Rang NYC, a new Indian restaurant located at 11- 03 44th Ave. in Long Island City, is set to open Monday, Aug. 15, just in time to celebrate India’s Independence Day.
Executive Chef and Owner Abishek Sharma has crafted a menu featuring small and large plates that pack a punch full of flavors from Indian cuisine. Sharma, who also owns Madam Ji and Swagat in Manhattan, grew up learning traditional cooking techniques from his father, which he plans to bring to Rang NYC.
Sharma’s father, Lala, worked in New Delhi at Bukhara, considered one of 50 best restaurants in the world, according to 50 Best Discovery. Lala came to New York in 1994, and opened Surya in 2001.
At Rang NYC, dinner begins with small bites like corn and crispy okra chaat, composed of corn tossed with amil ghee and crispy wiry strings of okra sprinkled with tajin. Small dishes also include chili chicken or paneer bao bun, an Indochinese influenced dish of chicken or paneer in a medium spicy Szechuan chili tomato sauce in a sweet bao bun.
Patrons can also enjoy the chipotle paneer tikka, which is Indian cottage cheese cooked in a tandoor oven, smothered in chipotle sauce rather than the typical tikka masala gravy and served with a jaggery tamarind chutney; mustard chicken tikka, consisting of chicken chunks marinated in mustard seed oil with coriander, lemon and hung yogurt; and basil kebabs with chicken marinated in a mixture of cream cheese, sour cream, basil and Szechuan sauce.
Larger dishes include Badshah’s Murgh Curry, with bone-in chicken, potatoes, garam masala, and phulka or Lalaji’s Biryani, with chicken, shrimp, goat, fish, boiled egg and lamb chop tossed in basmati rice.
For dessert, the chef presents Malai Kulfi dipped in mango mousse dressed with a pistachio-almond crumble.
Rang NYC also features signature cocktails with Rang-de-Basanti for a Bacardi coconut rum base with house-made blueberry syrup and lime cordial garnished with fresh mint.
The restaurant’s walls are adorned with murals by Kavi, an Indian visual artist whose work has been featured in Wynwood, Miami and New York Fashion Week. At the center of the space — which seats a modest 14 people at a time — displays a white marble bar top with vibrant turquoise glass mosaics.
Rang NYC is open from noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
