Indian essence temporarily closed. New place?
Azgirl Diwali is celebrated for ~ 1 month.... could that be why? Celebration day is Monday October 20 - some schools closed for holiday.
SS2cats Sorry to hear. Could be any reason. When you have 3 partners anything is possible. A common issue when a new business fails is the proprietor(s) don't secure enough capital to operate for at least one full year. Depending on revenue to survive other than perhaps a fraction of cash flow is the kiss of death.
Not sating that is what happened here but it is very common particularly in the restaurant business.
Hopefully they will be back in saddle soon...
Greg True SS2cats, Sukkot is from Oct 6th -the 13th. I know of several businesses that are closed during this time as well.
Diwali is technically just one day but there are 5 successive festivals including the central day. So it's a bit less than a week and not a month.
It doesn't start until the 18th so I don't think that's it.
I would suggest contacting them directly.
GC Thanks for the input! But we tried to order back in September and they were closed on a Friday night. Hopefully they will reopen soon. Thanks again.
4of4Food, atmosphere and service were all excellent. I hope they are "temperarily" closed and not permanently closed.
Mrs. Pipes Once again Hackettstown's food snobs have let another awesome restaurant go down the drain. Maybe it is the way people flock to our local italian hotspot for sub par cuisine whose pizza gravy tastes like it came from a can of spaghettioes or because so many are prejudiced against India and their cuisine. We had an excellent India restaurant before but the snobs ignored it and another awesome restaurant was lost. I get it, India cuisine can be spicy but their use of untraditional spices comes with exotic flavors not spaghettioes
Robert Anyone have any updates about the restaurant - it still says ‘temporarily closed’.
The place was far from awesome, I would say it got a little better each of the three times we visited but still not nearly as good as Clay Oven or Taste of India. It would still be a shame if they were gone for good.
Ribo Flavin Website is down now, guess they stopped paying their bill. No explanation.
You would think one of the townie business supporters would know the skinny on this.
RF was one of the few meh reviews posted.
Partnerships are like marriages, can go downhill for myriad of reasons in a flash. Except my marriage, she is never getting rid of me :>)
So sad, they put so much into it and it certainly seemed popular. The equipment and inventory alone must be a bit o cash. Really don't want to drive to Flanders/Roxbury to replace what was so good here. Wish we could help because I am betting we would, it was that good.
And Robert: people go to the place you are pooh poohing because they like it. So much that they have expanded many times over the years from a storefront to an entire strip mall front to two more properties in town and surrounds. Good food, great family, fantastic neighbors always chipping in for school and town events. They cater specifically to you needs from "roll your own" to "we got you totally covered," you choose. Have been my go to party-caterers over the years. In my vast research on pizza, I have discovered one thing: everyone likes something different. That's why there's a shop on every corner and why each of us drives by a few shops on the way to our favorite. It's rarely the one next door.
babbit 
Joe 
emaxxman A real loss.
Thanks for the folks providing alternatives.
Too bad for the extra drive but thanks to IE, will have a hankering soon.
Used to travel with Indian friends at work and they helped guide me on the menu. I did the same at the bbq spots.
I've eaten at 75% of the places in Oak Tree over the years. I know all the Moghuls, the Shalimars, the Dosa Expresses, the Jaipur Palaces. I've eaten at all the Parsippany places, I've eaten at Chand before it even moved there. If you were thinking Indian Essence wasn't good, I can't agree in any way.
Not long ago I was there and had the weekend buffet so got to try alot. Boy they had good chaat, everybit as good as Moghul. The tikka masala and the makhani both solid. The Malabar curry was down right exceptional. I came back during the week and got a whole order of that. The biryani I've only had better at a South Indian specialty restaurant on Oak Tree. It wasn't all perfect, but it beat out tons of Indian places out there, including Clay Oven for the most part. (I'm partial to the rogan josh, and the food over the years declined) Easily as good as Taste of India (which definitely grew on me after a rocky start), and I would even say almost on a level with Cinnamon.
That's sad to hear. And I totally agree with you GC!!!! Food was awesome compared to others in the surrounding areas
I just wish them the best and hope all works out.
And if this chef ends up working nearby: TELL US.
I noticed a sign in the window indicating a coffee house coming soon. I didn't catch the name. Hopefully it can make a go of it. Tough business for sure....
I ordered some to go food from them when they first opened. It was good but not great compared to the other places I have gone to in Morristown, Ledgewood, Flanders, Pohatcong, Parsippany, etc. I was planning to go back hoping that they would get better with time. We are lucky to have an Indian restaurant nearby in Newton that is excellent! Indian Masala, just a few doors down from the Newton Theatre.
Wendy Sorry to hijack this thread but can’t seem to start a new one.
Just saw an ad for an Egyptian restaurant - Bistro 55 on Main Street in Flemington.
Menu looks good. Wondering if anyone here has gone and what your review is.
@happiestgirl this is Hackettstown Forum not Flemington Forum so you are hijacking a thread question that should be asked on another towns forum.
Magnomustgo - did you complain when others wrote about:
Andre’s / Sparta; Stone Water / Lake Hopatcong; Sheridans / Newton;
The Manor / West Orange; The Inn / Glen Gardner; Allie’s / Washington;
Carmine’s / Netcong; Three Oaks / Easton; etc, etc, etc, etc, etc ???
What’s up …. Did you fall out of the wrong side of the bed today?
Haha!
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