East End's Hampton Chutney Co. expands into Manhattan
An uttapam pancake is topped with avocado, tomato, arugula and Jack cheese at Hampton Chutney Co. in Manhattan. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
A Hamptons dosa staple has popped up near the New York University campus, bringing a touch of Long Island pride to Manhattan.
Hampton Chutney Co. got its start in Amagansett in 1997 and gained a cult following for its house-made chutneys and massive dosas stuffed with fresh ingredients like what you'd find inside a salad bowl or a wrap. Indian food meets the Hamptons, you might say, and it ranks high on both the flavor and health meters.
Owners Isabel and Gary MacGurn prepare their dosa and uttapam batters from scratch, soaking rice and lentils before grinding them in a food processor and letting them ferment for a day. The American couple learned this technique while working in the kitchen together at an ashram in Maharashtra, India, where they met while practicing yoga and meditation.
"Indian cooking is like this whole balance of salt and spicy and sweet. And we cook the spices in hot oil," Isabel says. "It’s not the easiest cuisine to get it right."
A massive dosa is stuffed with curry chutney chicken. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Back in the States, their food concept took off and they opened outposts in SoHo and the Upper West Side. But the pandemic wreaked havoc on their business plan and they closed both Manhattan locations, as well as relocated their Hamptons spot from Amagansett to East Hampton. But customers kept asking them to reopen in Manhattan, Isabel said, and, eventually, she recruited her son Ravi to help them make their comeback.
The new spot is on Astor Place in NoHo, just a few blocks away from one of New York's oldest bars, McSorley’s Old Ale House. The order-at-the-counter operation is bright and minimalist, with vintage Indian photographs and Hindu spiritual music playing. On a recent afternoon, Ravi was delivering trays with the enormous dosas, then going behind the counter and filming recipe videos.
"It’s a comforting place to come to," Isabel said.
The menu is split into dosas and uttapams, another South Indian pancake that's thick and round and open-faced. You can order any of the combinations stuffed inside a dosa or on top of the uttapam, and the toppings include Kalamata olives, smoked turkey, butternut squash and portobello mushrooms, as well as more classic fillings like masala potatoes.
Hampton Chutney Co. has returned to the city with a new location in the NoHo district. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
The uttapam has a spongier texture like injera bread, and the flavor is slightly sour from the fermentation. On top was a pizza-ish combination of arugula, melted Jack cheese, grape tomatoes and avocado ($13.95). Dip each spongy bite into one of the house-made chutneys bursting with sweet and earthy flavors. Pro tip: They also sell the chutneys to-go.
The dosas are big enough to split, and if you're only getting one thing, go for the chicken chutney curry dosa ($16.95). The folded pancake is stuffed with a heavenly mixture of creamy curry chicken, as well as some roasted onions and spinach.
Hampton Chutney Co., 2 Astor Place, New York, 646-449-9099, hamptonchutney.com. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
