|
By Barbara Penny Angelakis
 PURNIMA New York
245 West 54th Street
New York, NY 10018
212-307-9797
www.purnimarestaurant.com
On the evening of the second full moon in May - an auspicious occasion by anyone’s standards - we had dinner at a new restaurant called PURNIMA, which serendipitously translates to “full moon, an auspicious day of festivals and celebrations”. And indeed, the meal turned out to be a celebration of food; to be exact, North Indian cuisine. In this case “cuisine” is not a hyperbole, but a true statement relating to the new style of Indian food popping up all over and to the traditionally trained practitioners of this movement.
This is the second restaurant for Vikas Khanna, PURNIMA’s Chef/Owner, who was born and raised in the holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. There he developed his interest in food and learned the most important ingredient in cooking from his Grandmother… love. And love to cook he does, as witnessed by the recipes he  has developed that give a whole new expression to Indian food. Normally known for its hotter then hot dishes, Vikas has managed to capture the essence of the Indian kitchen by layering flavors and spices, much like Creole cooking, but without the burning after-mouth that so much Indian, or Creole for that matter, food leaves. The meat, fish, or vegetable has one flavor and texture and the sauce or chutney that accompanies it has others and together, over seasoned rice, they build so that as you eat you are aware of multiple sensations of delight. For those that enjoy hot food, Vikas is happy to comply but we prefer savory, not hot, and so that was the way our food was prepared.
While we perused the menu, which was presented in colorful fabric envelopes decorated with hand embroidered Indian motifs, we were served an amuse bouche of light as a feather puff pastry sprinkled with onion seeds and accompanied by a fragrant tomato garlic chutney dipping sauce. Although PURNIMA has a substantial selection of good quality wines we opted instead to taste the drinks that the talented barwoman Timea Talosi was inspired to create to compliment Vikas’s current mango menu. We ordered a Mango Mint Vodka Cocktail and a Mango Sweet Ginger Martini, both delicious. Our dinner began with a series of appetizers; Bhel, a molded puffed rice cake mixed with tamarind and mint chutney; a peanut stuffed jalapeño pepper breaded and deep fried and thankfully served with cooling mango chutney; Bhagreli Shrimp, a fan of shrimps stir fried with mustard seeds, curry leaves and tomatoes; and a Naan bread stuffed with cheddar cheese and wonderful by itself or for sopping up sauces. Each of the savory dishes looked and tasted different then the others and built excitement for things to come.
 The menu changes seasonally and some of our items were standards, others are specials that will change for the summer months. First we tried the standard menu item Chicken Shalimar, a pea green coriander and mint chicken curry that, while a bit on the spicy side, was not too hot for my palate and when served over rice and cooled with Raita, a yogurt usually flavored with mint but in Vikas version cubed apples, dictated second and third helpings. Next came mango soaked Baby Rack of Lamb with ginger chutney. The lamb was heavily marinated similar to a sauerbraten but what it lost in texture it more then gained in flavor and the accompanying chutney made for a luscious tidbit. Cedar Roasted chunks of Salmon with mango  salsa came next. The salmon was packaged between layers of cedar board and presented like a present. Biting into the succulent, perfectly cooked chunks of fish - crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside - was indeed a gift to my tongue. This is a highly recommended dish and although not a standard on the menu, should be considered whenever offered. All the dishes are modest in size but when ordered in quantity and mixed with rice and any of the not-to-be-missed Indian breads, take a toll. Just when I thought I could not eat another bite, out came Chicken Pasanda with Chef Vikas’s special wine reduction. While it is presented in the traditional Indian manner with the cubed chicken swimming in the sauce, this dish is unlike any ever experienced in an Indian restaurant before. It is a standard on the menu and a must taste. The friendly staff saw me rolling my eyes and giggled. Each one offered up their favorite dish as a must try, but we will have to leave those choices for another visit… after all, dessert was still to come.
Caution thrown to the wind we could not choose between so many so we tried  several. First item, Mango Soup with Champagne Sorbet; the “soup” was a smooth velvety mango base onto which a scoop of light delicate sorbet was settled and topped with a strawberry for color and textural contrast. As the sorbet melted into the cold soup and the flavors blended, I felt as if my mouth was giving a party for my stomach. Miniature hand made cones filled with rose petal ice-cream came next, along with an individual baby sized hot chocolate cake with a molten mango center. Mango mousse served in a juice glass and topped with a candied tuile along with the final coup de gras, the creamiest smoothest Chocolate Mousse ever, ended this memorable feast.
 PURNIMA New York is located within walking distance of the theatre district at 245 West 54th Street and shares an entranceway with Dillons Bar. The restaurant’s décor is simple but elegant; banana colored walls with one side featuring traditional Indian shaped decorative cutouts. Inset flickering colored glass candleholders create a play of shadow and light and the effect is duplicated on the opposite wall where instead of the cutouts, the lights are interspersed with photographs of well-known Indian scenes including the ever present Taj Mahal. Chairs are handsomely upholstered with an Indian motif to compliment the walls and the tables provide ample space for the dishes, which are presented in traditional decorative bowls and pots.
© July 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
