Adda Indian Canteen is set to debut on 1st Avenue

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Signage for Adda Indian Canteen went up on Monday evening as the Unapologetic Foods team is set for a soft opening here tomorrow at 5 p.m. at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (BTW, the storefront signage is expected to be completed today.) 

The soft opening will begin with walk-ins only for the first week. Reservations will open starting May 9, according to co-founder Roni Mazumdar. 

The arrival also marks the closure of the original Adda outpost that opened in Long Island City to great fanfare in 2018. Grub Street declared that Adda "could be the most exciting new Indian restaurant in New York." ("Unparalleled" and "thrilling" were other headline adjectives.) 

At the much larger EV Adda space, Unapologetic Foods will continue to showcase the rich tapestry of India's regional cuisines.

Unapologetic Foods, which includes chef-partner Chintan Pandya, also operates the fried-chicken outpost, Rowdy Rooster, at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street and the Filipino restaurant Naks, 201 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. They recently moved on from a kebab concept at 82 Second Ave. 

No. 107 was previously Huertas, which closed here in August 2023 after 10 years of operation.

Unapologetic Foods has moved on from 82 2nd Ave. for its kebab house concept

A for lease sign arrived at 82 Second Ave. on Monday. 

This is newsy for what isn't going to be opening here: The space was to be the home of Kebabwala, an Indian kebab house from the Unapologetic Foods team. 

Apparently after all these years (news of this dates to 2021), founders Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya decided to move on. 

An Unapologetic rep told us: "It was going to take us another two years to get a gas line there since the building does not have a commercial gas line installed."

The rep said they currently don't have any other EV storefronts in mind for the kebab concept.

No. 82, located between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, has been vacant for at least 10 years and previously housed restaurants, including 7 Spices and Reyna Exotic Turkish Cuisine. (Now we know why the space has sat empty.)

Meanwhile, work continues at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street where Unapologetic Foods is opening an outpost of its popular Adda Indian Canteen. (They were up for a liquor license last July.)

The great Huertas closed here in August 2023 after 10 years in service. The building had a new landlord, and chef Jonah Miller said he could not agree to "suitable terms" for a new lease. 

Reps for Paulie Gee's Slice Shop looked at this space in late 2023, although those plans did not move forward. 

Unapologetic Foods also operates the fried-chicken outpost, Rowdy Rooster, at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street, and the Filipino restaurant Naks, 201 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Acclaimed Adda Indian Canteen relocating to the East Village

Adda Indian Canteen, the acclaimed restaurant from the Unapologetic Foods team, will be relocating from its current Long Island City home to 201 First Ave. later this year, EVG has learned.

One of the workers renovating the storefront between 12th Street and 13th Street told EVG correspondent Steven about the new tenant last Thursday. A rep for Unapologetic Foods confirmed the news about Adda's upcoming move.

Adda will make the third restaurant in the East Village from the Unapologetic team of Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya. Fried-chicken outpost Rowdy Rooster opened at 149 First Ave. in February ... while the kebab-focused Kebabwala is slated to debut soon at 82 Second Ave.

Upon opening in the fall of 2018, Grub Street declared that Adda "could be the most exciting new Indian restaurant in New York." ("Unparalleled" and "thrilling" were other headline adjectives.)

No. 201 was previously home to Jeepney, the Filipino gastropub that closed last September after nine years at this location. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo.