Address: | 232 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-688-4619 |
Site: | cholany.com |
Rating: | 4.1 |
Working: | 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours 12–3PM |
JE
Jeff Taylor
Overall this place is definitely one of the best Indian restaurants at which weve eaten. Service was relatively quick and friendly (we had a nice chat with that main waiter/host on the way out) and the food ranged from good to outstanding. Its not cheap (about $100 for two of us, with tip, and we had only 2 beers), but I would definitely eat here again if I were looking for a moderately upscale Indian restaurant in the midtown area. Ive been wanting to try this place for a while, so on our recent trip to NYC we made a quick reservation on OpenTable for 6:30pm on a Friday night. Turns out we didnt really need the reservation, it wasnt very busy, probably due to the time (early) and that fact that it was a very cold weekend in January. But they had us down in their computer and seated us right away when we arrived. The service was relatively friendly.....not overly helpful, but not bad. The waiter did suggest that my dish (Aunt Muralis Chennai Goat Curry) was very spicy and that goat meat is served on the bone (if I wanted it boneless, I should choose lamb). I stuck with it anyways, since Ive always wanted to try goat and you dont run into it very often, and ordered mine medium spicy. Well, he was right, it was definitely spicy. I like some spice, but damn, this would have been on fire if I had ordered it "regular". Overall, I liked the dish, it had good flavor and a definite kick, but as for the goat...I think Ill stick with lamb next time. It was a little more "gamey" than lamb and also a little fatty. My wife ordered the Butter Chicken, simple and easy to approach, and it didnt disappoint. She said it was the best Butter Chicken shes had, and I would agree that the sauce was really good. The chicken itself, however, had a little grizzle and could have been a little more selectively cut, or of better quality. The appetizers were ordered were both very good, Vegetable Samosa and Sham Savera. The samosas were giant, had a good crust, and nice flavor to the filling. The accompanying sauces were also good, once more spicy (green) than the other (red). But the Sham Savera really stood out, this is probably the best Indian dish Ive ever experienced. Its described as "cheese spinach rounds in a nut sauce", and is essentially just that. Its cheese curd formed into a ball, surrounded by a spinach casing, lightly fried, cut in half, and drizzled in a nut sauce. Both the texture and the taste were truly outstanding. Tips: - Try the Sham Savera! Its not spicy, actually just a touch sweet, but the flavor and texture our outstanding and its something unique, Ive never had anything quite like it before. - Portions are decently sizeds, do dont over-order, enjoy and share. - If its marked as "spicy" on the menu, it is definitely hot! If you like most of your food spiced medium/hot, youll definitely want to ask them to tone it down a bit. But if you like it on fire, go for it!
FO
Foodlover Girl
I have been wanting to go to an Indian buffet, and there are many restaurant that offers just that. The exterior is surprisingly modern, and it looked kind of small.The inside was much bigger than it looked from the outside, but it was rather dark... They only have windows on the front wall against the street, and with dimmed lights, it felt like it was a late evening/night time even though it was a lunch time. They had the all-you-can-eat Lunch Buffet table set up near the entrance, and it looked like a good amount of food and varieties of it. It is more affordable during weekdays than weekend, as most places. They had all the "basic" Indian dishes and some dishes that I was not familiar with. Regardless, they all looked pretty good. Two of the items I really enjoyed were Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Birayan. The least favorite one was the Goa Fish Curry. It was sweet and did not have a good flavor to me. They of course had several vegetarian dishes as well. Throughout the lunch, they brought complimentary side dishes to the table, which was fun. Tandoori Chicken was the best, it was so juicy and tasty. The service was good, they had several staffs constantly walking around the floor, pouring water, picking up empty/finished plates, bringing complimentary side dishes. We never had to ask for anything. On the weekend, the buffet price goes up by $3 per person, so it is best to go there during weekday. It seems like most people who work nearby knew of the value, it got pretty packed while we were there, with mainly people taking lunch break from work. Read my full review of the restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
PA
Paul Travels247
Midtown can be tough place to find a solid lunch thats affordale and tasty. Traditionally, I would usually question a buffet-style dining experience. With those reservations, I think that Chola really has a solid all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. It’s $14.95 for Midtown Manhattan is pretty decent price. Upon entering Chola, it is a little dimly because it is a long narrow shape without any windows outside of the front windows. As you enter the buffet line is immediately in front of you, the seat goes farther in the back. Chola obviously accommodates a lot of groups of work lunches. There was also quite a few of solo diners who were Indians themselves.. In Manhattan, there are two epicenters of Indian food fare. There is 6th Street Curry Row between 2nd and 1st Avenue and Curry Hill otherwise known as Murray Hill around East 28th Street and Lexington Avenue. I was really happy to know that you can find some solid Indian food in this location.. For the food, I went up three times for different bits and bobs. I like Saaj Paneer but I tried Tikka Masala and multiple other items which you can see in my photos. During the meal, the staff brings you fresh naan and other items freshly cooked items. The tandoori chicken was particularly tasty. If I have a meeting nearby, I would like to stop by again. Overall the service and food were very good.
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Clarissa Silva
I am a native New Yorker and will keep to the directness of how we are known to be :) Food: Excellent! I flocked to this place because a friend of mine said this was some of the best Vindaloo she has had outside of India. I highly recommend the Lamb Vindaloo. It is a spicy dish, but you can request the grade of heat you prefer. Drinks: Well made drinks. Space: This is a vibrant and festive departure from the typical Indian restaurant in NYC. The space is elegant, modern, colorful and spacious making it great for date nights or get-togethers. Service: Very professional and super attentive.
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tina baranet
I have been to Chola several times and had some very good meals. However, ordering take-out from them last night was EXTREMELY disappointing-there was almost no food in the plastic dishes, the portions were so meager! I would guess 6-7 small chunks of chicken and lamb in each of the 2 entrees I ordered which was more like an appetizer portion, and for a total of $47.00, (2 entrees, tax and tip), not inexpensive! They should skip the containers of unidentified goop,and just add more of the entrees.Next time I will go to Whole Foods and get 2 chicken curry ready-made for $14.00 for 2!!!