A few weeks ago we were in North Jersey, and went with friends to a new restaurant called “Hot Breads,” in Parsippany. I thought the idea of a cafe style restaurant along these lines was great, and I immediately thought, “hey, someone should open one of these down in Philadelphia!” When I got home, I hit Google, and discovered there are already two within 20 miles of my house, not to mention numerous franchises in California, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Virginia. [UPDATE: Abhi also gave his own take on this place two years ago, in this SM post]
Hot Breads specializes in stuffed croissants (tandoori chicken, paneer, etc.), but also offers a menu of other light foods (wraps, chaat, desi-style pizza) as well as dessert pastries. (See a typical menu here [PDF].) The format itself is a nice change from a typical Indian restaurant — with the year-round Christmas lights and sometimes shoddy service.
After the Parsippany experience, we went to the one in Lansdale/North Wales, and liked it even better. I particularly liked the Dabeli, a kind of Gujarati version of Vada Pav. I also found my Chicken Tikka wrap quite satisfying, and the chutney free version of the “Bombay Sandwich” we got for Puran was also good. We got stuffed Croissants to go, though perhaps they suffered a bit by being not quite as fresh when we actually ate them the next day. Next time, I’ll be curious to try the “Alu Chilli Pizza” — or perhaps the “Pav Bhaji Pizza.”
Oh, and everything tastes better with Limca!
Sacrilege ๐ I have seen some real bad dabelis in the US and maybe the one in hot breads was more like vada pav. The Bombay street version has peanuts, fresh anaar daana (pomegranate seeds), fresh grapes, some spicy powdered masala sev and even grated cheese if the person desires so. Plus the potatoes are cooked very differently – closer to pav bhaaji veg than vada pav potatoes. Though I agree, there are some similarities – there is pav and a potato sabzi along with mint and tamarind chutneys. Also, in the ‘garam’ version, the pav is almost deep fried in butter.
Their eggless cakes are pretty good, too.
Hot Breads is fine once in a while but frankly the two locations I know in Long Island that I go to are surrounded by so much better yummy foods I find it useless to go to Hot Breads and waste a food trip to desi land ๐ Also a lot of their stuff is best bought in the mornings when it’s fresh and can become stale as the day wears on. And the grease. I know I know, it’s desi snack food. I liked the Tandoori wrap but some of the other stuff was blah. The vada pav is fine, the Dabeli tastes more like a veggie patties sandwich.
JoaT, sadly we don’t have a “desi land” down here in Philly (nothing to compare with Hicksville, Jackson Heights, Lexington Ave., or Iselin). Indeed, Hot Breads may be the only place around here where you can get a “Pav Bhaji Pizza”…
Also, I don’t know whether the Dabeli was authentic or not. All I can say is, it was good!
I guess I have to check this out in the burbs.
In that case Amardeep enjoy ๐ Yeah we are spoilt around here in NY with the number of options of desi places to eat.
Wow. I live right opposite the Parsippany Hot Breads that you were at.
Actually there is another Hot Breads franchise about a mile or so away. This one is a part of a food-court type restaurant called Desi Galaxy. The Hot Breads “stall” here serves fare that is quite similar to the original Hot Breads joints back home in Chennai. The other stalls at Desi Galaxy serve Indian-Chinese, South Indian (dosas etc.), chat and some Gujju specialties.
However barely a few minutes before reading this post, I heard from a friend who was there a few days ago, that Desi Galaxy, is closing down because some NJ law governing multiple business at one location. It’s a shame because the food is/was good and the variety (because of the multiple stalls) makes repeat visits interesting.
Honestly though, with the level of desi “domination” (lol) in Parsippany, one would expect better restaurants. Sadly none (Hot Breads is a new entrant, actually) can be recommended. There is a Udupi joint, but a change of management has seen quality go to abysmal levels.
