Jacob J.
Yelp
A solid 3.5 stars if it was possible. Cabbie fare. Dive. Curries & naan with decent biryani.
It was a random Monday night and I thought I was headed into the city to meet a friend for a few drinks. Unbeknownst to me, he needed to feed as well. Frontier was closed as were so many other spots I wanted to go to, since we were driving past, my buddy suggested here. My buddy is a fan of cabbie joints, I can't say that I'm much of one. The place is open 24 hours and there's a Middle Eastern kabobs and shawarma joint next door that is also open the same hours. This place gets cabbie traffic often and you can see a few parked in front.
The distinct smell of bathroom disinfectant was detected as we entered, though it was heavily masked with the smells of curries. That one detail was enough to send me running but my buddy persisted that we try. See, cabbie joints, much of the time are not that great. It's substandard food, always available and the cost to me is typically paid with discomfort and a lot of gas. Moving on. There was a language barrier that dude was trying to sell me. Probably horse shit, since I specified I was ordering for my buddy and I WAS NOT EATING. I told this dude three times what the order was and that I wasn't eating. It's cafeteria style, so you place your order and when its ready, pay upon pick up. They might fill the plate off the line and serve it up immediately, depending on the options chosen. My buddy got his stuff and paid. Then indicated to me that the counter guy was calling for me. This dude prepared a combination platter of curry, naan and a plate of biryani! He's motioning like I ordered it. I didn't. After some back and forth, I took the damn plate and paid twice as much as my friend did. Good thing he paid and once I looked over the food, a part of me was cuisine curious.
I want to tell you that I hated it. But I didn't. It had taste and a nice level of spicy to it. The mutton curry could have had more meat and less bones but in a cabbie joint, this is expected. Between the curries, Mutton curry was best. We also had some chicken curry which was a standard good. The naan was prepared fresh and hot. The biryani was that tri-colored bullshit but it had a good flavor to it and was moist, although it had too many bones. Often times tri-colored biryani sucks balls because it lacks moisture, enough paste that gives it flavor and meat. Restauranteurs think that a customer would be wowed with its color. Which is why biryani is best ordered at a 4 or 5 star restaurant or at someones home, its seldom tri-color then. Despite what any Indian person tells you, (because we all think we know better) in my experience the best biryani is made by some Muslims, some Vellore Tamilians and if you like it hella spicy, peeps from Andhra. This is a Muslim joint and I'm telling you, this one time I tried it, it was pretty good.
Earlier I mentioned cabbies galore and what else? Well within the restaurant is a stairway leading downstairs to a prayer room. It happened to be Ramadan when we dined. During Muslim holiday / fast, their eating times are observed and food is served accordingly. A home made sign was made and posted in the window. I mention this factoid mainly because I realize that some people may choose to avoid a place due to the practice of religion. I say, if you are willing to try, say a prayer and dig in. While we ate we could hear their prayers recited as well as echos from the satellite television news speaking of current affairs happening abroad. At the front of the restaurant is an odd placement of a counter with an attendant selling what looks like aftermarket cell phone supplies.
Their attempt to "catch-all" business.
