side of Basmati Rice and a bread... we have all these options at home in our freezer, but we were persuaded into the Masaledar Lachcha Paratha.

The festive Beetroot Raj Kachori Chaat

A Rose Lassi

The Beetroot Raj Kachori Chaat arrived first, looking mightily festive. We ravenously broke into it and enjoyed all the flavor profiles. It was tangy, sweet, salty, and spicy all at once. I recently had a Samosa Chaat at Keval's Kitchen in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that might have been better, though, because of the piping-hot samosa versus the cold giant puri. The yogurt in this convinced my sister she also needed a Rose Lassi. Shortly after inhaling the chaat, we received fresh plates and the rest of our order. I gasped upon seeing the lobster—halved, on a luscious, creamy curry, and gilded in edible gold leaf. The pieces of chicken were also tastefully garnished and placed in a line across its curry dish. The plump, juicy Maine lobster was accompanied by a rich and slightly sweet tomato and cashew nut sauce. I finally succumbed to eating with my hands despite it being pre-shelled for us, which allowed me to envelop the rice in the curry sauce more easily. The paratha was dusted with spices similar to those on my Masala Margarita, which I took note of for the next time I prepare some myself at home. I was glad to have it to dip into the cashew and brown onion masala curry, and to wrap it around the chicken. Chicken is never my go-to choice of meat, but the sauce, pungent with what I think was a generous heap of cumin, made it more exciting for me.

The majestic Ranjit Shahi Lobster

The carefully plated Punjabi Murgh Changezi

One sheet of Masaledar Lachcha Paratha

In true Asian fashion, we devoured everything, even wiping the last of the curry sauces with the little paratha we had left because we didn't want any of it to go to waste. My sister had already ordered a second Tamatar Martini (I told you she'd like it!), but I still had half of my margarita to go because of how messy my hands got. I told my sister to ask for the dessert menu while I washed up in the restroom. We only received hand wipes after I returned, which felt a little too late. I came into the restaurant eager to try all the desserts, particularly the Cassatta Baked Alaska, but it apparently serves two to four people, which sounded like a lot for how full we were. My sister didn't want anymore to eat at this point and was satisfied with taking just one bite of whatever I chose while finishing her second drink. We were told the Citrus Fruit & Frozen Lassi Chaat would be most refreshing, so I trusted that. It looked small when it first arrived, but it turned out the frozen lassi ice cream was densely packed into the halved citrus shell. Slices of both grapefruit and blood orange helped cleanse my palate and to feel like I was slowly starting to digest our lavish meal. The bartender gave us our bill, along with complimentary mango jellies and the same mukhwas-covered chocolate truffles as Trishna, noting that he "wished everyone ordered as opulently" as we did. We were pleasantly surprised to see that he comped two of our drinks for us. We made sure to tip generously, since we were already plotting for a chance at a second reservation to try more of their dishes.

The refreshing Citrus Fruit & Frozen Lassi Chaat

Mango jelly and mukhwas-covered chocolate truffle petit fours

The quality, service, and ambiance at Ambassadors Clubhouse immediately made it my new favorite restaurant in New York. My sister said it's in her top two—the rival being an Ethiopian restaurant. I, of course, still have to try Semma. Kidilum has been on my hit list since they also opened in February this year. I already have plans with a friend in Williamsburg to try Mythily, which had their grand opening earlier this week. I'll trust my father to keep introducing me to more Bengali-specific fare, as well.