Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Junoon - Flatiron

Sort of a strange looking place...let us see what Yelpers say

Indian restaurant--- very good reviews with a couple of dissenters

Expensive.....!

Junoon

4.0 star rating
449 reviews Rating Details
Category: Indian  [Edit]
27 W 24th St
(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Flatiron
(212) 490-2100
Nearest Transit Station:
23 St. (N, R)
23 St. (F, M)
28 St. (N, R)
Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri 12 pm - 11 pm
Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
Sun 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Parking:
Garage, Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$$
Attire:
Dressy
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
Free
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Classy, Upscale
Has TV:
No
Caters:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Dogs Allowed:
No

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449 reviews in English

  • Review from

    Tampa, FL
    10/29/2013 1 check-in here
    Amazing Indian food, although it's a little expensive.

    We started with the cauliflower appetizer and the pakoras. Both were good, but the cauliflower took the cake of the best item of the night. It was just really rich and delicious without being too heavy.

    For dinner, we had the Tandoori Poussin, which was really moist and savory. I wish it would have been a little bit more flavored though. The aloo beans were also really tasty. We also tried the lamb kohlapuri which was really rich and probably my favorite meat that we got.

    All in all, I'd definitely come back for a fine Indian dining experience! Service was great, food was tasty, and the atmosphere was really relaxing.
  • Review from

    • 127 friends
    • 270 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    10/14/2013
    Beautiful decor, attentive service, pretty pricey, but food was very tasty

    Took some friends who aren't too familiar with Indian food and they enjoyed it very much! Drinks were delish as well

    Dim lightening, nice bathrooms
  • Review from

    • 7 friends
    • 82 reviews
    Bay Area, CA
    10/2/2013
    Junoon is a good dining experience. The chef, Vikas Khanna, has appeared on shows and has a Michelin star for this place. Prices are slightly higher as a result but the place has great decor and more importantly, very accommodating service for a pleasant experience. We ordered some food for the kid in our group and they served it promptly and perfectly spiced as requested. Our server gave us great recommendation for popular drinks and we liked the drinks we ordered.

    Food is good and breads are amazing, we tried onion kulcha and Hyderabadi chicken naan and a garlic naan. We started with Noorani Kababs which were alright, not used to combination of lamb and chicken but it's worth a try. Murgh Lababdar was good, but Lamb Kolhapuri was my favorite- spicy sauce and succulent lamb; also amazing was the Mirch ka salan, really hot and flavorful!
    Only disappointment was the dessert, we had ordered the 'seasonal trio of kulfi' which was actually bad in taste except one flavor! We were full anyway so instead of complaining just focussed on that one flavor. :)  Overall great Indian food!
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 9 reviews
    Westfield, NJ
    11/5/2013 1 photo
    Amazing food ! We had both veg and non veg appetizers as well as entrees. It was a kaleidoscope of flavours in my mouth. The only disappointing course was the deserts. Not worth the money. I suggest have amazing appetizers and main course but look for other places for deserts.
    • The entrance
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews
    Township of Warren, NJ
    10/31/2013
    Out of the world kakori kababs. Amazing drinks. Outstanding service. Great tasting & Innovative Indian food like eggplant chaat & fluke tadka. Yum desserts. A favorite Indian food destination for us.
  • Review from

    • 20 friends
    • 7 reviews
    Ann Arbor, MI
    10/28/2013
    Our paranthas were uncooked, the appetizer was cold and even after complaining about all of this our final check had items on it that we hadn't even ordered!  Really disappointing meal and I wouldn't recommend the restaurant at all. Decor is just ok and does not make up for the poor service and food.
  • Review from

    • 53 friends
    • 16 reviews
    Chicago, IL
    9/29/2013
    Have been to Junoon a few times for a variety of occasions - family, business, and just hanging out with friends.

    The environment is perfect for any type of dinner and the food is to match.  Being south asian, it's hard to find a restaurant that serves quality Indian food that is appealing to people of all sensitivities when it comes to spiciness and flavor.  Junoon tackles that problem quite well with generous portions.

