Saravanaas

I managed to swing back to Saravanaas one more time before I left New York. It's stunning how much I, and I suspect most of America, does not know about Indian food.

We started with Rasa Vada: crispy lentil donuts in a spicy south Indian soup. In hindsight I would have preferred something were I could have had the vada dry, as I love the crispy texture, but the soup was really good.

The thalis are so much fun. This is the South Indian Thali, and I love the variety. I'd go into detail about what I was eating, except I have no idea what I was eating.

This is a dosa. Just look at it! Can you believe going through life not knowing about dosas? It makes me feel like a culinary ignoramus.

I also feel really sorry for all of the South Indian transplants in America, who don't have ready access to a Saravanaas, or a restaurant of similar caliber. If this is your memory of home cooking, how much would it suck to not be able to have it on occasion. It's so much work to make it for oneself, I doubt one can fully replicate the experience without at least one patient Indian mother or grandmother puttering in the kitchen.

On that front, I also feel pretty sorry for people from Thailand and Sri Lanka. The restaurant offerings either do not compare or are rarely available.

Saravanaas, 81 Lex (@ 26th), NY, NY