Report: Owners of Babu Ji settle 2nd wage lawsuit

News broke back in March about a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against Babu Ji owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh. Around that same time, their popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street went dark ... and never reopened in this location.

Eater reports today that Babu Ji has settled the second lawsuit.

Last fall, three employees of the restaurant’s now-shuttered East Village location accused Jessi and Jennifer Singh of withholding tips and failing to pay overtime. The same lawsuit claimed that Jessi Singh threatened servers and their families.

Settlement papers filed to public record earlier this week show that each of the three former employees will receive under $28,500 as part of the agreement, while attorney (and notorious restaurant thorn) Maimon Kirschenbaum’s firm will receive more than $44,000. The Singhs did not admit to wrongdoing as part of the deal.

Babu Ji, which opened on Avenue B in June 2015, is now at 22 E. 13th St. between Fifth Avenue and University Place.

The former Babu Ji space on B and 11th will be an Indian restaurant from the founder of Curry in a Hurry, Akbar Dawat and Café Spice, among others.

Photo from March

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Babu Ji on Avenue B hit with another wage lawsuit

With court date looming, Babu Ji 'is taking a break' on Avenue B

1st sign of the Old Monk on Avenue B

The Old Monk awning and signage has arrived at the northeast corner of Avenue B and 11th Street ... where Sushil Malhotra, founder of Curry in a Hurry, Akbar Dawat and Café Spice, among others, is opening the Indian restaurant. We haven't heard anything else about the project just yet.

Babu Ji, the previous tenant, closed in March following the disclosure of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh. (Babu Ji later reemerged at 22 E. 13th St. between Fifth Avenue and University Place.)

Thanks to EVG regular Daniel for the photo!

Babu Ji going and coming

Workers have removed almost all the remnants of Babu Ji from outside the former Indian restaurant on Avenue B and 11th Street...



As we first reported on May 4, Sushil Malhotra, founder of Curry in a Hurry, Akbar Dawat and Café Spice, among others, is opening a new Indian restaurant in this space. We recently spoke by phone, and Malhotra said he was still finalizing details on the Avenue B space. He did promise it will be a fun restaurant.

Babu Ji had been closed here since early March following the disclosure of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh.

However, it appears Babu Ji will live on not too far away. An Eater tipster spotted Babu Ji signage at 22 E. 13th St. between Fifth Avenue and University Place a few weeks ago.

Veteran restaurateur Sushil Malhotra opening Old Monk in former Babu Ji space on Avenue B

Sushil Malhotra, founder of Curry in a Hurry, Akbar Dawat and Café Spice, among others, is opening Old Monk at the former Babu Ji space on Avenue B at 11th Street.

Malhotra confirmed the news in an email. He described it as an "exciting Indian concept coming up soon." In a follow-up phone call, he said that "it's definitely going to be a fun place." He said they were still working out details on decor and pricing, and wasn't quite ready to share more details.

Malhotra and his team, which includes chef Navjot Arora (a partner and executive chef at the well-regarded Chutney Masala Indian Bistro in Westchester County), are on this month's CB3 SLA committee docket for a beer-wine license for 175 Avenue B. (This item will not be heard during the committee meeting on May 15.)

The listed hours for Old Monk are 5-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1-11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon-10 p.m. on Sunday.

Westchester Magazine had a profile on Malhotra from 2012. Per the article:

The last time you had a yen for Indian cuisine, Sushil Malhotra probably satisfied your craving, albeit indirectly. Have you ever had a fantastic meal at Chutney Masala in Irvington or taken clients to dinner at Dawat in Manhattan? Maybe you’ve picked up lunch at the Café Spice booth in Grand Central’s Dining Concourse. And if you frequent Whole Foods Market, you may have savored the Indian food from its hot bar.

You can thank Malhotra for all of those culinary delights. The Irvington resident also can be given major credit for bringing upscale Indian food to the United States. In fact, the food from Malhotra’s empire, Café Spice, is now so popular that he can hardly keep up with the demand.

Malhotra grew up in India and moved to NYC in 1966 at age 17. Per the article: "He and his father opened a small spice business that supplied South Asian spices, chutneys, and crispy breads to New York City’s curry houses. The Malhotras stored their spices in their Jackson Heights garage, and Sushil used his weekends to join his father in dropping off chutney and spices to Indian restaurants in Manhattan and Queens." In 1976, he quit engineering to become a restaurateur.

Old Monk's arrival also marks the end of Babu Ji, which went dark in early March. A sign, since removed, at the door noted that they were "taking a break."



The closure followed a report by Eater's Ryan Sutton outlining details of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Babu Ji on Avenue B hit with another wage lawsuit

With court date looming, Babu Ji 'is taking a break' on Avenue B

The dining room was dark last evening at Babu Ji, the popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street.

A sign greeting patrons at the door noted that they are "taking a break." (There isn't any mention of this on the restaurant's social media properties.)



The temporary closure comes after a report yesterday by Eater's Ryan Sutton outlining details of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh.

Per Eater:

The first lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh was filed in July 2016 by two employees. By late September, the Singhs agreed to pay a total of $95,000, split almost evenly between the employees and restaurant labor attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum. The owners did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, according to public court records.

The second wage lawsuit was filed in September 2016, but an amended version from February 2017 contains newer, more incendiary allegations, accusing an owner of making profane and threatening remarks against a server and his family — including insinuations of violence in retaliation for bringing the wage suit. That owner is also accused of berating another server with an incest-laced profanity and threatening him with a countersuit. The case is set to be tried by a jury.

