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Baluchi's - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
193 Spring St(between Thompson St & Sullivan St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: South Village
(212) 226-2828
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St (A, C, E)
Houston St (1, 2)
Canal St (1, 2)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
The culinary team, headed by renowned chef Vikas Khanna, presents a menu that reflects the diversity of India. It is steeped in the classics with deft… read more »
36 reviews for Baluchi's
Review Highlights
"Chicken tikka masala = hell yes."
(in 5 reviews)
"I would recommend the Goan Shrimp."
(in 3 reviews)
"But the Naan was hot, moist and soft, as it should be."
(in 7 reviews)
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Mark W.
Belmont, MA
1/24/2010
We we in town for a show and stopped in on a rainy afternoon for a quick lunch. They have a great $15 lunch special. We ordered Panir Bhurjee and Goan Shrimp Curry -- both turned out to be very good. We also tried the seek kebab which was a stand out, and the pakora was also very good. Raita and chutney were also very good. They did not ask how spicy we wanted it and we did not tell them; the result was a nice medium from our perspective (we tend to like it more spicy).
Service was very good. Atmosphere was great from our perspective, as we like modern Indian-flavored music. I could imagine, however, that it might get a little tight if the place was full (there were only a couple of other tables occupied when we where there.
Our Indian food experience ranges from London to Hong Kong, with travels in India itself, north and south. We cook Indian frequently, and so are fairly picky, but we are not Indian. We tend to be mostly veg unless something strikes us as unusual. Baluchi's is not the best Indian, but it is very good and we would certainly return if we were in the neighborhood and are very happy to recommend it. -
Review from Ethan C.
New York, NY
8/15/2010
POISONOUS FOOD! I ate lamb vindaloo from Baluchi's and was hospitalized for almost a week with severe food poisoning. I could not drink water without vomiting, so I needed an IV. I did not successfully digest a solid meal until 10 days after that meal. As it turns out, I know two other people who have gotten food poisoning from Baluchi's. One from tandoori chicken and the other I'm not sure. Do not, under any circumstances, eat at Baluchi's.
If, for some reason, the risk of being hospitalized after an over-priced dinner does not deter you from eating at Baluchi's, maybe this will:
I have been eating Indian food regularly since I was a young child. I love Indian cuisine and there is scarcely a dish or regional cooking style under the "Indian food" umbrella that I have not tried. I have been to a ton of Indian restaurants in New York and around the world. Baluchi's does NOT serve good Indian food. It is subpar at best. If you are in SoHo and you want to order Indian food, order from Taj Tribeca. -
Review from Jen D.
11/5/2007
So I'm on a date and my date says he would like to take me to eat Indian food. I am a total foodie, but aside from the halal food trucks, I've never eaten Indian food. So when my date said this, I was a little hesitant. The deal was as long as he ordered everything, I'd go.
He ordered:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Lamb Rogan Josh
Samosas
Ka Chori
Everything was GREAT, except for the lamb. It was way overcooked and very rubbery. But the tikka masala was so yummy, especially the sauce. We also got rice on the side. It was probably some of the best rice I've ever had. They also bring out a side of flat bread, which was really tasty. Especially when you dip it in the sauce of the other entrees.
Samosas were crispy and potatoes and chickpeas super yummy.
The Ka-chori was a little iffy, but still pretty tasty.
I also had a mint iced tea which was VERY VERY good.
I love the decor and the dishes that the food is served in. Definitely a great first experience with Indian food. The date went well. Very well. -
Review from Nancy D.
9/12/2009
Terrible Indian food! The rice was wayyy overcooked, the chicken korma and lamb vindaloo came out cold! The sauces for those two dishes tasted like they came out of a jar, totally lacking flavor.
The restaurant was cutely decorated? I don't know, I'm just trying to end on some kind of positive note here. -
Review from Monique C.
New York, NY
1/10/2008
Ok, so clearly this place reviews well with its 50% off lunch (so, long as you eat in) deal. Great deal for the NYU'ers...
Still, it's a chain, guys. And like any chain, the food is going to be, well, just average. You might be fooled into thinking the food reflects its decor (this place is absolutely beautiful, right down to the water goblets). But it's average. And if an Indian joint wants 5 stars from me, its food better make me break out into a Bollywood dance...
3 stars (2 stars, really...but it IS cheap) -
Review from N G.
New York, NY
7/21/2010
I'm not entirely sure this is the Baluchi's where I ate, and I see that the ratings are pretty variable based on location, so read with caution.
