Tabla

CLOSED.
After 12 AMAZING years of culinary perfection, I am sad to say that Tabla’s doors have closed. I am completely devastated, as this was one of my three most favorite restaurants in NYC. I had been going there since it opened and can happily say that I did fully enjoy 12 years of the amazing Tabla dining experiences. I have so many wonderful memories of great nights spent here with brilliant food, service and atmosphere… Tabla, you sure will be missed!

I hate to say this, but…
There are two options here, and although it’s already a fait accomplis, the options are:
1. Change the menu, the chef, start over
2. Shutter the bastid.
Option 2 is what’s happening December 30, 2010, so no rejiggering option.
I was at Tabla a few years ago, and it is just a shadow of my memory of its former self. I don’t remember being totally captivated by it in the past; I remember it being good and maybe even more than good, but I don’t have super specific memories other than that. I didn’t go back often, so it obviously wasn’t spectacular. This time, however, was definitely a disappointment; too many flavors, too many ideas, too much nouveau-​Indian-​cum-​new-​American crapola. The place is confusing and not that good.
Exempla grata, I love bacon as much as the next guy, but Tandoori bread stuffed with bacon, while it sounded like just what I wanted to inject into my veins, it turned out to be inappropriate and just too much.
The Chicken Tikka was dry, uninspired, and there were literally four small pieces of it (and nary a garnish) for $ 24. To me, unless that chicken is going to get up and sing Broadway show tunes, make coffee and perform a rub and tug, there’s no way it should cost that much. There’s really no excuse for overly expensive, badly prepared food.
It’s as if someone walked into an Indian restaurant with a bunch of other ingredients and set off a bomb. Perhaps that’s metaphorically what’s happening in this case, a neutron bomb is being set off, leaving the space (which is beautiful) but none of the food or humans that either prepared or served it.
Meal with three drinks for two people, no dessert/​coffee: $ 125. No way was this worth it.
Hopefully something else cool will end up where this was.

Went to Tabla tonight because the bf is a huge Danny Meyer’s fan and wanted to try Tabla before it closed. Our expectations were high since we’ve been to several of his other restaurants, including Eleven Madison.
This was a total fail. Perhaps because the restaurant is closing but there is barely a flicker of life in the servers or the food. Everything is half-​hearted and there is none of the attention to detail. The food was messy and just okay. The salmon ceviche came in a big mess of a salad that was overwhelming in flavors and textures.
Disappointing.

A gorgeous restaurant that is very unique. It feels intimate, lively, but never too loud. A group of us had $ 56 the tasting menu. It was just so much food and I’m not sure if I’d recommend unless you are extremely hungry:
— Chutney Tasting (ok)
— Scottish Salmon Ceviche pomegranate, pineapple & almonds (excellent)
— Apple & Fingerling Potato Chaat mint chutney, tamarind chutney & yogurt (very good, a bit too sour)
— Boodies Goan Shrimp Curry coconut milk & green mango (very good)
— Chicken Tikka (very good)
— Chickpea Masala (good)
— Braised Pork Vindaloo chilies, vinegar & ginger (pork is tender but bland)
— Braised Satur Farms Greens fresh coconut, shallots & chilies (ok)
— Milk Chocolate Kulfi Pop «s’more» (not so good)
The cocktails are pretty good. I tasted 4 – 5 different ones but they were all consistent, not too sweet.
It’s a little sad this place is closing. I hope the next tenant will be an equally good restaurant. Oh, the packaged food from Tabla on Fresh Direct is extremely tasty and I hope they will continue that!
25 points on Zagat 2011.

Tabla Closing Dec 30.2010…
Check out this article for details…

A wise man once asked, «If a restaurant closes in New York City and no one can go there again, does a Unilocal review serve a purpose?»
Well, in Tabla’s case the answer is ‘yes’ since you have until Dec. 30, 2010 (the designated closing date) to try it. On my visit to Tabla in early September, I was wow’ed by the service and food. The service, like most other UHG’s joints, is really amazing. Very cool, calm and collected servers, who go out of their way to answer any questions you may have about the menu. They are not pushy, and seem to genuinely want customers to have the perfect dining experience. The food is also great! i enjoyed the skate and a heated chocolate soufflé, both excellent. The green chicken tikka was also superb. The menu is contemporary Indian, many dishes attempt to use local and seasonal ingredients, and there’s enough variety to find something for most guests.
Sad to see it close, but maybe I can venture out one last time before the New Year.

