Great Deals: Time to Chaat

Congrats are in order for KKNY friends Steve and Lara, who just bought an apartment in Jackson Heights. As a super-bonus for me, it's only a few blocks from the awesomeness that is the Indian heart of the neighborhood: 74th Street between Roosevelt and 37th Avenues. So, after moving a few boxes and bits of furniture yesterday, we decided to head out for some late afternoon chaat, a traditional Indian snack comprising various crunchy things, beans, spicy sauces, potatoes, and more.

We realized that our usual chaat place is a take-away on 74th Street, so we ended up popping into a joint closer to Steve & Lara's new digs: Mehfil. Three of us went for the samosa chaat (pictured above: a samosa covered in chick peas, onions, tamarind and coriander chutneys, and a little fresh cilantro), while the two others went for the lunch buffet (which received two satisfied thumbs-up). The chaat was pretty darn tasty...there was just enough sauce (while I love it, there's often too much, and the crunchy bits get soggy before you're halfway through), and the ingredients were fresh and just spicy enough.

We also had some nicely-spiced masala chai, and the mango lassis were pretty good, too.

I picked up the to-go menu, and the prices seem very reasonable (the generous dish of samosa chaat was $5.95, and the lunch buffet was $8.95), so I can't wait to go back and explore more of their offerings. I don't think I'll be getting my fill of Mehfil anytime soon...

Mehfil, 76-05 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights.