Tulsi

Chef Hemant Mathur earned his fine-dining stripes at Devi—he helped the Gramercy spot become the country’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant. Here, the tandoor master supplements his signature grilled meats with other expertly wrought specialties. A standout selection of chaat ($7 for three) includes the dahi batata puri: spiced potato and chickpeas coated with tangy yogurt and tamarind, then stuffed into a crunchy whole-wheat shell (puri) with mint chutney. It’s a fine preamble to the hearty dum biryani, a sort of Indian potpie served in a clay pot, with a puffy crust of nan giving way to an aromatic blend of rice and glistening hunks of goat meat.