Vatan NYC – Gujarathi Restaurant – Does not live up to the hype

Yesteday, we had taken one of our friends  who wanted to eat good Indian food to Vatan, the much talked about Gujarathi restaurant in NYC.  I had been trying to get a reservation to this restaurant for a few weeks now and I managed to get one for yesterday. It is an all-you-can-eat style restaurant, so you don’t have to figure out what to order which is a nice touch. The decor is very nicely done and you actually sit cross-legged on the raised platform as opposed to a chair – another authentic touch. But the authenticity ends with the decor.  When you go to a restaurant billed as Gujarati cuisine, you expect ethnic Gujarati dishes like Undhio, Khandvi, Rotla, Tepla etc. None of these were served. Instead we got samosas and pakoras for appetizers, puri for the main course. I am sure these dishes are served in Gujarat, but would not be considered traditional Gujarati fare. Food did not taste all that great as well. If you want to eat real Gujarti stuff, head over to Jhupdi in Edison, NJ. They have a much more authentic Gujarati menu without any of the pretentiousness of Vatan.