"Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef/partner Chintan Pandya have taken the city’s dining scene by storm with an array of restaurants that celebrate India’s diverse cuisines. Their Michelin-starred West Village spot, Semma, is often rightfully in the spotlight, but Dhamaka is the cool older sibling that has their own thing going on. Pandya and his team’s cooking looks deep into regional Indian culinary traditions to share dishes like the restaurant’s acclaimed rabbit dish from Rajasthan, which is marinated in spiced yogurt, slow-cooked for hours, and must be ordered 48 hours in advance. There’s also garlicky Goan crab cooked with Amul butter and crushed black pepper, and garam masala-spiced Kashmiri lamb loin. Some dishes, like the exceptional goat neck dum biryani, which is served in a pot that’s sealed with a thin flatbread, are larger, so check in with your server about the number of items to order." - Emily Saladino, Devra Ferst