I always thought someone should open a place like this! I always take indian left over food and make them into sandwiches and you can do it with almost any indian food. My mom also makes pizza with all the vegetables cooked up Indian style and it turns out to be awesome. I will make a special trip to the one in Illinois now that I cant stop thinking about it and I will bring my tic tacs with me.
If I remember Abhi wrote about this “Hot Breads” phenomena some time ago. We went to Kentlands, here in MD suburban area and were disappointed. Nothing they offered compared to what you can make at home or find it back home. I guess it’s OK for boys and girls who are single and really lazy to improvise, and make some at home. Please have Mrs. Amardeep call Mrs. Tripathi for some tips to make delicious snack at home for kids and even for Dad……
Now that I am hungry,the best thing I ever had that was like a fusion food was a parota(Spelling?) with spiced beef kabob in it wrapped up and sealed like a panini/burrito in a oven and it was like my taste buds orgasmed. Now how is that for the worst complement/visual ever?
Anantha, I’d been to the Galaxy down in Iselin, though I never knew there was one in Parsippany (and I actually lived near there for a year, so that’s a surprise). I liked the “Galaxy” idea too, though it did feel a little chaotic and messay at times — and eating while standing is perhaps overrated. In the end the closing of Galaxy probably means less super-cheap food, but maybe the various stalls will end up starting their own places nearby.
As to why so many desi restaurants in the northeast are so average, I have never really figured it out. Still, the lack of imagination in most Indian restaurants means I’m doubly interested when people do aim to try something new — whether it’s Hot Breads, or Philadelphia’s Tiffin (which has a sit-in restaurant, but also a real Tiffin delivery service to center city Philadelphia).
9 รยท Yo Dad said
Yo Dad, how about Mrs. Tripathi’s tips for the good professor himself? After all, Mother’s Day is coming up. What better way to thank wifey and set a good example for junior?
Yo dad that’s why we have Yo Mom’s or in my case Yo Mom in Law for ๐ Even if we aren’t single or lazy nothing tastes better than mom’s cooking. My MIL is in India for the past month and I’ve been forced to cook or eat for places like Hot Breads and I’m in near depression.
The left coast has its Tandoori Oven chain.
Hello everyone,
We have a Hot Breads here in the Greater Boston area. I was there a couple of weeks ago. Their dosais weren’t so bad at all, but their sambar was quite mild. Also, they didn’t have any places to sit as everything was standing room only without seats. I also had a mutton puff, and it was good, but not anything extraordinary. I would definitely go back to that restaurant, however, it’s not food that I daydream over.
Personally, I think that the best South Indian restaurant is at a take-out grocery store in Framingham called “India Bazaar” (or “India Palace”). Their cooks also make chaat and rotis very well (but a little pricey).
Excellent idea. In fact, I have always been amused at the lack of unconventional indian style eateries (you know something ‘hatkay’) in Toronto, considering the amount of desis here..
So people, do we have anything here that is remotely close to this indian snack bar kind of restaurant? Bombay bhel is okayish and too far off for us Toronto dwellers..
My brother-in-law got me a box of fresh-basked cookies from Hot Breads just yesterday. Their pista-badam cookies are buttery and yummy. Speaking of Indian eateries, the Village Voice last week had two pieces about dosas and south Indian food in the NY area: a review of a new dosa place Tamil Nadu Bhavan and a review of temple canteens.
Useful post. I’ll be trying it out shortly.
Since when are croissants stuffed with paneer considered light foods? Just think about the fat grams count
Hot breads is over rated: Been to 4 so far: Lawrenceville was within walking distance, so I ate a lot there, but quality was uneven. In the main branch in Iselin, Desi Galaxy has better snacks and in Jersey City, Rajbhog is better. Plainsboro was the best one that I have been to, but there was a kitchen fire and it burnt down.
Overall: Hot Breads is Ok, and it has some bakery dishes that you cannot get anywhere else, but if you are in a Desi area, there are uaually better places close by. Anyone who compares the US franchises to the Chennai branches will be disappointed.