We were pretty hungry and went in with low expectations after one person in our party had had a bad experience with a Baluchi's and thought it was commercialized, inauthentic Indian food. And perhaps it was. But it was better than the take-out express Indian place down the street from me (and about the same price), and I enjoyed my vegetarian meatballs and coconut naan. I would go back, but after reading the reviews of others, I have to admit even I'm a little discouraged. -
Review from Zachary B.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2010
I normally digest indian food well. This stuff, I did not. I had the lamb josh, and the rice, and then spent like 20 minutes in mental agony as poo spewed forth from my rectum.
The wait staff was very friendly, though. -
Review from Marlo G.
12/6/2008
Visit 1: The food was amazing, the service superior! The only Baluchi's in Manhattan with a good health score!
Visit 2: We sat near the kitchen so as to be warm, but were freezing as they had the kitchen door open---twice we asked for them to shut it. We both enjoyed our food, my channa masala tasting different than last time---something like Gandhi's, but I was happy! Something was up with the naan as parts of it were like licking a salt cube! But the kicker came when 2 seconds after we left, my boyfriend turned to me, white and sweating, and said, "I'm going to be sick!" We wound up running to the nearest available restroom (Bloomingdale's Soho, thank you!), then to a cab to rush home---then jumped out of the cab because there was no way in G-d's earth he was going to make it home---dashing back to Bloomingdale's and trying to get everything laid to rest quickly as they were closing! I ask you, is this the kind of dining experience you're looking for?!?
And if you can believe it, Visit 3: When we ordered, we asked for extra tamarind. When they brought the pappadam, again, we asked for extra tamarind and were told they would bring it when we finished that one. Nice, huh? Turned out, the tamarind was chutney by mistake. Again, we asked for extra tamarind, and again were told they'd bring it to us when we finished that one.
Oh and did I mentioned they were painting in the restaurant? On a Friday night at 6:30, no less??? While we were dining, a fellow patron seated a bit closer to the kitchen than we were, abruptly shot up from his chair, complaining of a paint smell. I thought I smelled something but thought it was just my imagination. The oh-so-helpful server said they were painting in the basement, but if he moved closer to the entrance of the restaurant, he'd be okay....I don't quite know about that.
We repeatedly asked for our water to be refilled which was done 3/4s of the way. My channa masala tasted different yet again, though this time, I didn't care for it---tasted like it was from a can and I've good reason to believe it was as I once saw a Costco sized Heinz tomato sauce can in a Baluchi's uptown. We then finished off our meal by repeatedly flagging down the server for our check.
Oh, and I was just informed that my boyfriend was yet again ill. This time the affects weren't immediate.
Summary: I love Indian food and was so thrilled with this Baluchi's after the first visit, but obviously, it's not all roses and lollipops. The exact dish tasted different all 3 times, my boyfriend was sicker than a dog one of them and not as sick another. It's a very dark restaurant which kind of scares me because I don't know what's going on on the floor and well, in my food. Its non-handicapped accessible with a tiny stairway downstairs to the restroom. I'm impressed with the cleanliness downstairs as the kitchen is exposed and you can see everything. But I really don't think I'll be back...
What I wore to Baluchi's: Black long sleeve t-shirt, jeans, motorcycle boots
NY Dept Health Violation Points: 25Listed in: Indian Food!
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Review from Manish E.
New York, NY
Updated - 10/27/2010
Why did I try to get delivery from them again?
Ordered on the phone for lunch. 0 for 3 on ordering online or via the phone. Every single time they've either sent it to the wrong place or just not delivered it.
This time, I waited an hour. I work a block away. I call, they have me on the phone for a good 5 minutes. Finally they say there was a mixup and they will make it right now and rush it over.
Usually I wouldn't give a 1 star review for something like this as every place has mix-ups but this seems to be a consist issue with them.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2010
DO NOT ORDER ONLINE FOR A DIFFERENT ADDRESS FROM YOUR HOME!
This rating is for ordering online.
I… Read more »
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Review from Rachel A.
3/18/2008
Guess what? There is no wait time for a table at Baluchi's!!
