Paowalla

195 Spring Street, New York, NY

July, 2016 — Feb, 2018

Paowalla opened in July of 2016, celebrating Floyd’s heritage with a personal and accessible take on Indian cuisine in a casual, modern atmosphere.

Paowalla — which roughly translates to “a person who transports bread” or “well traveled bread” in Portuguese and Hindi — featured two tandoor ovens as well as a dedicated bread bar and wood-burning oven to highlight the native Goan breads that Floyd grew up with. The menu features a dedicated section of breads and chutneys, with breads including Rosemary Naan, Whole Wheat Roti, Appam, Tingmo, Garlic Naan, and Stuffed Breads including Cheddar Cheese Kulcha, Tomato Kulcha and Bacon Naan. House made chutneys like Mango, Spicy Chili, Tamarind, Mint Cilantro, Lemon and Tomato Kalonji complemented this menu. Small plates included Roasted Green Chickpea Chat with sweet onions, chilies, and tamarind, Smoked Chicken Samosa with peach chutney and Goan Spiced Crab Cakes with tamarind chutney. Large plates included, Kerala Style Banana Leaf Skate with coconut, tomatoes and chilies, Pork Ribs Vindaloo with chilies, garlic and vinegar, and Baby Shrimp and Squid with Savian biryani, squid ink and cilantro.

Led by Yasir Chaudry, the beverage program featured seasonal cocktails utilizing fresh fruits, herbs and spices, including two of Tabla’s signature cocktails — the Tamarind Margarita and Kachumber Cooler. The wine program featured global varietals rotating with the seasons, highlighting aromatic whites in summer and earthy reds in fall and winter.

Designed by Joseph Calabrese, formerly of AvroKO, the 72-seat restaurant design was inspired by typical Goan homes and featured loosely separated rooms including a casual bar, seated dining room, a dedicated bread bar and a private dining area. The design peeled back elements of the original Soho building — built in the 1930s — revealing cast iron columns, weathered brick and wood paneling. Inspired by Goan and Portuguese coastal areas, navy leather banquettes, dark wooden tables, brass lighting fixtures and lime-washed exposed brick lined the interior. The bread bar was marked by a deep red wood-burning oven, which Floyd matched exactly to the color of a brick flown in from Goa to reflect the red bricks often used in Goan architecture. The combination of the old materials with new design aspects is reflective of his re-imagination of classic Indian cuisine.