I was invited to Basera Indian Bistro for dinner. I was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation has been received. All opinions are my own.
Ahh, NYC- the city that never sleeps. I absolutely love New York City – the vibe, the energy, the FOOD! Everywhere you look, there seems to be a restaurant; but how do you know what’s good & what’s not-so-good? Well, if you’re like me, you do a little online research before you even arrive in NYC. That’s right, get online and check out the restaurants you want to try. Start with the type of food you want to eat (Mexican, Indian, French) and go from there. Make a list of places and check to see if they have reservations available for the dates you’ll be in the city- don’t wait ’til the last minute, or you might get your feelings hurt when you find out they’re all booked up!
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by great Indian restaurants, I was eager to try Basera Indian Bistro, located in Hell’s Kitchen (also known as Midtown West), at 745 9th Avenue (Between 50th & 51st Streets) New York, NY 10019. Basera is a second location for owner and chef Anil Kumar, who also owns Midtown East’s, Indigo. Basera specializes in cuisine from Northern India.
We arrived at the restaurant a little after 7pm, there were a couple other diners there, but not crowded at all. After we were seated & greeted by our waiter-we ordered some Garlic Naan. (Complimentary Roti was also brought to our table, accompanied by 3 delicious dipping sauces). I’m a bit of a Naan Snob, ain’t gonna lie. I’ve had good naan & bad naan- this Naan was delicious! Just look at it- when you can actually SEE the ingredients – yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ bout. We devoured it!
You can tell a lot about an Indian restaurant by the Naan they serve; so I knew we’d made the right choice. After reading over the menu-we decided to go with the Prix Fixe Dinner: Appetizers-Chicken Pakora (boneless chicken fritters), Lentil Soup, Entrees-Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken cooked in tomato fenugreek sauce), Chicken Tikka Saag (chicken cooked in fresh spinach), and Garlic Naan. Of course, I had to order a Mango Lassi – drink made with mango & yogurt. The prices at Basera Indian Bistro are extremely reasonable – always a good thing for a frugal traveler like myself.
While we waited for our food, I just sat back & took it all in. By now, the restaurant was starting to fill up and there were all kinds of conversations going on around us. The waitstaff was kept busy – I was surprised at the crowd, since it was a Monday night. The restaurant seems to attract people from all different walks of life, young & old, numerous nationalities represented – the one thing they all seemed to have in common- they were enjoying their meals & each other.
After a short wait, our food was brought out to us- each portion of the Prix Fixe meal was brought out in a bowl. Once the bowls were placed on the table, we served up our own plates. First up, Lentil Soup:
I’d never ordered Lentil Soup in an Indian restaurant before, & wasn’t sure what to expect. It was more like Creamed Lentil Soup…I could taste the lentils, cilantro (I believe) and lemon. The flavor of the soup was very mild, but I liked it- it was refreshing and I found myself wanting more once it was gone.
The Chicken Pakora dish had more chicken than I thought it would – it was almost like chicken fingers, so this is a good one to order for the little ones. Basera is a kid-friendly restaurant- our son enjoyed the Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice & Chicken Pakoras.
Here’s a pic of the chicken pakora, our rice bowl, my lentil soup & mango lassi.
Next up, Entrees! Here’s a peek at the Chicken Tikka Masala, the flavor was a bit different from what I get here in the SF Bay Area; I could taste more tomato… it was very good and quickly disappeared:
My Chicken Tikka Saag – THIS was the best entree of the night, in my opinion – I love spinach, so maybe that has something to do with it. I’d never had this particular dish anywhere before-it was very flavorful and just scrumptious. Look at it! I scooped some out and put it over my rice. There was a whole lotta meat in that bowl… I couldn’t finish it all… but you know I tried! I also liked that our waiter asked me how I like my food: mild, medium or hot.
Basera has a bar, and most of the customers were enjoying a glass of wine or cold beer with their meals. They also have a dessert menu-but we were WAY too full to enjoy it. (Next time!)
Overall, Basera Indian Bistro is a great place to enjoy an affordable & tasty lunch, dinner, or Happy Hour. They also offer carry-out & delivery. But don’t just take my word for it- find out for yourself and go visit them next time you’re in NYC!
BASERA INDIAN BISTRO
745 9th Avenue
Between 50th & 51st Streets
New York NY 10019
212.757.9787
