Get a Taste of Ishq (passion) from Kebabishq

Translation Guide

• Dahi: Yogurt

• Lassi: A traditional Indian drink made with yogurt

• Chai: Tea (Tea is the literal translation of the word chai)

• Paan: Betal Leaf

• Meetha: Sweet

• Malai: A cream

• Chaat: A classic Indian savory snack 

• Falooda: Ice cream drenched in rose flavoring, topped with pistachios and vermicelli noodles

• Kulfi: a dense, creamy, and traditional frozen dairy dessert

• Chutney: Sauce

• Masala: Spice

• Peri Peri: A specific kind of masala, which tends to be a mix of tang and spice

Sometimes all a person needs is a deliciously flavorful kebab that costs less than 15 dollars. Well, Kebabishq is the perfect place for this! It recently opened on 8th st and 2nd avenue, not far from NYU’s campus. Kebabishq is an Indian/Desi-style kebab place, and it is most definitely worth the visit. As an Indian myself, I especially love discovering new Indian hole-in-the-wall style places to eat. The store is small so there is minimal seating room, with only a few barstools, but it is a great place to grab takeout.

Courtesy of Khushi Bhutra

They have meat options, such as chicken, lamb, and shrimp, as well as vegetarian options, like paneer and soy kebabs. All kebabs are fully halal as well! You can get these kebabs on top of rice, salad, or loaded fries. You can also get the individual kebabs, typically in a set of two. I got a chicken kebab, written as Malai Kebab on the menu, on top of white rice. It was truly quite good. They put white rice, then salad leaves, onion, the chicken, and then yogurt dressing and mint chutney to top it off. The salad and chutney toppings are standard for all bowls and rolls, but depending on what you order, they might switch out the kind of chutney or put masala instead of yogurt to make it more spicy. My Malai Chicken Bowl was not too spicy, given that it was without any spicy masala and with yogurt, but other menu items, such as their Ghost Chilli Kebab will definitely have the spicy kick to it.

Courtesy of Khushi Bhutra

If you don’t want kebabs, they also have chaat or fries. The chaat comes in two different forms: Bhel Puri and Dahi Puri. The fries you can get plain, with masala, or peri peri style. They also have drinks and desserts. You can get regular masala chai or mango lassi. They also have a special oatmilk chai in collaboration with Kolkata Chai, another store located in Soho. You can also get some staple Indian desserts, like Falooda, Kulfi, and Meetha Paan. 

It’s so great to know this place opened so recently, because it has given me such a great food spot to get lunch! I definitely think this place is worth checking out. As it says in the name, Kebabishq really does give you a bite of ishq!