There was a 2 1/2 hr wait for Blue Ribbon and a 2 hr wait for some Italian restaurant on the corner of Spring and Sullivan. My friends just kept trick or treating at every restaurant hoping to get a table. Baluchi's was the only one giving out treats. Since I was going to be the last one to arrive, my friends decided to have drinks and appetizers without me. In order to get the ball rolling, I ordered my dish on my walk over to Baluchi's. Since my friend read me the menu on the phone, it was really difficult to hear her and understand what she was saying. I wasn't worried though because everything sounded delicious and I got really lucky with my dish. When I arrived, the food was being served. Perfect timing.
I ordered the chicken makhani. It was sweet and tasty. Basically, it is a sweeter version of chicken tikka masala. We had garlic nan and basmati rice on the side. So much food and so tasty! We ended up getting extra orders since there was such a big group of us. There was also three different sauces to add to your meal: tamarind, mint and mango. As if the food needed any more flavor. I liked the mint. It was cooling and added an extra dimension. In the end, the meal left all of us sufficiently full.
Baluchi's is a pretty good spot for a group. Service is quick and attentive. Our water glasses were always refilled and the waiters always made sure we got what we needed. They even went so far to tell my friend not to rush eating his meal when everyone else had finished. I thought the food was reasonably priced and portions were ample if not just right. The restaurant is kind of cavernous. Overall, it's a warm feeling eating at Baluchi's and a pretty good choice for a Saturday night. -
Review from Neeraj T.
New York, NY
10/17/2008
The atmosphere is nice here, and the service was excellent; however, the food was not done well at all.
I had Channa with Rice, and honestly that's a very common dish and easy enough to make. The Channa (chickpeas) itself was done properly, but the Aloo (potatoes) was undercooked and hard. They put Mattar (peas) in the Chawal (rice) which at first I though was a nice touch and the rice itself was good, butabout half the peas were also undercooked and I think we all know that undercooked peas suck. The fact that they screwed up such a fundamental Indian dish makes this place a 2-star joint in my eyes.
Also, none of my favorite Indian sweets are offered here. That would have knocked another star from my score but they do serve Taj Mahal beer here, my favorite, so I left in good spirits. -
Review from Nish N.
2/22/2006
I used to love going to Baluchi's, first on the Upper East Side, and then at this SoHo location. It's a little more upscale than the usual North Indian joint, and I love the tables and other small details (the tin cups, for example).
Most importantly, I've yet to be disappointed by their food - on my most recent visit this weekend, I had the excellently spiced lamb biryani dish, wish fluffy naan on the side. Go at lunch time if you can, it's 50% off all dishes! -
Review from Amber B.
Brooklyn, NY
4/29/2009
We stumbled into this place while searching for a reasonably priced meal on Tuesday night.
There were only a few tables occupied, so we were seated right away. I loved the decor- not tacky, definitely pretty- exposed brick, great lighting and beautifully-colored fixtures.
I was so excited because the Tuesday Specials sounded amazing- we quickly decided on the two specials and another dish to share amongst us, when the waiter practically laughed at us and said "no, no more specials"... umm, may I suggest you remove that option from you menu, perhaps? So we took a few minutes more to decide, and when we ordered, our waiter sneakily tried to get us to order a bread basket... luckily I noticed that it wasn't as simple as he made it sound- "would you like bread?" in fact, the basket was priced as an entree- $13!
We ordered the Chicken Korma, Saag Panir, and veggie biryani. It was all fantastic, and though the portions looked small, the three of us couldn't finish it (and I was with two hungry guys!) . It was filling, tons and tons of flavor, and absolutely delicious.
Solid place, but I think I'd keep it as a lunch option. -
Review from Kristina M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/24/2008
How can you go wrong with 50% off the whole menu - lunch special!
We went for lunch with a party of 5 - the food and service was great!
They even split our bill 5 ways via credit card ( a lot of places do no like to do this.) I have not tired too many Indian places in the city - mostly because I have not found ones that serve Chicken Korma for lunch or they look too sketchy. But I was very pleased and will definitely be back to a Baluchi's for Indian Food. -
Review from Brianna S.
New York, NY
8/29/2007
Really great place for Indian food. I've been here with a large group for lunch and a small group and had great service both times.
Everything I've tried has been really good.
The ambiance is great, love the decorations and tin cups and stuff.
50% off lunch makes it totally affordable. -
Review from Alexandria V.
Staten Island, NY
11/4/2008
I was not really sure what I was in the mood for but I definitely wanted to try this place. So I walked in, placed my order and the guy that took my order was SO nice. He actually saved me some money by telling me that I can order from their lunch menu.
