Inday, a Flatiron newcomer, celebrates the vibrant, salubrious elements of Indian cuisine (instead of the cheap oil-slicked gut-bombs of Curry Hill), so far succeeding wildly to establish itself as a front-runner in the neighborhood's competitive lunch circles.
It does so with a flight of well-seasoned bowls, constructed in a Chipotle-esque fashion with customized proteins and bases. Pair warm, fluffy cauliflower Not Rice with red spice-marinated grass-fed steak ($12), or try the vegan hash of delightfully shredded smoked tofu ($12) over Go Salad, a gingery slaw garnished with sesame-flecked carrots and beets. Daubs of house-made sauce amp up the Scoville rating; the zesty red is milder though still peppery, but the green yogurt's pale color belies its fiery oomph. Don't let that stop you—it's addictively good. There's also a soothing raita to calm your palate if things get too frisky—even the invigorating juice drinks are spiked with cayenne.
Aside from bowls, dinnertime avails a Dosa Waffle menu not offered earlier. The chewy, toasty crackerbread is a combination of sugar and waffle cones but with nary a hint of sweetness ($6), and it’s topped with Russ & Daughters' supple Norwegian smoked salmon ($4) and a thick lemony yogurt schmear. Or you can go heartier with hand-pulled BBQ steak ($4) bolstered with tomato chutney.
Desserts tend to be more virtuous than decadent; a chocolate-avocado pudding ($6) would probably appeal more to the vegan set. A better option is a plush little cup of cardamom yogurt dressed with berry compote ($4.50) or the cozy Cacao Chai Tea ($3), which comes with two little cocoa-date-coconut truffles. But it all keeps with Inday's philosophy: "Good Karma Served Daily" is literally written on the wall. And luckily, good karma inspires good food.
BY: TIME OUT COMMUNITY REVIEWER DEBORAH FENKER