New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Brothers bring vegetarian Indian food to Howe St.
Many restaurant owners have shut their doors indefinitely amid the pandemic, but brother duo Harry and Romy Singh, did just the opposite.
With planning in motion since 2018, the Singh brothers celebrated the grand opening of their latest New Haven restaurant, Pataka, on Sep.
14. And despite the struggling industry, the Indian eatery hit the ground running, said Harry Singh.
“We just got lucky,” he added. “Obviously this is rock bottom for many in the restaurant industry, but we can only go up from here. If we keep doing what we're doing and working on our product then I feel things will only get better.”
Characterized by its orange and hot pink decor, Pataka adds a splash of color to Howe Street just a few blocks away from Harry Singh’s first restaurant, House of Naan.
The success is due, in part, to the restaurant’s focus on take-out and delivery, Singh said. The pandemic has led to a push in food delivery apps serving Pataka’s fast-casual concept well.
But opening their restaurant, at a time where most would shy away from such a venture is not the only way the Singh brothers are defying the norm. Pataka is New Haven’s only vegetarian Indian restaurant, according to Singh. While Harry and Romy aren’t lifelong vegetarians, they wanted to meet a clear demand in the Elm City.
“At House of Naan and other restaurants, I saw vegans and vegetarians were often reluctant to order out of concern of cross-contamination,” Singh said. “And if there were vegetarian options, you would often see them at the bottom of a menu or in a corner.”
It was time for a menu that didn’t just have one or two meatless dishes, but one that had a closely curated list of nothing but “veggie-forward” options, Singh said. Pataka, which is Indian slang for “firework,” wants every bite to be an explosion of India’s well-loved flavor profiles, but with a twist.
The menu features customizable bowls, kati rolls, and dosas (Indian crepes) with protein options ranging from jackfruit meatballs to paneer (pan-seared Indian cheese). Pataka also offers a couple of sides and “street snacks.” Some fan-favorites, Singh said, are Pataka’s version of impossible meat sliders — “impossible pav” — and the “idle fries,” a healthier take on French fries made with rice and lentils.
Catering to an often-overlooked customer base, Pataka prides itself on paying attention to even the smallest details.
“We don't use white sugar because it can be filtered with bone char. Instead, we use jaggery, which is an unrefined sugar, and agave. We also don't use any ghee or anything like that. We use margarine and canola oil,”
And staying true to its slogan, “Rooted in Spice,” Pataka’s ingredients are fresh all the way down to the seasoning. Spices like cardamom, star anise and cloves are ground daily in hopes of transporting customer’s palettes to the vibrant streets of India.
As an environmentallyconscious establishment, where Pataka’s ingredients come from is just as important as how the food is cooked, Singh explained.
This is why the brothers are excited to roll out a new menu in the next couple of weeks called “Farm Rooted”.
This menu, featuring farmsourced dishes, will give back 10 percent of proceeds to local farms. So far, Pataka is in partnership with Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge and other deals are in the works, Singh said.
“Coming from the Northern countryside of India, I’ve always known how important it is to grow the food you consume. What you're putting in your body is very important because at the end of the day that's what makes us and shapes us as humans,” he added. “I want that to be a part of Pataka’s mission.”
Plant-based dishes may be the stars of the show at Pataka, but the eatery is not just for vegetarians.
“Pataka is for everyone. We hope people even consider our food as a ‘craving’ because vegetarian food is far from boring,” Singh said. “And it’s important to eat vegetables a couple of times a week.”