We all have our favorite cuisines and even when it's our go-to, it's nice when we're able to be able to enjoy it in a different way for flavorful inspiration. We caught up with aRoqa's owner, Monica Saxena in NYC's Chelsea, to find out about this NYC destination, how it surprises its patrons who come to dine and what we should think about ordering the next time we swing by.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Monica, tell me about your background and how you came to creating aRoqa?
MONICA SAXENA: I grew up in a wonderful family of food lovers, families of friends who loved food, a mix of gourmet cuisine of various types (Ethnic Indian), in a place called Lucknow, in India. Food across India is a bit like the shifting dialects (approximately 122 languages and 1599 dialects), across a population of 1.3 billion people. Every street corner could place a delectable item in your mouth. Such is the abundance of flavors and experimentation. That alongside what was a core palate at home, which happened to be quite well evolved, got me hooked on fine foods, or you may even want to call them authentic interpretations of food that we all liked. The seeds of good tasty foods were planted then, without much effort. It was a given at home and all that surrounded my growing up years. I moved across from India to the Bay Area in 1987 and what I missed most was that surrounding set of flavors. It took me a while to recognize that what one takes for granted can require a lot of effort, when not in that environment! From sourcing simple spices, to making the time to cook what I liked, all took time. As I liked food, I put in the effort to learn how to experiment and make do with flavors that I had begun to miss a lot. It did not become a career until 2016. Having a partner and family that supports your aspirations, is another key ingredient to realizing your passion!
AM: Who is the Executive Chef of aRoqa and what is their culinary journey/background and kitchens that they trained in prior to coming to this restaurant?
MS: Our Executive Chef is Munny Passi, who comes from a family of restaurateurs in India. He began working in his father’s family restaurant at the tender age of 13. There he learned the techniques of Indian cooking from many of the country’s regions. He left India for England, working in traditional Indian restaurants throughout London. He then made his way to New York and landed a job as Bhatti Indian Grill’s Head Chef, where he worked for four years before joining aRoqa.
AM: What does aRoqa mean and when did it open?
MS: “Roqa” means an informal engagement of two people prior to formal celebrations in the Panjabi language in India. Personally, I wanted a name with few letters and the story behind the name made for a perfect venue concept that I had in mind. Roqa also means a stop and "A Roqa" means “A Stop,” which was befitting the romantic date night Indian tapas food concept I had envisioned to open. As I wanted to break the Indian food away from simply "Curry" and introduce small plates to be enjoyed. We opened June 2017.
AM: What can guests expect in terms of the cuisine that is served here?
MS: Authentic Indian flavors with a playful presentation in Tapas concept. The cuisine was developed and curated by two Indian chefs prior to the restaurant opening named Jamsheed Bhote and his wife Hanisha Singh, who came to NY to train the current team of aRoqa Kitchen team, they helped design and plate the cuisine.
AM: What is the ambiance of aRoqa – what can those coming in to dine expect when they eat here?
MS: It is seductive, romantic, inviting and intriguing, and satisfying where food is concerned.
AM: For those opting to eat at the bar, what are 3 Happy Hour items that you suggest are great to eat there?
MS: As it is mainly tapas and small plates, depending on the dietary preference we have a variety of Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian small plates keeping in mind. We have gluten free and vegan options also. Some popular items are Eggplant with Fenugreek bread triangles, Kataifi Mushrooms, and our Habanero Chicken tikka.
AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest that we can enjoy when visiting?
MS: Some of our signature cocktails are Season of Luck, Marigold and Smoke, and Reengagement. We are also launching 8 new cocktails in June.
AM: For those who pop into lunch, what are dishes that we should eat when coming in with friends and family?
MS: The lunch menu is created mainly keeping a small budget and quick turnaround time for people to pick and go. We have the full dinner menu available for our sit-down guests also.
AM: For dinner, what are 3 appetizers that we should think about ordering?
MS: Lamb seekh Kebab, Pepper Prawns and Bhatti Murgh Chops. I always consider this to be a hard question as it's like being asked to pick which are your favorite children. I take great pleasure in serving dishes that I enjoy equally on the menu.
AM: For our main meal, what are 3 dishes that we can enjoy with friends and family?
MS: Our Shared Plates menu section was created on popular demand by Executive Chef Munny Passy for guests who told us they wanted Indian staples on the menu too, and we added curries for guests to share and enjoy. Guest favorites are Chicken Tikka Masala and Daal Makhani, and Whole Okra which I have not yet found on the menu at any other Indian restaurant - it is my mother’s recipe.
AM: For dessert what are 3 items that we should keep our eye on?
MS: Indian desserts are very sweet so we decided on keeping a few Gelatos to cater to our non-Indian guests, Daulat Ki Chaat, an old awadhi dessert; and Coconut Kheer for our dairy free guests.
AM: In addition to offering lunch and dinner, you guys have a brunch menu as well. What are 3 brunch items that we should have?
MS: Our brunch menu came out of a failing American breakfast menu that we carried it for a while. Then the question became, “Why go to an Indian restaurant to have an American brunch menu?” so I turned my focus on serving what we normally eat in India for breakfast. Chef Munny and myself introduced Poori Aloo, Vada Pav, a Bun Omelette, and chola bhatura, along with the rest of our traditional Indian brunch menu, consisting of things one grew up on eating at the train stations and in college campus canteens, as well as weekends in our homes.
AM: You were recognized by Michelin last year, how does it feel to have your restaurant honored in this way?
MS: Humbling as being a foodie one tries to keep dishes as honest to their roots as possible, and the desire is to keep the guests happy with the flavor profiles at the menu choices and presentation.
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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | aRoqa
Read the MAY ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | aRoqa in mag.
