Tabla's Floyd Cardoz: Taking It to the Streets

The kati roll is quickly becoming a ubiquitous fixture of the New York fast food scene, but who would have thought that fancypants starred New York Times chefs would jump on the bandwagon. Tabla's Floyd Cardoz is getting into the kati act with a cart parked outside his restaurant from 11:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Though Serious Eats New York chief eater Zach Brooks could barely contain his disdain for the $8 price tag, when he took a bite he was all smiles. With good reason. Cardoz' Frankie (kati roll) puts every other kati roll specimen in this town that I've tasted to shame. The housemade egg-washed roti wrapper houses tender chunks of Bread Bar chicken tikka, fresh herbs, and mint chutney. Why Zach didn't bring the rest of the menu into Serious Eats World HQ I'll never know. Surely he knew that we would want to taste the Bhel Puri ($6), a Bombay street salad of local apples, green mango, and puffed rice dressed with tamarind chutney, the vanilla kulfi pop dipped in chocolate ($4), and the sparkling pomegranate limeade alluringly called a Pomgupani ($4). C'mon Zach. You've got some serious eaters in this office.

Tabla

11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 (on 24th Street; map) 212-889-0667