According to the lawsuit, Jessi Singh allegedly made threats against one of the plaintiff's relatives — "you know that in India a man paid $100,000 rupees to have someone’s family killed." Jessi Singh also allegedly threatened one of the plaintiffs by saying, "I’m going to fuck you up." The lawsuit says that he called the other plaintiff a "sisterfucker." You can head over to Eater for more details.

The parties involved in the lawsuit are due back in court on Tuesday.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Babu Ji on Avenue B hit with another wage lawsuit

Report: Babu Ji on Avenue B hit with another wage lawsuit

Earlier this month, news broke via Eater that the owners of Babu Ji, the popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street, settled a wage lawsuit with two employees for $95,000.

Now, Eater reports that "frequent suer-of-restaurants" attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum filed yet another class-action suit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh last month. The suit, identical to the previous one, alleges that the two pocketed all tips and paid staff under minimum wage.

Per Eater: "Employees Rakesh Raju and Benson D’Silva claim they regularly worked more than 40 hours a week and were paid a flat rate of $600, regardless of the time worked."

Read the full story here. Read the full 15-page complaint (PDF) here.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015.

Previously

Report: Avenue B's Babu Ji settles wage lawsuit

The owners of Babu Ji, the popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street, have reportedly settled a wage lawsuit from employees for $95,000.

Eater has the story late this afternoon:

Notorious restaurant labor attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum sued Jessi and Jennifer Singh on behalf of two employees for pocketing tips and not paying overtime. Last week, the Singhs agreed to pay employees Warren Bayani and Mehmood Qureshi a total of $95,000, split almost evenly between the two of them and Kirschenbaum. The owners did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, according to public court records.

Read the full story at Eater.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015. The owners are planning to open a location in San Francisco.

[Updated] Babu Ji opens tonight on Avenue B

We've been writing about Babu Ji, the new restaurant coming to 175 Avenue B at East 11th Street.

The wife-husband team of Jennifer and Jessi Singh, who own a popular spot in Melbourne, Australia, are opening their first U.S. restaurant tonight.

Here is some info that the restaurant's reps sent us via the EVG inbox...

Babu Ji … offers a bright and airy atmosphere, adorned with Hindi proverbs, eclectic Indian photography and Bollywood films projected on the walls. The restaurant will be open for dinner six nights a week (5 PM - late; closed Mondays), as well as for lunch on weekends (11 AM - late), serving the inspired and unexpected dishes that have earned Jessi an avid following in Australia.

Incorporating outstanding, fresh ingredients, including aromatic herbs, chickpeas, scallops, yogurt, pork belly and goat, sourced from local farmers markets and specialty purveyors, Jessi's menu at Babu Ji NYC will showcase his motherland's cuisine through thoughtfully prepared, aromatic and colorful dishes.

Some highlights from the new restaurant’s menu include:

• Papadi Chaat: a lively Indian dish similar to nachos, topped with chickpea, cucumber, tamarind, mint and yoghurt chutney, and pomegranate seeds

• Gol Gappa: a favorite Indian street snack enjoyed by millions in India every day, but unknown to most Americans, this dish it is a tangy, spicy, sweet and surprising favorite

• Yoghurt Kebab: a house-made hung yoghurt croquette with spiced center, served with a vibrant beetroot ginger sauce boasting the flavors of the Middle East that have influenced Indian culinary tradition

• Scallop Coconut Curry: Blue Moon of Eastern Long Island scallops served raw in a coconut milk based curry with turmeric and mustard seed – a must-try

• Kulfi: a refreshing and delicious dessert, this Indian equivalent to ice cream is house-made from milk, cardamom, pistachio and honey

• Chef’s Table: Eat like a real Babu Ji! Chef’s selection of entrees, curries, naan, rice & kulfi.

Diners can enjoy their food with an extensive and rotating selection of local and imported craft beers from the help yourself beer fridge, an approachable yet interesting wine list and some Australian beverages that have not yet made it state side, as a nod to Babu Ji's beginnings.

Updated 6:54 p.m.

Here's the menu via Gothamist…

Babu Ji Dinner Menu

Previously on EV Grieve:
More about Babu Ji, opening next month on Avenue B

More about Babu Ji, opening next month on Avenue B

The transformation of 175 Avenue B at East 11th Street continues.

As we noted at the beginning of the month, an Indian restaurant called Babu Ji is in the works.

The wife-husband team of Jennifer and Jessi Singh, currently based in Melbourne, Australia, will be opening their first U.S. restaurant here next month.

Melbourne-based online publication Broadsheet spoke with the couple for an article published yesterday:

“We’ve loved bringing an elevated level of Indian dining to our guests in Melbourne,” says Jennifer. “But coming back to my hometown (of NYC) has been a long-time dream of ours.”

So, Babu Ji NYC was born. Like the Melbourne restaurants, the New York outpost will offer modern Indian classics as well as Indian street food created by Punjab-born Jessi.

Melbourne favourites such as papdi chaat, India’s take on nachos – with mini pappadums and chickpeas topped with salsa, slaw and pomegranate – will feature on the menu in New York. House-made kulfi Indian ice cream made with cardamom, honey and pistachio will also make an appearance.

“We’ve always been baffled by the state of Indian dining in some of the world's greatest cities, like New York. Although there are some great Indian restaurants at the low and the fine-dining end of the spectrum, there is a void in the middle,” says Jennifer.

Italian specialists Spina quietly closed here late last month after six years on the block.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Spina's Italian fare exits Avenue B; Indian food on the way