Kokum

Shiva Natarajan (Chote Nawab, Chola) zooms in on India's southern Kerala region for this Curry Hill restaurant, named after the tamarind-like fruit from the Malabar Coast. Cage lamps, leather banquettes and a colorful mural of Kerala's iconic snake boats decorate the 40-seat eatery. Natarajan offers hyperregional plates like masala lamb chops, coconut-and-coriander curried crab and red-pumpkin thoran with green chilies, as well as a selection of street-style dosas, filled with spiced-potato-and-onion or Chettinad pepper chicken. To temper the heat, sip cocktails like the Tadi Fling (rum, vermouth, lime and pineapple juices) and the house quaff (kokum, cardamom-infused vodka, honey, green tea, tamarind water, lime juice).