    Definitely a must if you're craving some indian food and looking for a nice place to grab some drinks and enjoy a good meal in the Flatiron area!
  • Review from

    • 4 friends
    • 195 reviews
    New York, NY
    9/24/2013
    Best Indian Food I've ever had.

    Junoon was amazing - I highly recommend it! Its very nice inside and quiet and romantic.

    The food was amazing. The piri piri shrimp was fantastic. the HYDRABADI CHICKEN KORMA  was incredible. The JUNOON SPICED NAAN was also fantastic.
  • Review from

    • 5 friends
    • 11 reviews
    Edison, NJ
    10/30/2013
    Came here with my wife for a date night dinner. The ambience was great and we were seated promptly at our reservation time. The service was prompt and attentive. We started with the drinks. The adraki punch drink was great and so was the tandoori tequila. The naans and nadru kofte was good but the dal tadka wasnt that good. The bhutanese rice was a good change from the regular rice we are use too. We ended with the kulfi. It was a bit pricey but a good experience.
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    10/6/2013 1 check-in here
    Most expensive Indian food ever.  The food was pretty good... the place itself is beautiful, and the service was also good, however, I don't think it was worth the price.  I might be a little biased though as Indian isn't at the top of my cuisine list.  The cocktails at $14 a pop are unique, and they have a very good selection of non-alcoholic ones as well.  We had the chicken tikka, the duck, the goat, the baigan and the dhal makhani.  All good, but again, expensive, and I'm pretty sure I've had just as good of an Indian meal at a third of the cost.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews
    Princeton, NJ
    10/17/2013
    Made a reservation at Junoon for a special family dinner after Tamarind refused to give a reservation for my 6 year old twins. Junoon had no problem and even made sure we got a quieter table.

    The ambiance was very good, the patiala longe and the dining area was spacious and had a nice ethnic touch.

    The speciality cocktails - Adrak Punch, Tamarind Tequila and Caraway Cooler were unique and very good. All of us were provided a drink (chef's soup - compliments of the chef) which was a very nice touch.

    The food was good - Loved the Kakori kabas (very succulent) and the baingan chaat. the breads (spicy naan), nadru kofta  and the biryani.

    He brought out the desert with a special candle lit plate that said Happy Birthday - he asked what the occasion was when I made the reservation and did the rest.

    It is a little pricy but worth it. Overall was very pleased with the experience and will go there again.
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    9/24/2013
    I've been meaning to come here for a while, and finally made it for lunch, meeting an old friend I haven't seen in quite some time. We came in for Restaurant week to get the 3 course prix fixe, only to realize by the time we got there, that they do a $25 prix fixe lunch every day, not just during Restaurant Week. Nice!

    If Indian food is all about MAD FLAVORS, this place did not disappoint. I started off with the Piri Piri Shrimp, which was actually only 3 of them. But, tons of flavor to them; the chili sauce they use is amazing. For the main, we each got the Murg Lababdar, which by the way was soooo good. Another overly flavorful dish, that chicken tika was great, and we got ours with Naan, which I think was a good call. But in all honesty, I feel like you would do well with rice here too. Either one would work. For desert I got the passion fruit mousse, which was tangy but still very good. I don't like super sweet things so this was good for me. My friend got the rice pudding, and I had some and really enjoyed it. I can't say I'm a huge rice pudding person, so I'm not sure if that's what it's supposed to taste like, but whatever they served was good! I need to go back here, if for the chicken tikka alone! I would definitely recommend this place...to anyone really.
  • Review from

    • 11 friends
    • 8 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    8/1/2013
    I came here for Restaurant Week Summer 2013.  I came with a few friends and we did extensive research before hand.  We decided to come here after seeing the reviews and seeing that it got a Michelin star.

    While the food was decent, what made this a 2 star experience for me was the complete lack of service.  I honestly have never experienced such bad service ever.

    Not only did we not get the menus until we asked after 5 minutes of us just sitting there, but nobody came to take our orders for over 30 minutes.  I had to ask them twice to bring a waiter over to take our orders - twice because the first waiter I asked never came back to take our orders.  And then after we ate, nobody came to give us our check until, again, we asked them to.

