Check out Chennai Garden!

Located in the heart of "Curry Hill," five block section of Murray Hill with several Indian restaurants and specialty stores. I have been on the prowl for good Indian food since moving to New York and I finally found my ticket. After reading an awesome review from NYMag, we decided to try the Chennai Garden, a South Indian vegetarian restaurant. South Indian cuisine is quite different from North Indian which is what the majority of Indian restaurants in the United States are. It is much lighter and far less cream based with its curries. We started with the Mushroom and Garlic Uttapam, their version of a fried pancake. It came with coconut chutney and a tangy lentil broth. The other notable dish we ordered which is the raved about specialty at the Chennai Garden was the Kala Chana, black chickpeas and onions in a thick flavorful gravy. Our goal was to try the most obscure items that we would never ordinarily order and it was a hit! Aside from them trying to hurry us out of there, the service was decent. For a trendy and delectable restaurant this meal was surprisingly reasonably priced. For three people to eat and feel satisfied and spend less than $15 each is on the verge of being a "cheap find."

Cheers and I hope you check it out!

LA friends- If you want to find South Indian restaurants, there is a stretch of Venice Blvd and one notable place is the Annapurna.