I may be totally mixed-up, but isn’t there a chain in India named Hot Breads as well? Is it the same?
That place sounds yummy, unfortunately in my country(or probably even continent) almost all Indian restaurants serve a very standard menu of North Indian food, and the only South Indian restaurant I know of is very crappy. Or so I’ve heard.
Light probably refers to the texture, light and airy and not the calorie content Indian snacks in general, delicious but not usually low in calories
Thanks Amardeep. I live in North Wales. I pass by this place on my way to the Gym, but it never occurred to me that, it could be a Desi eatery ๐
That place sounds yummy, unfortunately in my country(or probably even continent) almost all Indian restaurants serve a very standard menu of North Indian food, and the only South Indian restaurant I know of is very crappy. Or so I’ve heard.
I dont know about Holland, but surprisingly England with all its desis does not have too many places with South Indian food either.They do have some good Bangladeshi food (which I presume is similar to Indian Bengali food) but for the most part, the standard desi fare in England is all North Indian.
Dizzydesi:
Actually the Hot Breads stall at the Desi Galaxy in Parsippany runs the Chennai branches close, at least from what I remember of the Chennai branches. I could have been misled, but the guy in that stall told me that they were owned by the Chennai based Hot Breads chain.
The bigger Hot Breads, which is a franchisee, I don’t know. A lot of the menu is not what I have sampled back home in Chennai, so I don’t have a frame of reference to judge. But their paneer tikka panini is delicious.
As for Rajbhog, some of the stuff is rather unappetizing, but that could be just me.
Yo Dad:
Ouch! That hurt. Heheee, but I don’t think its my laziness, for the most part at least. I frequent Hot Breads only because the “puffs” and the pastries, I have no idea how to make or mebbe I lack the patience to use the oven. For the south indian stuff like dosas and idlies (which are really MY core competence stemming from my TamBram-ness), I can whip up myself, thanks to MTR’s ready mix packs and the proper equipment sourced from Edison/Jersey City.
Amardeep: The Desi Galaxy has some seating space. But the USP is the variety and the price.
Meena:
These are all franchises of the chain from Chennai and elsewhere in Asia.
Hey my cousin owns a Hot Breads in Bangalore. Good stuff! ๐
You can buy ready made puff pastry dough in the freezer section of your regular grocery store. Pepperidge farm makes it. Follow the instructions on the box, add the filling of your choice, of course you do have to use the oven though!
And even better with Thums Up…which you can actually find in some desi places in America.
Cute little Scythian you got there, Amardeep.
Hi Amardeep,
What is ‘dabeli’? And is that a Hindi, Gujju or Bambaiyya word?
(Am Gujju and spent most of my first 2 decades in ‘aamchi Mumbai’)
Gracias!
Where is the Illinois location? Devon?
รยท Leela Dableli is Gujju — it is aslo known as Kutchi Dabeli.
Anantha
Quite true. But it is not quite the same:
All this talk of hot breads prompted me to have dinner at a hot breads tonight. It helped me remember why I stopped going to hot breads in the first place: 1. They nuke everything I ordered a veg puff — I have loved the crisp, light layers puff ever since I first sampled a puff eaons ago @ Iyer and Co. Nuking it kills the taste, the crisp layers become one soggy layer, and the inside is too hot to relish the stuffing 2. The food’s often not fresh: They make many of their items in the morning and keep it for the rest of the day (and often longer) in the freezer. It is easy to taste the difference 3. The food items are usually bastardized Had a Pav Bhaji. Instead of good ole Pav, I got a grilled bun: the truly annoying part of this is that they actually make pretty decent Pav. same with the Dabeli (the Vada Pav uses Pav though). Pav Bhaji’s without Pav, Dabelis without pomegranate, burrito like frankies, without a kala namak based masala don’t satisfy me and worse — make me hungry by reminding me of the eateries that I grew up with.
OMGz! They got puffs!
