One of the great things about NYC is that you could walk into a neighborhood or restaurant and feel like you've been transported anywhere in the world - from Nepal to Peru. Dining at Pongal was like landing in Gujarat. We tried their Pani Poori and Gujarati Thali. Both were wonderful. The thali was great because parts of it were unlike anything I've had before at an Indian restaurant, such as the fried pocket with lentils and other vegetables and the giant fried Poori. Everything was perfectly seasoned and balanced, with the exception of the fried idli which was dry and bland and I didn't really care for. My favorite was the saffron, cardamom, and pistachio yogurt that served as the dessert section of the thali. The service was great and the decor was nice and inviting. I look forward to coming back soon.

friendly vegetarian south indian spot in "curry hill", a street filled with delicious indian spots in the heart of murray hill, as it is affectionately known. came as a guest in a party of 12 and they handled us with ease and care! the food came out promptly and was all super yummy! got to try the rose lassi, the pani purri, the samosas, lots of curries and dosas. overall a spectacular meal to share family style! the curries were v yummy but did come out smaller than I expected.

Was craving south indian food on a rainy Sunday evening and found this spot on Yelp. Went around 5 pm so it wasn't crowded at all. The music was a little loud but otherwise comfortable dining experience. I got the rava mysore masala dosa and the moru drink. The moru was amazing I wasn't expecting it to be so flavorful and also light. The dosa was also good. Rava was on point but the sambar was meh. Overall would come back to try more of their menu.

Authentic & delicious Indian food with great service! My fave Indian spot in NYC :) Way better than anything else in the neighborhood.

Beautiful room full of energy! Friendly service by Tipu. Loved my dahi vada and masala dosa! This was my first visit here. Kinda enjoyed better than Sarvana Bhavan. Madras coffee was really very hot and tasty.

I was craving a dosa and this place definitely hit the spot. The dining room is lovely and the service was quite attentive. I ordered the kachumber salad. It was tasty but quite full of carrots. I was expecting the usual tomatoes and cucumbers which this had but it also had a ton of carrots. Not my favorite veggie. Then I ordered the rava masala dosa which was very delicious and hugely filling. It was nice and crispy the way a dosa should be though I found the sandbar a bit under seasoned. Overall a nice choice for dosas in midtown east!

Delicious! I had wanted to try this place for a while. Two of us ordered the mysore special thali and the avial (stew from the state of kerala). the mysore thali came with a mini dosa and potato masala on the side, coconut chutney, onion utthapam, vada, sambar, and badam (almond) halwa for dessert. According to the menu, it should've come with idli, but we didn't get any! :( I didn't realize until later. Everything was delicious. The sambar was a highlight, it tasted perfect. The potato masala was a bit on the mild side, but still flavorful enough. it was my first time trying avial, and it was delicious. String beans, carrots, and potato in a coconut cream sauce. The potato was purplish and dense (and very tasty). The dish was mild and savory and comforting. Came with rice. When I first saw the portions it looked a bit small, but I ended up stuffed. We came on a Saturday night around 7pm and were seated right away without a reservation. Friendly service and nice ambiance. They've been around for 27 years (since '96). A little pricey.

I haven't had dosa in ages so I happened across this restaurant on a hot afternoon after a doctor's appointment at NYU. They have a lunch special which I took advantage of. Also, it's all vegetarian food if that's your jam. The dosa was so flavorful as well as all of the different dishes in the Thali. Service was very friendly and timely and our waiter explained to us how to eat all the different dishes together.

I really loved the unassuming homemade flavours that I could taste from all the dishes that I had when I ate at this place. The service was also really good, as they were very patient while dealing with us and also responded very promptly for any of our questions. The interior decor was also really cool, walls filled with colorful pictures from all of India. I loved eating here :) And this is by far the best authentic south indian food in NYC according to my taste!