Dawat is the creation of Madhur Jaffrey, who opened her restaurant in 1986 in an effort to bring Indian cuisine to the western world. She is, perhaps, the most well-known name associated with Indian food, having written many cookbooks and been featured on numerous television shows. Dawat is where her dishes were first served, and to this day Madhur Jaffrey is the driving force behind their success, as she continues to stop in periodically making sure that the taste and quality of the food remains at her high standards.
The decor is sprinkled with classic Indian pieces, including traditional fabrics and masks from Rajasthan, a state in northeastern India. On the day that Manhattan Sideways visited, manager, Anil, kindly allowed us a quick peek into the busy kitchen, where colorful curries were boiling in large pots, and tall stacks of pappadam were on their way out to the tables. I then had us stop to observe the chef behind the glass enclosed space in the dining room as he readied chicken skewers to go into the clay oven, while also preparing the dough to drop into the hot oil for Poori, a scrumptious fried bread that magically puffs up.