Amardeep: Dabeli is what I start with whenever I go to the one here in Chicago (Schaumburg actually). Ritam: IL location is in Schaumburg, a NW suburb of Chicago.
Today, I noticed there were puris in my city, which is great because I’ve been feeling bloated and puffy things suit me fine. I also saw a man selling lime in the coconut, even better. I have such refined attention span and consider myself important, because you read about my day… Even better are thirty-five people who have nothing better to do than respond to a post about some guy, wandering around like a tourist in India. What crap is this?
now that I think aoutit: 1. One poster here was right. They do nuke everything. They’re not even discrete about it. 2. Their pastries have copious amounts oc colouring, which I find gross. 3. Unoriginal foods and very uninspired. I don’t think that encasing some meat in a croissant is fusion food. 4. Unhealthy and oily. This has the same look/feel/hygene levels as a good Caribbean restaurant. 5. I don’t think that this place will achieve cross over popularity. Only Indians, mostly from India, will enjoy this, but not the bulk of ABDs.
” …. and the chutney free version of the รขโฌลBombay Sandwich”we got for Puran was also good … “
Obviously Puran did not get any !! ๐
Even better are thirty-five people who have nothing better to do than respond to a post about some guy, wandering around like a tourist in India. What crap is this?
Lighten up, WTF. It’s just a little restaurant review, on a blog that has no aspirations of becoming a newsaper.
Many (perhaps most?) readers may disagree with my assessment of the place, but it seems like everyone but you seems to think this is a valid topic to discuss.
Wow, that dude does need to lighten up. Amardeep, I get your point. I just moved to the area a few months ago and the lack of Desi khanna and other such things in the greater Philadelphia area is really odd. I thought I was moving to an East Coast city, one that had desis around, so I would have lots of food, grocery, beauty shop options and was super excited. But I think we had more in Minnesota. Why do you think there is such a desi dearth around here?
I must try this before I leave carjackistan (philly) ๐
everything sounds so good!
37 รยท WTF? said
Why the contempt for tourists in India?
Inothernews, I don’t have a very good answer, except to say that the suburban desi population is kind of divided into two waves. The earlier generation of middle-class immigrants is relatively small in number compared to the populations in the New York and the DC areas. While there have been grocery stores in the Philadelphia suburbs for a long time, I think most desis here have been happy to drive to New Jersey for things like desi salons, clothes, and fresh mithai.
The more recent generation out in the suburbs (in King of Prussia and Lansdale, mainly) is too recently arrived to have established much of this sort of thing.
There is one new place I like in Norristown, called “Dosa Hut” (founded by a group of South Indian grad students, who are full time students in addition to entrepreneurs/restauranteurs)… maybe I will review it too in a few weeks.
Liked your book review in Pragati, Amardeep. I’m glad that there’s a connection between my two favourite blogs.
4 รยท Amardeep said
There is actually one now in Exton,PA. This is right next to the shopping complex to Devi Indian Restaurant. There is a Indian Grocery store and a new Indian Malay Cuisine and Hot Breads.I am unfortunately not aware of the exact address.The Malay/Indian food seemed Okay and nothing in the lines of the ones in Philly.I havent tried the HotBreads yet,just the one in NJ and Chennai.Good Luck
G
Hot Breads Address
We have Hot Breads in my area (Franklin Park,NJ) heard that they outsource their stuffed crossiants to a local muslim owned restaurant. And shoddy service, that I agree Sir…
I’m originally from the bmore area and there is not a huge Indian pop here like dc even though it’s an east/pseudo-east coast city . like philly it’s rustbeltish (although more so bmore i guess) which means it didn’t have a great Economy. I wonder how adequate of an explanation this is. does the boston area have a sufficient Desi pop? of course the bmore area is around say 50 or 60% smaller than philly.
49 รฦรขโฌลกรโรยท vivo said
Nope. Boston= Drunk Irish people. Some, but not as much as NY, SF, CHI, LA, etc.