I got exactly what I ordered and rather fast at that. The curry chicken, rice and nan are delicious. The samosas and chick peas were good enough but [what I think is a] chutney and a cucumber sauce wasn't really to my tastes. Otherwise, I am loving the curry chicken. They gave a lot of sauce with it too and I like that a lot with my nan. -
Review from Wendy L.
New York, NY
12/31/2010
Never been to the restaurant itself, but I order through seamless web for lunch pretty often. This is great! It's not too spicy, they have lunch specials that allow you to get both a main dish along with a veggie dish along with rice and naan, all for around $10! The naan is soft and delicious, and the flavors of the food are consistently very good.
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Review from Jando S.
2/25/2007
Baluchi's sounds like your average Italian restaurant, but its quite far from it. This particular location is probably among the best of the popular gourmet Indian chain, as the delivery is prompt and the food is excellent. From the biriyani dishes to the vegetarian choices, the portions are decent as they are delicious. Service has been variable at best, with terribly rude phone manners to fantastic in-house service. Being that its "gourmet" some Indian cuisine connoisseurs might have problems justifying the prices (e.g. $3.95 gets you 1 veggie samosa) but at least with semi-high prices, comes incredibly respectable food.
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Review from Lisa F.
New York, NY
11/1/2006
Sometimes when you think of chain restaurants, you think of flavorless dishes that leave much to the imagination. Not at Baluchi's. For some odd (but good) reason, the food there have always been tasty. Verrry flavorful. The chicken tikka masala has the perfect balance of sweet tomato cream and spice, and the saagwala (spinach) entries are rich and creamy. The only slight miss is the samosas, which came out dry once or twice. Other than that this place is a staple on the list of Indian restaurants.
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Review from natalie v.
NY
8/11/2009
I've been here a couple of times but I've been as busy as Kate G. trying to hide from paparazzi. Anyhow, this place went to rehab and now its cleaner than ever! hmmm if only amy winehouse would do the same.. I had the usual... chicken curry with nan bread... yummy :)
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Review from Preethi C.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2008
I was skeptical of this place because it is a chain, but on all counts I am pretty impressed. In my experience, the service has been pretty good - they've kept my water glass full and helped me decide what to order, etc. The ambiance is really nice - it is not cheesy or tacky like many other Indian restaurants (I'm in Indian so I feel free to say this). It's warm, rich, ethnic. I love the copper water glasses - so traditional! Finally, the food is really good - of course it is not as spicy as homemade Indian food, but it is definitely better than a lot of Indian restaurants. They also have some dishes are that are different than the standard Indian fare - the Goan shrimp is pretty yummy. I recommend this place as a good intro to Indian food or a nice place to take a date who's into Indian cuisine.
Listed in: Cheap and Good!, Indian Food
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Review from Michael K.
New York, NY
5/19/2010
The food here was good. I had the chicken saagwala, chicken and spinach. Went here for lunch and it was not too crowded but the service was still a bit slow. Overall, a good experience as far as the food goes, but nothing that sets this place apart from numerous other Indian places.
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Review from Kathleen Y.
Astoria, NY
11/5/2007
The Indian food here is decent and if you work in the area, you should definitely stop by for lunch. Everything is 50% off provided you eat in.
Listed in: Lunch Spots
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Review from Jonbo S.
New York, NY
9/16/2007
As an ardent devotee of Indian food, I approve of Baluchi's SoHo. I would recommend the Goan Shrimp. If you are a seafood lover, this south Indian treat is sure to please. Actually, I have never been disappointed with any dish that I ordered here. Don't forget the garlic naan (it give you the excuse to eat with your hands).
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Review from Ev S.
Fresh Meadows, NY
11/15/2007
The food is very good, and the 50% off during lunch makes it even more attractive.
The service is quite horrendous, because the waiters don't look at your table until you tell them to, so you could be waiting a long time to get your order down when it's their job to come to you and place your food to wait. Also, it's not a buffet. An Indian restaurant during lunch.. even in SoHo has to do a buffet, come on now people.
The decor is gorgeous. The name sucks btw. -
Review from Carmen P.
New York, NY
3/26/2008
Don't have a need to go back there. The decor was nice and I guess the lunch is popular but my experience with the food and service for dinner wasn't all that great.
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Review from Sarah C.
8/30/2009
Maybe not the most creative Indian food in NY, but it's good and reliable. Cheap Taj Mahal beers on special, papri chaat, and nicely-flavored sauces. I don't know why people are ragging on the chicken korma, I thought it was pretty good, and interesting with pineapple slices added to the sauce.
