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
