Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
And then there was one.
After decades of aggressive hosts trying to entice diners into their establishments with twinkling Christmas and chili pepper lights and promises of superior food, the upstairs-downstairs block of Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants at 93 First Ave. is down to one.
While Milon closed in December 2020 after nearly 40 years in business, next-door neighbor Panna II Garden took over the space in early 2021 (see below) without switching the previous tenant's sign.
It was business as usual, with groups coming in for various celebrations amid the lights and over-the-top decor (this with some pretty mediocre-to-average food and spotty service).
The Panna II maître d' on duty Friday evening told us they stopped using the adjacent dining room last month.
"No business," he said.
The Milon space has been gutted (thanks to Blake Farber for the following two pics) ...
... and workers bagged up the lights that had lit up thousands of Instagram posts to throw away...
Royal Bangladesh, which opened on the lower level in 1978, closed in the late spring of 2022. An unlicensed smoke shop briefly occupied one of the storefronts on the lower level.
While Milon and Panna II had been catering to the Instagram crowd in recent years, some locals still found the BYOB restaurants a familiar comfort on evenings away from the weekends.
This article at 6sqft has a nice recap of the restaurants here; Eater, too. (A photo of the glory days is below via 6sqft.)
The number of Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants along the so-called Curry Row or Little India here and around the corner on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue has been dwindling in recent years. As many as 27 establishments were clustered on the block in the 1990s; today, there are two on Sixth Street.
Economics and competition certainly played a part ... and, in recent years, we've seen new buzzy options, such as from the Unapologetic Foods team (Rowdy Rooster and Dhamaka, with two more concepts on the way)... and higher-end experiences like Bungalow at 24 First Ave., which opened in March and recently received three stars from the Times, and Jazba on Second Avenue and 13th Street.
On Friday night at Panna II, the lone maître d' said business has been slow.
This imagery is haunting.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 stars for Bungalow will forever come with an asterisk, as it was given by an amateur and biased critic.
ReplyDeleteHow is an established food writer for the New York Times an amateur?
DeleteSad.
ReplyDeleteThis is just tragic. But at least we still have Panna.
ReplyDeleteReading this after moving from the City and I am so glad to have experienced this odd and fantastic delight. Dammit.
ReplyDeletei just walked by a new modern but authentic looking Indian restaurant that seemed like it just opened on Avenue A between 12th and 13th
ReplyDeleteMust’ve been Veeray Dhaba, quite possibly the most underrated Indian restaurant in the city. They’ve been open since 2020 just for whatever reason doesn’t get talked about much
DeleteThe new place at 202 Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street is Ishq via the owners of Gazab on Essex Street. Veeray Dhaba is at 222 First Ave. between 13th and 14th.
DeleteI haven't tried Ishq as it just opened. But Veeray da Dhaba is such a gem. While Bangalow, Dhmaka and the like get all of the press/attention, VDD has been quietly turning out some of the best Indian food in the city with no pretense (and no need for a reservation).
DeleteIf you like Indian food and haven't checked them out yet, give them a shot! The team is also wonderful and survived a rough opening during Covid.
MrNiceGuy, i whole heartedly agree. Ive been a regular since they first opened. I haven't been to Bungalow but the restaurants under Unapologetic Foods (Dhamaka, Adda etc) is overpriced and overhyped. They have a good PR team.
DeleteI didn't know Ishq had opened, I love Gazab its my 2nd favorite Indian restaurant behind Veeray Dhaba. Will have to check out their new venture @Grieve
Sad
DeleteSo sad! This is a fav for my friend group.
ReplyDeleteMilon. Our home away from home. Happy birthday to you! A great place. Loved the chef. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI went to Milon for my entire life. My family would go on special occasions and I'd go and order a lot of the fantastic appetizers. Going in, you had loyalty to ONE of those spots... all the guys would be like "come in come on in" and you'd be like.. nah I'm going to my spot. Mine was Milon.. when it closed it was like a part of the city packed up and left.
ReplyDeleteMilon was an institution and I'll miss it so much. Just don't go on a friday or saturday haha.
We were a Royal Bangladesh family. Still miss them! I've become a customer of Sathi up on 3rd which is consistently delicious but a bit pricy. I'm looking forward to trying out Ishq and Bungalow (the latter of which seems more like a special occasion spot, buy looks beautiful!)
ReplyDeleteSo sweet to hear this. Royal was my dad's restaurant and he loved his customers. All of the Sixth Street businesses were a community and it is wonderful to hear the nostalgia here was shared by many.
DeleteAwful food, awful service. Moldy nan, watered down lentil sauce, tough chicken nuggs, Any of the other now closed "Indian" joints were 10X better.
ReplyDeleteAt one point there was a grocery store I think lower level left. Isn't that right? We used to buy colored beans and seeds for some art projects.
ReplyDeleteDual Specialty, the grocery store and herbs and spices shop, is located next door at 91 1st Ave. They are still there!
DeleteGood to know! Thanks.
DeleteSad to see so many of my favourite places have gone . I left nyc in 2016 after 30 wonderful years to move back to my home land of NZ.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurants were immortalized in an episode of Bored To Death. They are missed!
ReplyDeleteGreat set of photos!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad. It used to be such a vital scene with the 3 Indian restaurants there. I always loved the food.
ReplyDeleteI live on the block and it feels like the life is slowly draining away. There aren't many businesses left that you can say have been here for 40 years and who know your name and family.
ReplyDeleteThis group of restaurants are some of my favorite memories when I moved to the NYC in 1999. The food was great and it was a riot watch them trying to lure people into their various establishments. I also loved Gandhi with their sad duck in a turban logo.
ReplyDeleteOmg Ghandi made the meanest, most fucked Tandoori chicken I've ever had. Falling off the bone, tender, juicy, aromatic. The Basement place close the flower shop was pretty amazing as well. Simply incredible vegetable Jalfrezi. Fresh spices, seared, never burnt. Lucky to have those places. It was a good run...........
Delete@XTC Right?!?!
ReplyDeleteoh god. I'll miss it. We went there for the papadum, green sauce, and appetizers. Also for birthdays, even when it wasn't really our birthday! the whole place sang happy birthday and your table got delicious ice cream
ReplyDeleteWe used to get 3-course lunches for $2.95 in the 90s!
ReplyDeleteSonali was my place on 6th St (Sizzling plates of Chicken Korai Kebab, absolutely delicious). No liquor license, so BYOB, but way before that was Shalimar (anyone remember them?) Not on 6th Street, but further uptown on or near 28th near Lex. A bit more upscale, and a great restaurant.
ReplyDelete