Semma. The fixation restaurant of 2022 for New York food people. That gunpowder dosa has gotten more earned impressions on Instagram and Tiktok than many small brands could ever hope for. It is hype. It is a scene of its own. It has street cred but also auntie cred? On any given night you’ll see tables of cool cultured millennials but also multigenerational Indian families. And every square inch of surface area will be filled with beautifully plated wonderfully aromatic food. It has, for good reason, garnered a lot of press attention and critical acclaim, recently becoming the only Indian restaurant in the US with a Michelin star.

The latest venture of the buzzy restaurant group Unapologetic Foods, Semma is a contemporary tribute to the incredibly nuanced flavors and techniques of Southern Indian cuisine. The menu is filled with dishes inspired by home cooking and regional ingredients but executed with finesse. Every dish, from small plates to large format dishes, looks like a showstopper. Fill up a table and you get a great mix of flavors, textures, spice from flaky breads to perfectly tender meats, creamy sauces to fresh crunchy vegetables, and you can taste spicy, savory depth in every bite. Honestly your best bet is to just have your server recommend a good mix to order based on your party size and sit back and enjoy a meal you’ll remember for months.