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 (129 E 27th St, just west of Lexington Ave) 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.
4 Likes