Ada - the mind plays funny tricks
208 E 58th St- Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022

212 371-6060
http://adanyc.com/media/websiteada.html

Sometimes we remember things a certain way and even if that memory isn't exactly true or accurate, it becomes the truth in our minds. In the case of a restaurant meal, this can lead to the spread of lots of positive press and a strong desire to return for another memorable meal. I think something like this happened for my wife and I with Ada. We went there the other night (Thurs, 8/2/07) after having gone there with my mother-in-law back in October 2005. Many things can change in nearly 2 years. Chefs change and the menu changes and with that comes the chance that what you loved back then doesn't exist anymore. My wife remembers a creamy and very distinctive Chicken Tikka Masala unlike any other, I recall a shrimp dish with tropical and Indian flavors so unlike most places and we both remember Ada being one of the few Indian restaurants deemed worthy of going out for by my mother-in-law, a strong cook in her own right who normally deems most outings as a waste of money.

After eating there the other day, I still think Ada is doing enough things different to keep it above the pack of Indian restaurants that are also on 58th between 2nd and 3rd, but it seems to have lost of the edge that really made it special. Gone were the dishes we claim to remember - maybe they never existed. We had reservations for 6pm and got there around 5:45 - the place was empty - literally. We took seats at the front of the place. They have these nice, floor to ceiling windows so that you can watch the world pass by on 58th. Plenty of staff and they seemed friendly enough, but everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion. We received the wine menu and the dinner menus. We half-heartedly looked at the wine menu and eventually decided against it. I looked over the menu and made some a la carte choices but planted the seed in my wife's mind that the tasting menu might be the way to go. In her usually fashion, she hemmed and hawed and eventually agreed that the prix-fixe was the best way to go.

The meal began with an amuse - a small pastry cup with a flavored slaw in it - if my memory serves me correct. As for appetizers, I started with Goan Barbeque Ribs Spicy baby back ribs with mango slaw, jaggery apple glaze and onion pakora - very tender and flavorful. Spicy with some of the fruit tastes that I remember from my first visit. I got four or five bites off of each of the two ribs and with my fingers stained yellow from the glaze, I though we were off to a good start. My wife ordered Chicken Tikkey Tandoor, a fired organic chicken with mesclun greens and tamarind vinaigrette. The chicken was incredibly tender and the tamarind gave it great flavor.

Next came a raspberry sorbet as a palette cleanser. After this came the entrees - Kashmir Cauliflower Ginger and fennel with almond milk paste, fresh masala peas for me and Apricot Stuffed Cheese Dumplings Yogurt and cashew curry, vegetable pillau for my wife. I wasn't in the mind for a big meal and was already feeling full, so the cauliflower was just right considering my mood. Tender but still with some firmness and covered in a flavorful sauce. The peas were large, crisp and tasted fresh. There was a small layer of some congealed cheese or something on the top of it all. Not so sure what that was. My wife said she enjoyed her dumplings. I had a piece and just remember and mish-mash of flavors. I'm not a big fan of dishes where cheese is the main event - at least not in Indian cuisine. Along with all of this came a bowl of white, long grained rice with small vegetables. It was cooked really well and was accompanied by some daal. There was also a bread basket with a nice assortment of different breads. More than enough for the both of us.

Service was very stand-offish. I don't know if they thought we wanted to be left alone, but there were several instances where I needed some water or something taken away and the ample staff was just milling about. I think at one point the hostess heard me mumble something and sent the waiter over to us. Another time, the food server wasn't with our so-called waiter and when I asked what had just been placed in front of me, the guy looked like I just informed him I was with the INS and I was sending him to the Great White Shark pit.

Dessert was part of the prix-fixe but all of the staff still came up to us with stupid grins and asked if we wanted dessert. I decided to go with Caramelized Banana Praline Vanilla kulfi, crisp plantains, caramel sauce and she had the Spice Rice Pudding Apricot, raisin nut chutney, mango and caramel sauces. I didn't enjoy all of the fruit and such in her rice pudding. She insisted that was the way it was done. I'm not a big fan of Indian desserts to begin with. The fruits tasted fake, even though I know they probably weren't and it all just overpowered the rice pudding for me. My praline banana dish was just okay. Some lame Mango kulfi was plopped on top.

Overall, Ada wasn't what we remembered but for the money I think it was pretty good. $55 per person for the prix-fixed and they provide ample amounts of decent food. Ada seems to still be doing things a little different than the rest of the Indian restaurants, enough to make it stand out in a positive way. The sauces are creamier and more flavorful. The decor is more upscale and it doesn't look like every other Indian restaurant in the city. The staff is friendly if at times a bit inattentive. If you are walking down 58th, I would recommend them out of the others, especially considering that I have been to most of the others on 58th. Total bill was $120 with tax for 2 prix-fixe dinners and no alcohol.