Punjabi was the very first business that I stepped into during the summer of 2011, when I first began walking on the side streets of Manhattan. Every time that I was in the East Village over the next few years, I always made a point to stick my head inside and say hello. I worried about Punjabi being able to survive, as the construction on Houston/1st Street was intruding more and more on their space. The deli has been in this location for over twenty years, and was accustomed to having multiple cab drivers lining up outside throughout the day and evening. For quite a while, the street was not accessible to vehicles, but somehow everyone still managed to figure out a way to get to Punjabi and grab some of their award-winning, vegetarian, Indian fare, or simply a cup of coffee and some snacks. Voted the best Punjabi Cab Driver Chow in 2003, the deli was a great introduction to my sidewinding experience on 1st Street. In 2016, when the construction outside started nearing completion, the lines out the door came back. Most recently when I dropped by, collection of people from every conceivable country ordering their food, saying hello, and moving on. Just ask one of the numerous cab drivers lined up outside – "Punjabi is the place to be. " Who could ask for a better review?