I went here with three friends from Japan and my best friend. We decided to all get the Tabla tasting, served family style. It was delicious, well-​prepared, and light –not the Indian food I am used to growing up in California.
My favorite sampler was the Long Island Skate spice marinated & semolina crusted. The slight sweetness brought out by the spices made the fish sparkle in my mouth.
All the food was enjoyed by my friends and I. The dessert was very interesting too. A shot of fresh strawberry soda with a mouse filled chocolate pop. The flavors paired nicely together. Not to mention the rockin’ sugar high was lovely too.

Restaurant Week lunch at Tabla! I was very pleased with the entire experience.
APPETIZERS:
Hot smoked Scottish Salmon — EXCELLENT salmon, not exactly smoked but rather half cooked with a tender pink center. It melts in your mouth it is so good!
Corn Chaat with yogurt — a STRONG punch of balsamic vinegar hits you unexpectedly and your mouth momentarily experiences shock but it quickly fades and you realize that it’s somewhat addictive. The texture of the corn is great.
ENTREES:
Wild Striped Sea Bass — just like the salmon mentioned above, the sea bass melts in your mouth. It is light, fresh and slippery smooth with a shallow crispy outer skin.
Elysian Lamb — Elysian indeed! I would say that the flavors in this dish are not subtle. From the very first bite you will promptly declare that this is the most tender and savory lamb you have ever tasted. The lamb seems like it’s slow cooked until the sauce is reduced to a concentrated flavor which seeps into the meat. The lamb is served on a bed of vegetables and tomatoes cooked with that same tangy sweet sauce. Divine.
DESSERT:
Vanilla Kulfi — as the waiter explained, this kind of ice cream is thicker and has less milk than regular ice cream because instead of being swirled around it is reduced slowly to solid form from its liquid form. It tasted like the kind of ice cream I had when I was a child. There are small tangerines with passionfruit seeds surrounding the kulfi which made the presentation very pretty to look at.
Chocolate Pudding Tart — not a pudding at all, but a solid truffle-​like custard with a crumbly outer crust and an intensely chocolately center. Comes with creamy strawberry ice cream and sliced strawberries. The chocolate was heavenly and finished off the meal perfectly.
We also go the garlic naan bread (doughy and chewy with a slightly shrimpy taste, wish it had more of a garlic flavor) which would have tasted even better dipped in curry sauce. They also gave us some curry flavored popcorn for free.
In all, the entire meal was delicious and the portions, while small, were definitely sufficient and just enough to fill you up without overstuffing you. It is smart of the restaurant to give you just enough to tempt your taste buds but leave you wanting more. They gave us a gift certificate for $ 24.07 each for dinner and I will definitely be coming back to try the curries and the chicken tikka. This meal left the impression that they do meats very well, especially if you like high quality and densely flavored meats. The presentation and the textures are also done very well. Beware that some of the dishes are a bit heavy on the vinegar taste but I guess this will just have to be an acquired taste.

Made a reservation for dinner, but really, we didn’t need to since inside was pretty empty. All the tables outside, on the other hand, were taken.
Here’s the lo-​down of what was ordered:
–garlic flatbread ($ 4): soft, light and airy bread with a subtle taste of garlic. I like reeking of garlic so I felt there could have been more garlic added… but that’s just me.
–chicken tikka ($ 12): not worth getting since it came with 2 pieces of chicken and a small side of greens. I was imagining several small pieces. The chicken was moist and flavorful but I’d pass on this for the price.
–tapioca crusted soft shell crabs ($ 31): worth every cent since they give you two soft shell crabs with spring onions, green mango & roasted chili curry. It was definitely a filling meal.
–rice flaked halibut ($ 27): the halibut was a good size and the taste was interesting, especially with the watermelon curry and lime flavor.
Service was attentive, friendly and patient. We decided not to get dessert and good thing too because we received a complimentary cookie plate and the cookies we received were so good! Other than the soft shell crab, the cookies were the best part of the meal!

