Jersey City has no shortage of Indian restaurants, but soon-to-open Nukkad (Hindi for street corner) is not your typical Indian restaurant. Owner and chef Garima Kothari has created a neighborhood cafe that pays tribute to the Indian street food she grew up eating.

This includes a mix of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items like Pongal (rice and lentil porridge), Herbed Beans on Toast (a classic dish from Calcutta), and India’s ultra-popular Maggi noodles.

What you won’t find at Nukkad is a generic mix of oily, Indian food. Chefs at Nukkad make everything from scratch and Kothari is following the same recipes she remembers as a child. Nukkad will open its doors this Saturday (September 7) at 105 Greene Street. (Between Montgomery and York in the former Sri Annapoorna Bhavan space).

From Corporate to Le Cordon Bleu

A former investment banker, Kothari left the financial world to follow her passion for food. She appeared on Master Chef India and graduated from France’s prestigious culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu. Upon moving to New York, she worked at various kitchens including Dominique Ansel Bakery, The Modern, and Dirt Candy. After moving to Jersey City, Kothari created her own food consultancy business, Breaking Bread.Co, where she offers a range of services from cooking classes to food photography.

We were invited to sample a few dishes from Nukkad’s menu and standouts include the Bombay Sandwich, which includes layers of veggies, masalas, and chutney on a grilled sourdough bread with house-made chips. We also loved the Medu Vada, a savory donut-shaped fritter served in a soupy sambar (lentil veggie stew).

Nukkad will also offer customizable lunch bowls letting diners pick their own curry, bread, and extras. Everything is comfortably priced under $13 and the restaurant is also BYOB for dinner. Nukkad will also offer a variety of vegetarian and gluten free options as well as chai and South Indian filter coffee.

The restaurant but recently switched from Adda Cafe to its permanent name of Nukkad. It’s one of a string of new spots opening in downtown. You can check out their opening menu below. The cafe will open on Saturday from 8:30am till 9pm. You can follow them on Instagram for their opening week hours.