Vatan Indian Vegetarian
“(Thank you to the reader who corrected me – I had mis-pegged Vatan as South Indian when it is really Gujarati, a western state.)”
“The dessert is homemade mango ice cream and a chai tea and both were a great way to end the meal.”
“And you never have to worry about not getting enough to eat because you can order as many seconds as you want of your favorites.”
Vatan Indian Vegetarian
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This place is superb. The food here (Gujarati) is quite different from your standard American Indian places, but also quite different from the rest of the places in Curry Hill. Everything was perfectly spiced and a good level of heat as well. You receive a great variety of dishes and truly, I loved every single one. It may seem a little expensive, but for unlimited food of this quality and for the kind of kitschy-yet-adorable decor, this place is great for a fun celebration. I can't wait to go back.
Nope – this place is not doing it for me. I came here on advisement from a colleague who loves this place. He's Indian (came from India 10 years ago) and found this place pretty authentic. I came with high hopes especially since I grew up eating home cooked Indian food I know the crap most Indian restos like to pass off as "authentic". This place seems authentic but the food is so bland that it hurts me that I've spent the amount that I did on the food here.
I think of this place as an over-the-top cultural experience for non-Indians as opposed to a restaurant providing mind-blowingly good food. Case in point, there are paintings of classic Indian art on the walls, there is a large elephant statue in the corner, a model well with metal urns symbolizing the village life in India, the food is served on thalis (see explanation below) and traditional metal glasses typically found in India. But with all the fan fare, they loose points on food quality, which to me is an important factor for a restaurant.
This place serves you a pre-fix several course meal on thalis – which are large circular plates of food with smaller bowls filled with different dishes (typically curries and dal). You have a choice in your spice level but even when I requested a high spice level, the food taste was missing the typical flavors that I am used to. Also – where is your menu for desserts?? I have a huge obsession with Indian sweets (mithai) and I was disappointed to see that the meal only comes with mango ice cream. Indians have a wealth of different desserts and to serve only ice cream, to me, was a big cop out.
This is one of the best Indian restaurants I've ever been to! I can not wait to go back! Everything was so freakin good! The spices and all the different flavors were to die for! Ugh! Ok so the ambiance is cool. I noticed some people removed their shoes before siting Indian style in the booths. Fair warning, go there with an extra empty stomach! So it is basically buffet style but they bring the food to you. You get to taste everything on the menu and if you want more they'll bring you more. It is actually a good amount of food. By the time our main meal came out we were stuffed! Service was great! I will definitely go back and will be bringing more people with me!
Holy Cow, Vatan is a disgrace to desis, Indians and especially Gujaratis. I felt like something died in my stomach after I left.
If you commit to eating here, commit to being robbed. It felt like an overpriced ticket for people who want to visit an Indian exhibit in Epcot Center… the taste and quality of the food matches the type of people who would want to visit said exhibit in Epcot Center.
This conversation between the server and I will sum up my experience:
ME: Excuse me (after constant flagging of my arms), we think our orders were mixed. We asked for HOT, like Indian Hot.
SERVER: "This is our hot. We don't have hot hot because the Americans eat here. So we have to make sure they can eat too"
ME: Can I at least get some achar?
SERVER: (embarrassed) "we don't have achar or anything to make more hot, maybe garlic paste?"
ME AND SERVER: [For the rest of the meal, the server avoided my eyes or when she did look at me said through her body language, "I know, I despise this food too, no ghee, bland, incorrect ingredients, it's an embarrassment… but the white people eat it up because they don't know any better and this is how we make a living"]
SERVER: "Would you like anything else? Ice cream? …"
ME: No, just the check (after it was clear that we couldn't even eat half of our food or sip the chai)
Based on these Yelp reviews, I can confidently state that there are three types of people who eat here:
1) Non-Desis or Europeans with guide books: These people give Vatan 3 or more stars. That is because their palates are alien to this type of food. They can't conceptualize that each bite is supposed to have about 6-8 different flavors that ONLY come out with the spice. (Don't EAT it if you can't take the heat!) They probably use utensils to eat… they get a pass…
2) Desis: Looking through these reviews it's clear that those, like I, who grew up with amazing homemade desi food find this place a wretched tourist circus. It's like telling me that Taco Bell is where I should go for home-cooked Mexican food. The food was dull, bland, nothingness… We were recently in Gujarat for a month visiting family and ate our way through India. In Ahmedabad, we had the most AMAZING all you can eat veg Thali meal. My spouse (who is Cuban), was even able to immediately tell that Vatan was lifeless crud… The Desi establishments have left NYC people.. you can only get good Indian (read: Gujarati) food in the tri-state area in Edison, New Jersey or at home. For reals.
3) Desis who somehow grew up in a home where their folks sucked at cooking: Desis who give Vatan 3 stars or more. I feel bad for their souls.
Just. Don't. Do. It. It is THAT bad. Colonized BS.
Ambience and service were amazing. The tables, decorations and music made for a really nice experience.
Food wise, the appetizer and dessert are the best courses. Wish I had ordered more appetizer once I got to the main course (taking off one star for this). Dessert was delicious and they serve masala chai at the end of the meal.
Would definitely go back!
The service here is top notch. They are so so nice and attentive. They took time to explain the menu while dealing with a bratty couple sitting near us.
The upstairs is perfect for groups because there are big tables. They accept reservations. The ambiance is calming.
While the place is vegetarian, you shouldn't be scared away if you are a meat lover. You will leave completely stuffed and forget you even ate a vegetarian meal. The appetizers didn't kill it for me, but the main entree was so good … Like nearly popped a button.
All you can eat, $32 per person, great service … Go!
We went to Vatan over the holiday season, and I was impressed with it. We made a reservation up ahead, and were greeted by the host who promptly seated us. We were made to remove our shoes when we were going to sit, which is sort of a customary thing to do in India. The ambiance was great, with a lot of photos of rural India and an artificial tree, and even a water well ! The waitress was really warm and friendly, and explained to us how the Thali system works and offered a good assessment of the spice levels.
If there is one thing I really miss about Indian food while living in US, is the lack of vegetarian options. Vatan naturally fulfills that what I miss. There was 3 courses of food options: appetizer, main course, dessert and chai. We really liked the appetizers a lot, with the mirchi bajjis, dhoklas and sev puri being my favorite. The main course was just about ordinary, and the mango icecream in the end was really good.
Overall, I liked the ambiance, food and the decor of this place. I only wish it was a little cheaper. It is about 32$ per person which just doesn't add up. We realized the profit of margin this place makes is really high. If the Thali was 20-25$ I would come back to eat here again.
Delicious, all-you-can eat Gujarati Indian food at a great price? What more can one ask for!
The service is efficient, friendly, and warm; the atmosphere is quiet and very conducive to dates; and the food is exquisite. Everything is prix fixe, so you're getting the chefs' top picks, and the appetizers and entrees are served as thalis (small dishes), so you're getting to taste a diversity of dishes. And you never have to worry about not getting enough to eat because you can order as many seconds as you want of your favorites. Each and every dish is delicious, but since I have a sweet tooth, I often savor the ice cream (usually mango-flavored) with special relish.
I'm vegetarian, so I of course love this place and consider it one of my favorite spots in New York, but my more carnivorous friends have also had great dining experiences here. It's the kind of place that makes even the most stubborn meat-eater happy to go veggie for at least one meal.
Come hungry (it is all-you-can-eat after all) and with time to spare so that you can savor and appreciate each dish.