Desi Galli — Restaurant in New York

I placed an order in advance, reserving a specific timeslot (1:15-1:25) because my husband & I were attending an event with a restricted period of time for a lunch break. We gave instructions for a text or call if there was a problem, but that we'd be there to meet the order. We arrived to meet the order a few minutes before 1pm. When we arrived in the lobby of the building, the security officer told us the Door Dasher left the food on the floor near the door. First issue-- the receipt for the items said the food was processed before noon. Over an hour before the timeslot. I splurged here & spent almost $100 on a nice lunch from a restaurant we've eaten at before & enjoyed. But to have our order sitting on the floor for who knows how long? After we left the building we got a string of missed calls and texts-- starting at 12:38. More than 30 minutes BEFORE the scheduled delivery window. I knew we would likely not have cell service where we were going to be. But I thought waiting for the food 15 minutes prior to the delivery window would be enough. Nope.

Second issue-- they use doordash to deliver without telling remote customers. Had I known that, I could've placed the order via doordash & monitored the delivery more closely-- even communicated directly with the dasher. But Desi Gali doesn't give you that option.

Third-- the food wasn't as good as it might've been had it not been sitting on the floor for 30+ minutes-- ONTOP of having been processed over an hour prior to being dumped on the floor. Now I'm feeling more than a little unwell & I won't know if that's because my food was sitting in yesterday's heat for 30+ minutes on the flipping floor. Thanks Desi Gali. You're lucky you're getting 2 stars. You should get zero for how you treated my business.

So unless you're sitting in Desi Gali, don't order delivery from them. Or use Doordash directly so you can closely monitor where your food is.

In response to the reply from Chef PriaVana (posted on 7/12, 3 weeks after my initial review): I already emailed you. I did that BEFORE making this review. The review was posted because no one bothered to reply to my email. I suppose seeing a review 3 weeks after the fact is better late than never-- but still does nothing to address the issue. It only highlights what I said earlier: eat in the restaurant. Don't order take-out unless you're using DoorDash directly so you, the customer can directly monitor...

Convenient little Indian joint that works well for me. I am a regular here. Food is decent.

What grinds my gear is the owner (woman) calling me “madam.” I can’t be sure if she is addressing me with a title or calling me a brothel owner. Either which way, it is unnecessary. Especially considering, we are in similar age group. It felt passive aggressive. Calling you out so that you are aware.

P.S. You mentioned calling “madam” & “sir” is a form of respect in desi culture, and you are representing the culture. I think “Namaste” and “dhanyawad” would be more appropriate form of greeting if you truly want to represent desi culture. I understand not every Indian speaks Hindi but I am suggesting greetings in Hindi because that is the dominant language spoken in northern India, and most of your dishes represent that region. Besides, “madam”, “mem sahib”, “sir”, and “salaam Sahib” are remnants of colonial suppression. We are an independent nation who lost many in the fight for independence from the British. Like they say in India, “Angrez gaye magar...

I discovered this place back in 2018 and it has been a comfort food ever since. Delivery is always quick (sometimes as little as 20 minutes to Stuy Town), the food is always HOT and fresh when we get it! It's also well-packed, we've never had a leak and I must've ordered delivery from here at least 20 times by now. Their chicken tikka masala converted one of my friends who had been a picky eater. I've noticed that some dishes vary by day (particularly the Saag Paneer can be creamier some days, or the spinach is less smooth on others), however I've never been disappointed and really enjoy the slight variations as it keeps things interesting and the flavor is always there and delicious. If you like extra spice, definitely ask for extra chilis since the base curries are pretty mild. Their Kathi rolls are quite satisfying for their size and really hit the spot when you can't sit down and eat. I love how the website includes products from women and minority-owned businesses as well. I'm so glad the location survived Covid and hope it...