Radha

We recently went to Radha at 173 Ludlow St between Houston and Stanton in Manhattan. Radha is a vegetarian (mostly vegan) restaurant offering dishes from a wide range of cuisines.
UPDATE: We're very sad to announce that Radha closed down. So enjoy the review, but unless the owners open up another restaurant (we hope they do!), we're sorry to say you'll never have a chance to eat any of this or any of the other yummy food that Radha offered.

Savory Samosas

So yum! These Samosas were savory indeed, as the amount of potato was less than your average Samosa. These were mostly filled with fake meat and peas. The outside was wonderful- soft golden layers perfectly fried so they flaked a little when I bit through. Also the tamarind sauce was delicious; it had that perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. -Ev

East Indian Dahl

The Dahl at Radha is different from the Dahl you get at Indian restaurants. In fact, the Dahl at Radha is more like a Mulligatawny Soup. It was a lentil-based soup with a very rich, complex flavor: spicy and salty and sweet all at once. It was very tasty and perfect for a rainy day (and it was a very rainy day). Also, For five bucks, you get a lot of soup. So much, in fact, that it could probably be a meal on it’s own. -Jim

American Classic Veggie Burger

Radha makes the best veggie burger in the city, if not ever. The burger itself was thick and firm and had great bite to it. I’m always disappointed when I go to other places and get some thin, mushy patty or a Boca Burger on a bun and everything falls apart in your mouth. This was a burger you had to open up for and chew. They topped it with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and vegan mayo, and I stole some of Jim’s yummy ketchup for dipping. Another nice touch was that they toasted the bun so there was even more chomping pleasure. It normally comes with fries, but I asked them to sub veggies. They gave me a small bowl of the spring green salad which was incredibly delicious. It had mixed greens, tomatoes, sprouts, pine nuts, and an amazing almond dressing. The contrast of creamy and crispy was beautiful. -Ev

Soychicken Tortilla

You can’t really go wrong with this combination of ingredients. They started with very tasty and nicely-textured soychicken, and put it in a wrap with sauteed peppers, onions and a vegan mayo. It was a very simple dish but it totally hit the spot. You also get some fries and ketchup. I wasn’t wild about the fries (they weren’t bad, but plain fries tend to bore me a little bit). The ketchup, on the other hand, was really good. I don’t know if they home-make their own, or they get some really good pre-made stuff, but it was very fresh and sweet. One warning about this dish: it might not look like a lot of food, but it’s deceptively filling. -Jim

The Bottom Line

One of my favorite dinners. I get the veggie burger almost every time I go to Radha because it’s that good (and consistently so). The staff is really nice too, which always is a plus. -Ev
I was sooo full after this meal! Radha is just a bit pricier than the average restaurant we visit (the entrees range from $10 to $13), but you get a lot of food and it’s very filling so you can easily bring some home for lunch the next day. I like Radha a lot and everything we ate this visit was delicious. -Jim