Most people are somewhat aware that the Indian food you get at restaurants represents just a subset of Indian cuisine. Like China or the U.S., different regions of India have different foods. On top of all of that, the food that Indian restaurants serve doesn’t really represent the normal, everyday meals. You probably wouldn’t find meatloaf or fried bread at an American restaurant in India, either. Restaurant Indian food is generally Punjabi (north-central India), southern Indian, and Marathi (around Mumbai) food.
My family comes from Gujarat, a state in northwestern India. While we do actually eat a lot of the same food you find in Indian restaurants, there’s little actual Gujarati food in Indian restaurants. That makes it hard to show Heidi what types of food my mom might make, and it makes for a convenient excuse to go visit Mom for some good food.
My sister may have found a better reason to go visit her in New York: she’s found a restaurant that specializes in Gujarati food. Vatan is an all Gujarati restaurant offering an all-you-can eat prix fixe menu. It is an amazing find with great food, great ambiance, and an excellent staff that makes it very easy to dive in. It’s so good, I’ve been there twice within four days and would happily go again.
The prix fixe setup makes it very easy to find a meal you can enjoy. This is not a buffet, but rather a three course meal that comes in thalis (a platter) for each individual. The thalis consist of a small portion of a number of different dishes. Adventurous eaters can try everything but you should be warned… this is a LOT of food. The selection of appetizers is so good that it’s a test of willpower not to ask for seconds of everything right there.
You can find a menu of all of the dishes on their web site. The most remarkable thing was khichdi and kadhi, a weekly meal growing up for my family. I usually only get that at home, and rarely at that because my mom usually makes something “special” instead. The dal and rice is also very traditional, and a common meal growing up. The menu is entirely vegetarian, by the way, representing the more typical Gujarati diet.
If the food weren’t reason enough to go, they’ve also worked very hard on the decor and ambiance. The restaurant recreates a small village setting inside with fake trees and foliage and a mural complete with a well in the restaurant.
It also has unique seating. At my uncle’s house in India, we used to sit on the floor in the kitchen to eat meals. At Vatan, they’ve created raised booths that simulate sitting on the floor with a slightly raised table. Shoes are left on a small shelf that runs along the outside of the booth. They do have a few tables with more Western style seating.
The only negative aspect of Vatan is the price. The prix fixe menu doesn’t come cheap, running about $24 per person. That price does not include any drinks aside from water. Even with that in mind, Vatan is worth it. You will not leave hungry, and the experience is unique, and the food is amazingly good. It’s not your typical Indian food and it’s not your typical Indian restaurant. That alone makes it a must-try for anyone that loves Indian food.
The web site for the project is, appropriately, 
