NYC: Ambo – Build your own bowl

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to Ambo for this review. While the food was complimentary, all opinions expressed are my own and reflect my honest experience.

Ambo is a casual Indian restaurant with a Chipotle-style, build-your-own-bowl concept, where customers can choose from a selection of bases, proteins, vegetables and toppings.

I had been looking at the menu before my visit, and my original thought was to get the paneer as my protein, but the staff at Ambo talked me into getting the chicken instead, but with the creamy paneer sauce. Turned out to be an excellent choice because the chicken was delicious. Juicy, and fall-of-the-bone tender. The serving was huge, and I only got through half of it, before I had to give up. Luckily, the food at Ambo is served in eco-friendly cardboard bowls, and there are lids available at the counter, so you can easily get your leftovers to go.

Here are the ingredients I chose. If you’re going to Ambo and don’t know where to start, you can always use this as a starting point:

Base: Turmeric Saffron Rice

Beans: Black Dal

Protein: Chicken tikka with the sauce from the paneer tikka masala.

Veggies: Bhindi (okra)

Toppings: Cucumber raita and eggplant dip

Sauces: Biryani sauce and Cilantro Mint Chutney

I also had a mango lassi and a garlic naan which were both delicious. The mango lassi tasted fresh and delicious, and it wasn’t too sweet which I really liked. The garlic naan was warm and slightly fluffy, and perfect for scooping up all the tasty sauces.

My bowl was delicious and packed with flavor, but not spicy at all. Next time I think I would have the green chili sauce instead of the Cilantro Mint Chutney, as I would have liked a little bit of spiciness.

Ambo, 55C E 8th St, New York, NY 10003