This was the last meal I had before leaving NYC. My lovely friend and coworker picked out this place and I am so glad she did! We had a very late dinner of 9:30 PM on a Friday and there were tons of people around. We (me, her and her bf) had:
— Rosemary Flatbread (YUMMY — we ordered two of these)
— Braised Taro Root (I don’t like Taro Root or Eggplant but this was one of the best dishes of the night despite the fact that I don’t typically like the main ingredients)
— Rawa-​Crisped Skate (The most expensive but yet the most disappointing dish of the night. It looked and tasted like fish sticks)
— Beef Short Rib Samosa (AMAZING, perfect to share)
For dessert we had Tabla’s Doughnut Holes. OMG THEY WERE GOOD. It comes with a huge portion and we actually couldn’t even finish them despite the fact that they were so good.
I would love to go back to this place.

omg, WOW. I’ve never been a HUGE fan of Indian food before (let alone indian-​french fusion), but this place completely blew me away — the food, wine pairing, dessert, service, and ambiance were all perfect. I’d love to come back here again and try the downstairs menu, or just more items off the delicious prixe fix menu.
We sat in the upstairs dining room for their 3-​course prixe-​fix menu. Our super knowledgeable and very professional waiter (although he seemed almost robot-​like at times) started us off with some Riesling and complimentary naan with different tasting sauces. The naan itself was absolutely amazing — I could have eaten 5 more of those and had to restrain myself before our actual food came. I ordered this hamachi sashimi appetizer and my BF got the crab cake w/​avocado and tamarind, but both were super delicious. I gobbled his portion up too, and ordered more naan before our mains came. I knew it could only get better from here, and it did. I ordered the slow-​cooked halibut with carrot and sun-​dried ginger nage and he got the Black Spiced Poulet Rouge w/​pilaf and pea greens. Both were scrumptious and if this weren’t in such a nice establishment I would have licked my plate clean.
For dessert, my we ordered the Milk Chocolate Pavé and the Yogurt Cardamom Cheesecake. The only complaint is that there wasn’t enough of both. Luckily the check came along with 4 delicious assorted chocolate truffles to top off a fantastic dining experience.
Tabla, you’ve won me over. My one complaint is that I was under the impression the food itself would be Indian-​French fusion, and not fusion in the sense that the restaurant was separated into French cuisine downstairs (a la carte) and Indian upstairs (prixe fix menu). This can be tricky for first time visitors, but the food itself was so great that I won’t hold it against them. I’d love to come back next time I’m in town for the downstairs menu.

Review by Butcher (E.Lee) and Porkchop (
)
Very randomly we came here on a Friday after a late night at work. (We don’t work together… so don’t think we were «working late»…together.) Anyway, what is there on 25^th and Madison? There’s Shake Shack with a humungo line and it’s pretty worth it for their price and deliciousness… but this isn’t a post about Shake Shack.
Tabla. It has good food. Come craving extra flavorful and unique dishes… and a full wallet.
I (Butcher) have never researched Tabla and knew nothing about it except that their celebrity chef was on Top Chef or was mentioned. Probably showed face. I like that you have your own door to your restroom. I mean… big tall door. People were very nice and they knew we weren’t people they can’t be real with. therefore, we had the suckiest table and the closest one to the servers… since we’re buds. Porkchop, «At least they made up for it with their smiley faces and excellent service.» Our server was very detailed in describing the different wines and I wouldn’t let him go until he described mine that was ordered by Porkchop.
Oh yeah, I meant to say… since I didn’t research Tabla beforehand, I didn’t know it was Prix Fixe only (a couple different prix fixe’s you can choose from).
Do you want to hear about the food?
It was all cooked perfectly and bursting with flavor. We have to admit that the samosa looked and tasted suspiciously like an empanada. The skate was good but a little undercooked for Porkchop, and we assumed that’s how it is supposed to be.
I don’t eat red meat but I only had red meat/​pink meat. I ordered white wine thinking I wasn’t going to eat red meat. The pork short rib (without the rib) was tender (a word i hate to use to describe human meat) and full of tender fat. I know a lot of people would LOVE it, and it was good but I’m not a fat eater. The spiced hanger steak (that was on the same plate as the short rib) was medium rare and soo flavorful. My portion of meats are on the «delicate» side but that was all good because… well I don’t eat much red meat and also because they fed us fresh naan, cold soup shot, and appetizer before the entrée. After the entrée, we had dessert… one of them had gold in it and after that… they gave us chocolate! When would this dinner ever end I thought… same as this post.
Take a look at all our pictures taken from an iphone without flash since iphones don’t make flash :(
Thank you.
–Butcher + Porkchop