    While I understand that Restaurant Week is a busy time for many restaurants, I have also been to other Restaurant week restaurants and gotten good service.  I was honestly extremely disappointed with my experience here. Service here gets a 0/5 from me.

    The only redeeming quality about this restaurant was the food.  I got the chicken appetizer and it was pretty good - 4/5.  Some also ordered an eggplant appetizer which was delicious - 5/5.

    Entree wise, I didn't find anything too special with how they prepared the food.  It was not worthy of the Michelin star that this restaurant got, in my opinion. I got the shrimp entree and I give it a 3/5.

    Desert was pretty good.  I got the passionfruit and enjoyed it - 4/5.  Some also ordered the rice pudding which I thought tasted okay - 3/5.

    Overall, this restaurant would have received a 3.5/5 from me had it not been for the complete lack of service, which drops it down to a 2/5 "Meh. I've experienced better".

    Overall recommendation: Not worth it.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 9 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    10/17/2013
    Visited Junoon recently for lunch with family since they were visiting from India and now thanks to MasterChef the chef has become a household name. So even though I am not into fine dining, went in with a lot of expectations but left a little disappointed.

    Ambience - Felt very dull for day time, not to my liking. Only highlight was the open kitchen facing the tables.

    Service - Not much to say. Short staffed, no greetings, no smile and we were not even offered drinks.

    Food - Tried only the veg options so not sure if the meat dishes were better. Paneer Pakora was very light, Sauteed Spinach was good, the Junoon spiced naan was delicious. On the flip side - did not like the Paneer and Mirchi salan, the Nadru Kofta was very average the kind you get in buffet restaurants and only good part was the fried nadru chips on top.

    Overall - Just a one time visit place for me.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 2 reviews
    New York, NY
    10/29/2013
    really nice place...food is really good..i went there with my girl friend..and we both love food also they have such a nice collection of wine and good bar menu...we love this place..and will visit often
    ...
  • Review from

    • 9 friends
    • 49 reviews
    Dallas, TX
    8/19/2013 1 check-in here
    Junoon is fancy Indian in a beautiful, romantic (dark), comfortable atmosphere (for the most part).

    We went on a Saturday night and were first seated side by side facing the Kitchen window.  It was weird - like the kitchen was a bright movie theather screen.  We asked to move since the rest of the restaurant is pretty dark.  They were very accommodating and we were re-sat to a table of our liking.

    We started with Lahsooni Gobi (cauliflower) and Piri-Piri Shrimp appetizers.  The cauliflower was delicious - lightly coated with some kind of breading and in a tomato chutney sauce.  The shrimp was just okay.

    For our entrees we got Murg Lababdar (chicken tikki masala) and Nadru Kofte (cheese dumplings).  These were just okay.  The sauce on the chicken was awesome - kind of like an Italian tomato sauce.  I used the sauce to dip my Junoon Spiced Naan (cheesy naan) and was extremely happy.  The cheesy naan, cauliflower, and sauce in the chicken dish were the best items on the menu!

    The service was really good and the evening was fun, so if you're looking for a fancy Indian spot and to spend some money, try Junoon.  If you just want some tasty Chicken Tikki Masala over rice, try the food truck on 44th and 6th.
  • Review from

    Philadelphia, PA
    8/9/2013 1 photo 1 check-in here
    I told a friend I haven't seen for 2years to pick a place with good food. He was smart enough to pick a place with good food, good interior design, and good service. We met up during the week of Restaurant week.
    We each got a lunch restaurant week deal and a mango lassi.

    App: Eggplant Chaat, Piri-piri Shrimp
    if you're in the mood for something less heavy because you know the entree is gonna be heavy, try this eggplant dish. you'll be surprised how an eggplant can be so good. def recomment. the shrimp dish comes out in 2 giant fat pieces that's very soft and well sauced.

