Bungalow

With a resume that includes host of MasterChef India and manning Michelin-starred revue, Junoon, chef Vikas Khanna's name alone is enough to draw a crowd. But months after his East Village restaurant opening, Bungalow's buzz stands on its own. Walking down the stairs to this subterranean space, the restaurant transports you to the social clubs of India's past with elements of deep green and gold, handcrafted peacocks commissioned from the chef's sister and a dining room drowned in natural light and draped with faux jasmine leaves. Tackling the broad scope of Indian cuisine, you can find Banarasi Puri with cilantro and tamarind chutneys and a pleasantly pink beetroot raita to lamb chops straight from the recipe book of the owner's mother. As you eat, don't be surprised if you see chef Khanna making his rounds, greeting tables and personally serving plates.