Monday, August 23, 7:00 pm
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Atithi devo bhava is a Sanskrit expression that roughly translates to “god is a guest.” The sentiment is at the root of Indian hospitality, an almost religious pride taken in pleasing others. The same philosophy is behind Vikas Khanna’s interpretive Indian restaurant in Tribeca, Salaam Bombay, which he describes as “a salute to the city of Bombay, highly diversified in food and culture, like the New York of India.”

In a two-star review, former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl described Salaam Bombay as a restaurant that departs from tradition to “showcase the richness of regional Indian cooking.” Reichl noted a spectacular rendition of poori that “was the taste of India,” khaman dhokla, a steamed lentil bread, she called “truly impressive,” and myriad intricate vegetable dishes, “where this kitchen truly shines.”

Khanna grew up in Amritsar, a small, holy city in the north. Inspired by his grandmother, for whom “the expression of love was her food,” Khanna knew he wanted to cook from an early age, joining his mother and female relatives in the kitchen, even though his family thought that “only women should cook at home.” Khanna attended cooking school in India and began working in banquet halls, known for their extremely fine food prepared for celebrations. Khanna opened his own catering house at age 17. There, he wanted to serve more innovative food, but “it wouldn’t be very acceptable” to the conservative local palates, he said. It wasn’t until he arrived in America, that Khanna felt his culinary creativity was truly appreciated. “This was like finding home,” he said. Tandoor Magazine praised Khanna’s cooking, writing that Salaam Bombay “boasts a colorful collection of pan-Indian, traditional and modern cooking from the subcontinent,” and Time Out New York highlighted his adrak ke panje, rack of lamb with a “seductive” ginger, lemon, and cream sauce, that “will bring you back to this Tribeca spot.”

You can only guess that the food editors of Newsday found the essence of that Sanskrit phrase in the hospitality at Salaam Bombay. “Tribeca’s upscale Indian restaurant knows how to please a crowd,” they wrote in a round-up of the city’s best Indian restaurants. This is one time to follow the crowd, as they head to Beard House to savor the taste of India.