A Blend of New York and Mumbai

Camouflaged amidst the colorful awnings and outside seating of the restaurants in the mid-80s on Amsterdam, there is a foodie's paradise.

The Upper West Side branch of Hampton Chutney Co., which also has locations in SoHo and on Long Island, is a neighborhood staple of local families. It is almost always overflowing with young mothers and their well-behaved children mingling with the various others who have come to satisfy their stomachs and taste buds.

Hampton Chutney defies genres. It has been described as an Indian restaurant, but the food served there probably could not be found on the streets of Delhi or Mumbai. The restaurant's signature dish is called a dosa. Dosas are traditional Indian pancakes: thin, crispy, and tangy, they are made of fermented lentils and are somewhat comparable to a crepe. Customarily, dosas are served stuffed with Indian spiced vegetables or cheese.

The dosas served at Hampton Chutney take a turn from tradition, however. It is possible to buy a dosa with the conventional filling-a Classic Masala Dosa comes stuffed with a traditional Indian potato mixture. It is delicious and costs $7.45. The majority of the menu, though, consists of delectable combinations of fresh vegetables, cheeses, and meats. There are 14 pre-devised combinations to choose from, and countless variations.

The ingredients at Hampton Chutney are always fresh and flavorful. Particularly delicious is a dosa served with avocado, fresh tomato, arugula, and jack cheese, $8.45, offered with grilled chicken for $11.45. The flavors and textures complement each other, and the dosa provides a solid base upon which the different elements blend.

The owners of Hampton Chutney, Isabel and Gary MacGurn, began serving these dosas filled with more western-style food in 1997, when they opened the first branch of the restaurant in Amagansett, Long Island.

The "Masala Deluxe" dosa mixes the traditional spiced potatoes with the more western ingredients of spinach, jack cheese, and roasted tomatoes, for $9.95. The spice of the potatoes and the sweetness of the tomatoes work well together, providing an overall flavor rooted much more in New York than in India. It is a very satisfying meal, too.

Each dosa is rather huge-they overflow from the trays on which they are served. But considering that much of the inside is air, they are precisely the right size for a hungry luncher.

Hampton Chutney gets its name from the chutney which is served with each dosa. There is a choice of mango, cilantro, peanut, curry, tomato, or sometimes pumpkin. Each has its own distinctive flavor, but all combine a delightful amount of spice with the specific flavor of the base ingredient.

Hampton Chutney also serves sandwiches using many of the same ingredients as the dosas, but it is hard to see why anyone but a hardcore regular would order one when there are so many variations of dosas to be had.

Almost obligatory with the dosas is Hampton Chutney's chai. Served hot and iced, it beats Starbucks' attempt at the Indian beverage every time. Their chai is creamy, spiced with cardamom and other distinctive flavors, and not overly sweet.

The atmosphere at the restaurant is casual. As mentioned before, the food is served on plastic trays, and plastic cutlery and paper napkins are self-serve. The open windows which fill the storefront allow light to flood in, providing a pleasant mood for the diners.

Situated on Amsterdam between 82nd and 83rd streets, Hampton Chutney is either a long walk or a short subway ride from Columbia. It is close enough, in fact, to ride the subway down, and then take the M104 bus back to campus with the bus transfer (which expires within two hours of the original swipe) from the first ride, making for a delicious and relatively cheap afternoon trip.