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Bold flavors, rich cultural design, and a dose of old-school glamour have arrived in Hicksville.
Bhaijaan, a new Indian restaurant at 294 N. Broadway, blends authentic cuisine with a swanky, retro-inspired dining room designed to feel like a true night-out destination.
The family-owned restaurant officially opened in late December. Its name comes from the Hindi word for “beloved brother,” a nod to the warmth and close-knit family spirit behind the concept.
“It took one full year to build out our vision,” owner Neha Sabharwal told Greater Long Island. Sabharwal owns the restaurant alongside her husband, Sahil, and her father-in-law, Dinesh. “Everything is custom-made and sourced directly from India, from the carpets to the curtains to the ceiling panels.”
Sabharwal said the goal was to offer something distinct from other Indian restaurants on Long Island by focusing on the full experience — not just the menu.
“There are a lot of really good Indian restaurants on Long Island, but we do it a little different with the vibe and the bar,” she said. “Just the total experience — there’s nothing else like that around here. We’re bringing the city vibe to the Island.”
At the heart of it all, though, is the food. The kitchen stays rooted in traditional Indian cooking rather than chasing modern fusion trends.
“We didn’t want to do a fusion menu. We wanted to focus on our curries and our rich cuisine,” Sabharwal said. “My family is from northern India, so that’s the style here.”
The menu features signature dishes such as lamb pepper fry served with Malabar paratha and burnt garlic yogurt; smoked sweet potato chaat with lotus root, foxnut and green tomato chutney; and tawa keema pav with minced baby goat and a buttered bun.
From the tandoor, diners can order royal tandoori Cornish hen served with green apple chutney, or slow-cooked quail dum masala finished with poppy seeds.
“Our customers have been telling us they love our biryanis,” Sabharwal said. “We have three different kinds, including jackfruit for vegetarians. Our butter chicken is popular too.”
The dining room itself draws inspiration from India in the 1950s and 1960s.
“When you think of that era in our country, there was a lot of opulence, a lot of drama,” Sabharwal said. “We wanted to bring that old-school India vibe here.”
For Sabharwal, Bhaijaan is deeply personal.
“I have three children, and this place is like my fourth baby,” she said. “It really is a labor of love.”
Bhaijaan is currently open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday, serving dinner only.
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