*** Restaurant Week Review ***
Tabla’s got a lot of different menus flying around at the Dining Room and Bread bar right now, but I went for the Restaurant Week Lunch at the Dining Room.
I. FOOD
[[ Extras ]]
The fresh and flavorful table naan teased at good things to come. One was a fluffy herbed naan, and the other was a denser Roti (we think).
We also ordered a la carte entrée: Rice Flaked Halibut with Watermelon Curry. This is probably my favorite dish. The textures blended wonderfully, with the spiced watermelon coating the soft fish and the crispy exterior and toppings.
[[ Appetizer ]]
— Confit of Beef Cheeks
I … can’t really remember much about the dish. That speaks volumes. I’m sure it was «just okay», since negative impressions would stick. A shame, because beef cheeks can be transcendental if made right.
[[ Main Course ]]
— Braised Short Ribs of Beef
A brown lump with shoestring potatoes arrives in front of me. I stab it blindly with my fork, foraging around to discern what each element is. The short rib is one big chunk that is definitely tender and juicy in some parts, but another bite could contain chewy tendon and dry areas. The mashed potatoes were covered with the beef too. An altogether hearty dish, though I wouldn’t say they were my favorite ribs ever.
— Roasted Heritage Pork T-​Bone
A friend’s dish that I sampled. The portion was huge, but she had to remove a large section of fat. I thought the meat was too tough and flavorless, but the sauce helped… a little.
[[ Dessert ]]
— Vanilla Bean Kulfi
I was excited to try this dessert. It even comes with a special serrated spoon because the Kulfi is so hard you have to carve at it. I thought the gold leaf and overall presentation was beautiful, but I felt like I was working to eat my dessert more than taking the time to savor it.
II. SERVICE
After reading the reviews on Unilocal,I was a little apprehensive about the service. Luckily, the lunch went without a hitch. They were very accommodating when our group of 6 turned into 4 at the last minute. The service was attentive and quick without being pushy. A dining companion flipped his fork and our waitress thought to bring club soda and a napkin immediately.
III. VERDICT
I have a precarious relationship with Danny Meyer restaurants. On the whole, they can serve up a great «experience package», so to speak. But for me, the food reaches the «good» level, but falls short of the «WOW» status. The $ 24.07 return gift card (note: only valid for 2 months) might be the trump card that tempts me to come back and give it another shot off the regular menu.
P. S. A nod to their nice plates.

We arrived for lunch just as Tabla was opening so we were among the first to enjoy that day’s samplings — I chose to order from the spring Prix Fixe
lunch menu and managed to mix ‘n match items to create the ultimate three course meal for myself.
The server brought us two types of complimentary naan — a standard naan that was perfectly salted and puffed and a herbed rosemary naan that was a nice spicy twist.
I started with a salad of organic field greens. «Crisped rice, lime chutney– sherry dressing» — I’m normally not a fan of young or baby greens but this salad was the NUTS. There was some sort of addictive ingredient in the dressing because I couldn’t stop eating it. The salad came «wrapped» in a sliver of shaved cucumber and topped with grated rainbow beets (see photos).
Next came the «South Indian Semolina Pilaf — Baby Root Vegetables in a Coconut Curry». While I love root vegetables — carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes all made an appearance — the portion was too big for what it was and I was unable to finish it. I was expecting rice when I saw the word pilaf but realized it was something different when I tasted it. The texture was like a cornmeal/​polenta. I guess that’s what semolina is?

