Indian and Nepali food in New York

The scene in New York

New York's South Asian food splits sharply by borough. Manhattan has the expensive modern Indian restaurants and the remains of Curry Hill. Queens has the actual communities — Jackson Heights for North Indian, Bangladeshi and Tibetan, Floral Park and Hicksville for South Indian — and is where the regional cooking is both better and cheaper.

How it got here

The 1965 Immigration Act opened the door and South Asian migration to New York grew steadily from there, concentrating in Queens. Jackson Heights became the commercial centre, later joined by a large Tibetan and Nepali population that gave the neighbourhood one of the densest concentrations of momo shops outside the Himalaya. Curry Hill in Manhattan is older and smaller, built around the Gujarati grocers on Lexington.

What to expect

Jackson Heights is the reason to come: Bangladeshi, North Indian, Nepali and Tibetan food within a few blocks, much of it counter service. Momo here are closer to the Himalayan versions than the Indian ones. Manhattan's better Indian restaurants are genuinely good and priced accordingly. Cash is still useful at the smaller Queens places.

Where to eat

• Jackson Heights, Queens — The centre of it all — Bangladeshi, North Indian, Nepali and Tibetan within a few blocks.
• Curry Hill, Manhattan — Lexington Avenue in the high 20s: Gujarati grocers and long-running vegetarian restaurants.
• Floral Park and Hicksville — Out on Long Island, the strongest South Indian cooking in the metro area.
• Elmhurst, Queens — Tibetan and Nepali kitchens, with some of the best momo in the city.

Practical notes

Take the 7 train to 74th Street–Broadway and walk. Weekend evenings are crowded and worth it. Many of the best Nepali and Tibetan spots are small, upstairs or behind a grocery, and close earlier than you expect. Curry Hill is convenient rather than exceptional, with the notable exception of its vegetarian institutions.

What is listed in New York

271 restaurants in the directory, by cuisine:

• Indian — 219 restaurants
• Indo-Nepali — 43 restaurants
• Nepali — 6 restaurants
• Himalayan — 3 restaurants

The cuisines you will meet

• Indian — Not one cuisine but a continent's worth, unified by how spices are handled rather than by what is cooked.
• Indo-Nepali — The most common restaurant format abroad: a Nepali kitchen cooking a mostly Indian menu, with momo on the side.
• Himalayan — High-altitude food: noodles, dumplings and broth, built for cold and thin air rather than for spice.

Dishes worth seeking out in New York

• Chicken Momo — Nepal's steamed dumpling, eaten by hand with a bowl of sesame-tomato achar.
• Buff Momo — The Kathmandu default — buffalo mince, a thicker wrapper and a darker achar.
• Chicken Biryani — Rice and marinated chicken layered raw, then sealed and steamed together.
• Butter Chicken — Tandoori chicken finished in a tomato and cream gravy — mild, and deliberately so.
• Veg Thali — A full meal served as small bowls on one tray, built for balance rather than a centrepiece.

Other cities

• London — UK
• Tokyo — Japan
• Bangalore — India
• Dubai — UAE
• Berlin — Germany