My girlfriend and I walked through Koreatown a couple of Sundays ago around 8:30 PM, and all the outside dining was closed. We ended up in Curry Hill and at 9:05, Pippali accommodated us in their outdoor dining structure, saying they were closing at 10. We said no problem, we’ll order quickly, and we did, but they didn’t rush us after that (of course I tipped well). We shared specials of shrimp curry (I believe Konkan shrimp curry) with shredded coconut on pilau and achari bhindi (wok-fried okra with tomatoes, onions, ginger and not pickles but pickling spices). I hadn’t been to Pippali since my father died in 2011 and either forgot how good they were or they had improved, but dinner was unusually tasty and better than I expected. Even the green chili and cilantro sauce that came with the pappadams was much better than the usual standard. The food was aromatically spiced without being really fiery (although I did make a mistake when I bit down on too much of one of the chilis at once - I like chilis, but even I can overdo it sometimes), which was fine with us. We also ordered lightly salted lassis which our waiter said he would make for us and which were perfect - made with creamy yogurt and just the slightest bit of salt. They weren’t cheap, at $6 a pop, but they hit the spot. Our portions were sizable and the total cost before tax and tip was $61, quite reasonable for the quality and today’s prices. I was impressed and would recommend Pippali.
I’m a pippali fan too. Thanks for reminding me.
Pippali is always good, and yet always a surprise. Glad it made it through the pandemic.
Me too.
i like pipalli too!
I’ve never understood why Pippali is so empty. Went there a couple of weeks ago, after looking in at Bhatti, Sahib, or Dhaba — all of which were pretty full.
We had a superb meal of kababs and biryani (recall my earlier biryani rant - I’m not one to dole out praise!) — all excellent versions. The seekh kababs were delicious in both flavor and texture, the biryani tasted as if it had been cooked with care and reheated under “dum” – in this case the now-ubiquitous dough lid.
And yet, we were one of two occupied tables.
I’m grateful they stay in business, but I do wonder how.
let’s add it to the offline list!
thanks for the report it definitely sounds worth visiting. That achari bindi sounds great!