I finished with «Grapefruit Parfait — Grapefruit Tarragon Sorbet & Almond Crisp». I’m not a huge fan of grapefruit but this dessert was perfect. The presentation was incredible — I’m not sure if it was worth a 20 minute wait, but it looked nice and tasted even better. Which brings me to my next point.
Considering the fact that the restaurant had nary been open ten minutes once we arrived, the service left a bit to be desired. It started off well and our server was indeed knowledgeable and polite, but oscillated between being overbearing (hovering above me as I finished my salad — he was eager for me to finish it so he could clear my plate, even though there was ample room on our table for multiple plates) and absent. After the salad fiasco our plates were cleared for the entrée, and then it took about 20 minutes for our dessert to arrive. Then it took even longer for the bill to arrive or for anyone to even check our status after dessert. I actually had to get back to the office and left before our party’s bill was even taken care of.
Considering we were among only a handful of patrons in the restaurant I thought it was a bit unacceptable to have to wait so long.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Great food, friendly staff, welcoming ambience.
They have a bread bar downstairs where they serve all these different kinds of dips with naan and then they also serve some of the plates they serve upstairs in the actual restaurant.
My boyfriend and I went for a lunch date. He had the chef’s menu ($ 29) and I had the winter menu ($ 24). Each of them come with an appetizer, entrée and dessert. After we ordered, the server placed a fresh out of the oven piece of naan in the middle of our table. Definitely didn’t expect that but it was an awesome surprise! Best part, they keep refiling the naan when you finish each piece.
I’m normally not a big fan of Indian food because I’m not into the mush and drippy mess that it entails. But Tabla definitely changed my mind. They used curry like spices so you still get that Indian flavor but without the sloppiness. One of my favorites was their taro encrusted halibut with this mushroom sauce that was too die for! I also had their slow cooked salmon that was perfectly seasoned and so soft it melted in my mouth.
Dessert is not necessarily their strong point but at least the presentation was pretty. Who goes to these kind of places for dessert anyways?

How it pains me to write this review… If only the Tabla staff knew I was a Unilocaler. Maybe things would have been different.
1:30 reservations for Restaurant Week lunch. Upon arrival, the hostess convinces us to sit at the Bread Bar instead of upstairs. She says they also serve the RW menu, slightly different, but she thinks we will like it better.
Immediately, our waiter informs us that they do not offer the Restaurant Week menu in the Bread Bar. However, they do have a $ 24 prix fix lunch menu that is «similar.» So now I am twice removed from the food experience I had planned for, and feeling a little annoyed.
I ordered the mushroom soup, Sliced flank steak, and vanilla bean dessert (it said something about a rootbeer float, but I imagined it would be much more creative). The mushroom soup took a looooong time to come out and tasted mostly like cilantro and salt. 20 minutes after the soup, my waiter informs me that they have «run out» of the broth that the steak is cooked in, and do I want something else. How a restaurant possibly runs out of broth by 1:30pm on a Thursday, I have no idea. He suggests I still have the steak but cooked in a horseradish sauce. I told him I don’t really want it to be spicy, and he assured me it wouldn’t. Ten minutes later he came back and apologized; the chef says it is very spicy, so he will bring the sauce on the side. By this time I just want my damn food!
My 2 friends are brought their entrees, and I am still waiting in the cold for my steak with sauce on the side. 15 minutes later its slapped down in front of me, no apology. The steak was very good, but again, extremely salty. I downed 3 glasses of water and couldn’t finish the dish. Also, I basically just had sliced steak with some potatoes and escarole. How is that Indian? I do not know.
Dessert was interesting. A frozen solid piece of ice cream floating in flat rootbeer. By the time the ice cream thawed enough to be eaten, it was soup.
Tabla, you have let me down. Did I miss something?