    Entree: Murg Lababdar, Lamb Kolhapuri
    I'm not Indian, so I'm not the best if to tell if the food is more authentic or fusion style. Junoon is probably more fusion and the curry sauces are less "spiced" and less heavy and less creamy. I thought the lamb was better than the chicken because the chicken sauce was not my taste. you can choose to get either naan or rice with an entree. We both chose naan, but we should've gotten one rice to diverse it. The naan was SO good but a little burnt :(

    Dessert: Passion Fruit Mousse
    The glaze on top was too sweet for me. The fruitiness made the sweetness even sweeter. After I tookd the glaze off, I was able to finish the whole dessert :)

    The mango lassi is the bomb. It's yogurty but not too creamy, and tastes like legit real mango is in there (I don't know how it is made).

    The decor is GORGEOUS. Junoon is definitely one of the most beautiful restaurants I've been to for sure.

    The service was great but I wish the waiter talked more and smiled. He was so dull. I say the service was great cuz all the other servers and greet were great. Quick and polite. I recommend .
    • Passion fruit mousse
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 1 review
    Philadelphia, PA
    9/20/2013
    Visited last night with 2 friends. This is the best Indian food I have ever had. The piri piri shrimp and chipotle chicken kabobs were wonderfully flavorful and juicy.  For dinner we shared 2 entrees: the chicken lababdar and the lobster curry.....paired with junoon spiced naan. Unbelievable!!  Dinner was out of this world.

    For dessert we had the sampler which was perfectly sized as we were quite full.  Not to mention extremely tasty.

    So why 4 stars: couldn't give 4 and 1/2. The traditional Indian beer selection was lacking. No music in background. Otherwise a great dinner where I will DEFINITELY be back
  • Review from

    • 38 friends
    • 98 reviews
    New York, NY
    8/7/2013
    Chef Vikas Khanna....if I was to rate the place just based on his good looks I would give him 5 stars!! He is so cute!! Well now that I'm done fawning all over him, on to the restaurant review!

    We came here with a Groupon that we bought for $69 which included 2 glass of wine, 2 appetizers, 2 main course and 2 desserts. BUY THIS DEAL!! It is so worth it!!! You have to make your reservation before hand if you have this deal and they will seat you in the lounge instead of the main restaurant but thats alright because the lounge has proper table and chairs. By the way the portions are regular portions so no cutting corners on this deal! Ah my cheap Indian heart loves it!!!

    The ambiance of the place is fabulous! It gives you a warm cozy feeling when you walk in with Indian touches everywhere. The space is open and the decor makes you feel like you're in for a classy experience.

    Now on to dinner!!!

    - Eggplant Chaat- DELICIOUS!! Soooo good, thin sliced eggplant fried and smothered with yogurt and chutneys....so good....I'm not an eggplant fan and I couldn't eat this fast enough!

    - Noorani Kebab- SOOOOO GOOD!!! I'm drooling just thinking about it. The chicken kebab is wrapped around a lamb kebab....so good and so moist and soft. It's worth coming back for just this dish.

    - Hyderabadi Chicken Korma- sweet, creamy and delicious! Not spicy at all so if you want something sweet and creamy try this.

    - Paneer aur Mirchi ka Salan- the paneer was soft and yummy with the mirchi (peppers) being hot and spicy. I loved the peanut sauce they were in!

    - Pindi Chole- this was on the house and I wish they hadn't given it to us the moment I had it. As a Punjabi Chef I expected this dish to be mind blowing but it was really quite bad....my husband and me left the entire dish. It's really because of this dish I hesitate to give the restaurant 5 stars...don't order this!

    - Desserts- still dreaming about them, absolutely delicious!!!!

    Service was good but nothing exceptional. I really wanted to give this place 5 stars but am giving them 4 1/2 because the service wasn't up to mark and they stumbled on the pindi chole. When a restaurant is Michelin rated I expect it to be out of this world good.

    I'll be on the lookout for that Groupon deal and can't wait to come back here and give it a full 5 stars :)
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 67 reviews
    New York, NY
    8/14/2013
    This restaurant is massive and beautiful. The portions are huge and the service is excellent.
    Here is the issue, I suffer from something I like to call the Tabla curse. Everything is always being compared to Tabla and no Indian meal has ever woken up my taste buds like the meals there. So it was A-OK


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