Dhamaka

A hallmark of Unapologetic Foods—led by chef Chintan Pandya and restaurateur Roni Mazumdar—has been to surprise and delight in equal measure with each new venture: Dhamaka (a wonderfully onomatopoeic moniker that translates as “explosion”) pays tribute to the fare of Indian roads far less traveled. Like the available once-a-night only Rajasthani Khargosh, a traditional rabbit dish (as in whole); Lamb Shank Nihari jholl; or Bharela Marcha, a grilled dish of sweet peppers and peanuts that is made in a village in Gujarat. Located in the Essex Market food hall and considered by many within the food world as one of New York City's best new restaurants when it debuted in 2021, the space’s interior displays sunbursts of color with a riot of jagged-edged murals visible through its glass exterior, as a nod to the Indian concept of “jugaad,” the notion that seemingly broken things still hold great value.