Ready? Go. Fresh Western food, fused with Indian style cooking, plated with French culinary precision and created by Floyd Cardoz, a chef from India who trained as a biochemist and battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef, Tabla had a chance to be in a world by itself. It’s almost there.
Tabla, derived from a popular Indian drum instrument, lives up to its namesake. Loud colors and bold flavors lead a symphony of high flying creations that vie for all your senses. Don’t come here if you’re looking for the fresh, natural flavors in Californian cuisine. Cardoz is the lord of spice.
Fluke Crudo
Beautifully plated, you can see already see the chef’s influence in the spiced cider consume. The flavors were too overbearing however for me to taste the raw fish.
Shellfish Fricassee
Rock shrimp, bouchot mussel & calamari, tapioca, coconut and mango in one dish? I see those ingredients and I think two things. Fried seafood and boba, probably not the best of combinations. But wow, Cardoz hits this one out of the park. Amazing.
Blackened Mahi Mahi
Forget the mahi mahi, the smoky curry infused navy beans, spicy linguica sausage and pea shoots were a dish in itself. Thinking about this just makes my mouth water. The fish was fresh and juicy but again, the spice rub was a bit too much and overpowered any natural flavors the fish might have had.
Milk Chocolate with Brown Ale Semifreddo Tamarind in caramel? Beer foam with milk chocolate? I first tasted all the flavors separately and declared this a waste of a dessert. Then I tried combining all the ingredients and it blew me away. The semi-​frozen milk chocolate was contrasted by the bitter beer foam, while the cashew brittle crumble added texture and the caramel a bit of sticky sweet.
uploaded a few pictures which can be found on my blog as well

I like tabla a lot. I do not LOVE it. I like it a lot! the thing that is EXCEPTIONAL about tabla is about the genius behind the mixing of spices: fench, american, indian! GENIUS!
i loved the food. the nan with the chutney was FABULOUS! that chutney was the BEST in my life!
what else was good? the cocktails. I had a cocktail w buddha hand in it. I never seen that ingredient used in a drink before! (buddha hand is a plant where the flowers actually look like a green hand reaching out ilke the buddha’s.)
the skate was not good, says my dinner mate. it wasnt fabulous. but still good.
i had the crab cake followed by the bass. the crab cake wasnt as good as the one i had at jo jo’s. but still v good. the bass was delicious! but not as fabulous as id expect.
hey, if youre spending that kind of money, then it had better be FANTASTIC
but you really ought to go. just once at least. the mixing of the tastes was genuinely genius and pretty gooood.
we didnt have dessert.
the service was FANTASTIC. the waiter was there for us for ANYTHING we wanted. any taste of whichever wine we wanted, we had. this waiter was amazing
btw– dress up. i went in jeans. big mistake. i was the ONLY person in the ENTIRE restaurant in jeans.
yeah… mucho embarrassing! but to my defense there were pretty jeans! they were sevens!!!
GO! it tastes great! take a date or go with the company. its a niiiice place

Any place that I feel confident ordering anything on the menu is somewhere that I’d confident giving five stars to. Not a single thing at Tabla has disappointed me. From the fish to the steak to the lamb, it’s all spectacular.
Fusion restaurants can be tricky. Over ambitious chefs can take what we know and love about food and steer them into the ground. Not the case at Tabla. There’s a reason why they’ve won awards for their culinary creations.
Staff: Attentive but not pushy
Hosts: Smart and cheerful
Bar: Well-​stocked, creative and accessible
Wine list: Doesn’t make me feel like a pauper
I’ve taken friends from out of town here in the past to kind of show them an interesting and delicious New York restaurant that they probably have nothing like at home. I’d do it again in a heart beat.

High-​end Indian /​Indian Fusion or whatever we call Tabla may be one of my favorite cuisines. With Tabla, I think their tasting menus are always the way to go. They usually do one with a wine pairing for each course as well which I’d also recommend (although I’d recommend that you don’t have to finish each glass). The last time we were there, one of our courses was lobster that had been wrapped in bacon. Oh my. Then was duck… and then Braised Black Bass… and then Fricassée of Scottish Langoustine, Shrimp & Crab Meat. I could go on.
The staff is top notch and the main dining room is flat out gorgeous.