Williamsburg Brooklyn Restaurant Guide: Imperial Palace

« Joe's Busy Corner | Main | Gribouille: Patisserie Traditionnelle »

Indian
748 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(between Norman and Meserole)
PHONE: 718.389.9100
CARDS: All Major
ALCOHOL: Full bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $10
HOURS: 7 days, Noon-11pm
MAP: Click Here
MENU: Click Here
Free Delivery.

FROM 11211
If I’d spent more time in Greenpoint I’d have noticed this place: the mirrored staircase lit up like a marquis, the placard out front advertising a "candlelight dinner." My dinner date and I are afraid we’ve passed Imperial Palace but then, quite clearly, we’re here.
We approach the staircase with trepidation. There’s nowhere to go but up, so we climb one flight until we reach a clearing. A computer printout points left, towards "the restaurant." When I inexplicably go right, a gentleman in uniform graciously corrects my mistake.

Before I open the glass doors that lead, presumably, to our destination, I take in the pink décor, not unlike the lobby of a Holiday Inn. A small group of Latin teenagers has gathered outside another banquet room. Young girls push into the ladies’ room, their giggling soon muffled by the door’s weight.

When we enter the restaurant, we pause for a moment. I don’t see a hostess or waiters. I don’t smell food, or hear the clink of forks against plates. I do see a line of empty tables, each white-tableclothed, with flickering candles and identified by plastic numbers. I see more mirrors, white lights and chandeliers: huge crystal fixtures dripping from the ceiling.

A young woman greets us then, sweet and tentative, and lets us know we can sit wherever we like. We choose Table 7, in the middle of the restaurant and not far from what looks to be the front desk. The woman peers around; she seems almost unaccustomed to customers and indeed, its 8:00 on a Saturday night and we are Imperial Palace’s only guests. I notice the soft pluck of sitar music in the background, quiet and contemplative. My date and I speak in hushed tones, afraid anything louder will echo through the large, dim room.

This restaurant has no windows, only sprawling mirrors that blanket whole walls to the apex of fifteen-foot ceilings. Those walls not mirrored are curtained, with billowing maroon fabric that certainly lends a regal touch. The floors are clean, hard wood. We’re not far from a dais, where a king and queen – or bride and groom – might admire the ornamental oil lamp that sits atop the table. My date jokes that he feels like we’re attending an empty wedding. I must admit I’m relieved when another group of diners appears from outside.

I’m equally pleased with the events that follow: the woman brings menus, fills our water glasses, and a manager introduces himself as Rajiv. He’s welcoming, congenial, and speaks in full voice, putting us much more at ease. He explains that business has been slow since the restaurant opened on May 15th. He assures us, though, that the food is wonderful, stopping short of the takeout menu’s boast of the "best food in town."

Rajiv gives us time to look at the menus, while the waitress brings us Papadoom ("thin crispy bread made of beans") and Onion Chutney ("hot & spicy"). Both are delicious: the bread fresh and crispy, and the condiment tart with a little kick. Another couple enters the restaurant. We’re growing accustomed to the atmosphere, and getting hungry.
The menu is expansive, offering appetizers, soups, salads, breads, rice and condiments, along with standard Indian dishes such as tandoori, curry, briyani, madras and vindaloo. Each can be prepared with chicken, fish, shrimp, beef, lamb and even goat, with a wide selection of vegetarian alternatives as well. The prices range from inexpensive to moderate ($2.50 for two samosas, $14.95 for Shrimp Tandoori.)

We start with the samosas (one meat and one vegetable) and Rajiv’s recommendation of the chana chat. They’re served with tamarind and mint-cilantro sauces for dipping. The presentation of the food is simple: no garnish on white ceramic plates, the samosas placed on a square of wax paper. They’re not greasy, the pastry light and fluffy and not overly deep-fried or crispy. The meat is savory and pleasantly spiced, and the potatoes are soft but not mealy. The tamarind dipping sauce supplies a tangy counterpart, particularly good with the vegetable variety.

The chana chat – a cold salad of chickpeas, onions and potatoes – is tossed in this same tamarind sauce, topped with the mint-cilantro blend as well. Fresh cilantro is sprinkled on top, creating a cool, refreshing flavor that, despite my aversion to cilantro, I could appreciate. I should note that cilantro graces many of the dishes at Imperial Palace, so if it’s not your favorite flavor, remember to ask for the chefs to leave it out. I found the service accommodating: at the start of our meal, we were asked if we’d prefer our food mild, medium, or hot. We opted for medium, which in general had traces of heat but was on the mild side.

The lamb curry, served with basmati rice, is rich and tasty, the meat tender and plentiful within the chunky sauce. The surprise of the night is the fish tandoori, a whole red snapper (which our waitress endearingly refers to as a "red fisher") sizzling atop raw tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. We eat the meat, which is cooked perfectly on a the top half, a little dry on the bottom. The flavors are subtle yet full. For dessert we try the kheer, one of the traditional sweets on the menu. It’s a small bowl of creamy rice pudding, with coconut and nutty undertones.

While we eat, the party next door gains momentum, and Latin music streams through the walls. Cooks walk in and out of the dining room, carrying bags for takeout and delivery. This is a strange dining experience, great food found in a half-full catering hall. As I talk to Rajiv after the meal, it becomes clear that the staff (all transplanted from Williamsburg’s late Kitchen of Bengal) hasn’t quite figured out what to do with the space. But, he notes, when talking about the parties that Imperial Palace caters, the "food is the most important thing." Yes, I think, full and satisfied. I’m inclined to agree