DESI DELI — Restaurant in New York

I was craving Indian food after having had an authentic Indian meal out in ozone park. The only thing my authentic meal was missing was papadum. While on lunch in the city I found Desi Deli, thinking I would make my meal complete with papadum and that it would be a good deal.

You do get a giant load of food. But that's where anything good to say stops. The bread, rice, and papadum were all good. The tamarind sauce was watered down but otherwise fine. The chicken tikka masala's sauce was thinner than I'm used to, less cream I guess. More importantly, it was bland. The chicken was dry and flavorless. There was no saag paneer when I went, which is one of my favorite dishes. Totally subpar food. I could have paid the same at a better restaurant and gotten half the portion but it would have been better quality.

Now it was the service that was the most grating and the most confusing. The man behind the counter was accommodating at first. He gave me generous samples of a few of the foods. But then he started calling me "honey" and "beautiful" to which I nervously laughed. I wanted to pay for my meal even though I was still waiting for the naan, but the man at the register insisted I sit. At this point if it wasn't so hot out, I would've taken my food to-go.

The man who had given me the samples behind the counter served me my naan. He came back 3 or 4 more times to check up on me and noted a spill on my shirt. When he asked how my food was instead of saying subpar at best I said "it's a lot" to which he implied that I was a large person for whom these gigantic portions were manageable: "you're not a small baby."

Of course all the honeys and beautiful and gratuitous checking-ups-on could be understood in the leather-bound bill holder. I was supposed to treat this like a finer dining experience? The dining area looked like a run-down bus terminal I have waited at in Rochester. The tv had some cheesy Indian tv show loud and clear. I left a 7% tip. My gift for reminding me that whenever you think you have lived in NY long enough to know when to call someone on their shade, there will always be something new. And I am a born and (mostly)...

Walked in this afternoon to the so called “DESI” restaurant, no greetings, no instructions hence straight away headed to the table, waited for a good 5 minutes then finally realized have to place the order at the counter to the counter, paid for the food and sat back, again no instructions whether to wait for the food to be served or have to get it collected from the counter itself. Just stood up to check what needs to be done, food wasn’t ready yet “no complains” since it was just 5 minutes since I ordered. Came and sat back, the order was sitting right on the next table who starting insulting me in his local language thinking I m not a Punjabi too, kept on saying to the order customer that I just ordered and I am jumping around for the order, felt really humiliated by his tone. If I hadn’t paid for the food wud have walked away, went back to order a take away the owner was now at the counter who kept insisting the cashier to food I have already paid for.....not the kind of treatment one expects from a fellow Indian, would never recommend the place to a friend, on the way back I am just wondering what all he might pe blabbering at customers who can’t understand his language. In short don’t ever go to this restaurant if u don’t wanna get humiliated even after...

This restaurant by far is the worst punjabi restaurant I've ever been to. It was filled with Delhi wala papay. I dont know if I should even consider this shit hole a restuarant. The butter chicken tasted like someone pissed in it with added spices. It should've been called piss curry. My blind bibi (grandma) could cook better. Second of all the place was so small, my closet is bigger and it's not even a walk in closet. I do not recommend this place to anyone. The hygiene was worse than a garbage yard. Even a garbage yard looks better and smells better. We ordered goat curry and ended up getting curry filled with dog bones. Lastly, I got mango lassi and the mango lassi gave me shits for the next 3 days. It tasted like lassi was in there before I was even born. It was so sour and bitter. This was a daylight robbery. Please reconsider before you pick this place. However, if you ignore our reviews on this restuarant please be sure to take a oxygen mask, your own tissues, cutlery, and plates. ALSO PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WATER BECAUSE THEY WILL ROB YOU WHEN IT COMES TO WATER. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WILL RECIEVE A 1 L BOTTLE AND GOT A 100 ML FOR THE PRICE OF A 1 L....