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Review from Tina S.
Newport Beach, CA
10/16/2006
50% off lunch dishes is definitely a score. Chicken tikka masala = hell yes.
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Review from Sharlene C.
Brooklyn, NY
2/22/2008
my coworker recommended this for lunch. she had me at 50% off the menu for lunch. i got the chicken tikka masala, and she got the veggie vindaloo. the veggie was spicey. i am not too good with the spice so i stayed away. we also shared an order of rice and plain naan. naan is cut into quarters. all yummy and cheap.
love that they use copper bowls and goblets. it's a nice touch.
the service was average and food came out quickly. -
Review from Shweta V.
9/24/2009
Excellent tomato soup...quite like the one you might get in India (aka 'cream of tomato' soup). Besides that, the place offers standard curries, naans etc that you'd expect to eat at in a typical Indian restaurant. Delivery is quite fast.
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Review from Michelle S.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2009
Very interesting chain. Always leary about eating Indian food out this was a pleasant surprise. The dishes were not sopped in sauce, but fresh, crisp and flavorful. Not a bad choice, glad we stumbled up it.
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Review from John E.
Brooklyn, NY
5/10/2009
Really good Indian food. The eggplant bharta (?) is amazing! Maybe a little over priced at dinner time, but the lunch specials are great. They just remodeled the place and managed to make the space feel more open while keeping the decor just as nice as it was.
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Review from Andy H.
New York, NY
9/4/2009
Yes it's a chain, but each one is different. This is the fourth one I've been to in NYC, and the main difference at this one is the cool SoHo ambiance, down to the cool modern Indian groove music playing. We got there (coincidentally) for Happy Hour, but the cocktails were unfortunately REALLY watered down - order a Beer if you need a buzz before eating. We began with some Poppadums which were satisfyingly crisp and not oily at all. Next up, the Kachori which was OK but had a LOT of Tamarind sauce making it a little sweeter than it needed to be. But the Naan was hot, moist and soft, as it should be. Overall the servings were reasonably sized, but SERIOUSLY overpriced compared to other Indian restaurants in NYC. Their Channa Saag was good but spicy. Aloo Mattar Gobi is really hard to screw up, and thankfully they didn't. For dessert we asked for Rice Pudding - a semi-staple in India, which they didn't have available (the second one in this chain that inexplicably doesn't serve it any more) but we were charged for it anyway when the check came.
So overall, a good food experience - but poor value for money. If you're an Indian food connoisseur you probably won't be coming here anyway - if you're just getting started this is NOT a bad place to start, as they have pretty much everything, but make sure your server understands you REALLY don't want anything spicy, and ask for their advice about what to order. I get the feeling the waitstaff don't necessarily push whatever management wants them to, and will do their best to help you. -
Review from Shearman B.
New York, NY
8/30/2009
Like other's have mentioned, the chicken Korma sucks balls here. Have not tried anything else, but if this dish is any indication, this place is a train wreck.
Being my favorite Indian dish, I have tried the korma had quite few places, and this was far and away the WORST chicken korma I have ever had.
Flavor wise -The chicken was both bland and lacking any flavor whatsoever. Texture wise, it tasted like rubber and my guess is it was simply boiled and then reheated.
As bad as it was, the chicken itself wasn't the worst part - the korma was. I dont know if the guy cooking my was on his first day, but it tasted like warm milk with some cherries in it. It had no color, lacked spice, sweetness and any flavor.
At $14, it was a horrible value and I had to force myself to take a few bites before throwing it in the trash, pissed I wasted the money.
If you like chicken korma, stay the hell away. -
Review from Zack D.
New York, NY
8/21/2010
Used to love this place. service has gotten horrible. Food I order is spicy and I love that however no one EVER refills your water so that's no fun. they nickel and dime you on everything. I would say if you go only go for lunch special.
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Review from Andy G.
New York, NY
11/3/2009
NEVER ORDER DELIVERY FROM THEM. They have the worst service imaginable. Our order was 45 minutes late. We were hosting a pretty important event and I had talked to them several times about being on time. They were still incredibly tardy -- DID NOT APOLOGIZE -- made us feel as if we were overreacting, and on top of that, gave us an attitude. They were incredibly rude and I don't care about how the food/service is at the restaurant, NEVER order delivery from them.
