Been There Eaten That

Urban India, San Diego, CA 7/10

2015-09-10T22:31:00.000-04:00

Urban India

1041 4th Ave

San Diego, CA 92101

Overall a nice place in downtown San Diego.

Mixed non veg grill - 7/10

The grilled shrimp and the chicken were pretty tasty.7/10

The seekh kabab could have been better (more finely minced and subtler spices) 6/10

Goat curry - had spoken to the Punjabi chef (who is a vegetarian btw) and asked to make an authentic Indian curry. He did a good job, but would have been better if he cooked the onion tomato gravy for a bit longer. 7.5/10

Naan was good and fresh - 8/10

New Jawad, Paris

2015-07-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

http://www.jawadrestaurant.com/nj/

Address: 12 Avenue Rapp, 75007 Paris, France

Phone:+33 1 47 05 91 37

This used to be one of the better Indian restaurants in Paris , but has gone down in the past year. Would rate it 6.5/10 now, down from a 8.5.

Lamb chilli - tender lamb in spicy sauce. A bit creamy, which is unexpected. 7/10

Naan - good. 8/10

Lamb seekh Kabab - 4/10. Strong taste of garlic , and didn't seem fresh garlic either.

Baigan bharta - 4/10. Very creamy. No taste of brinjal, let alone fire roasted eggplant. Could have been anything.

Kulfi- 9/10. Done well.

Mango lassi- 5/10

Pineapple lass - 5/10

Aloo paratha - heard it was ok.

DeAfghanan (Afghan Cuisine), Fremont, CA

2015-07-10T10:40:00.001-04:00

http://deafghanancuisine.com/
37395 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94536(510) 857-1009
There are a couple of locations for this one.
De Afghanan - Google search

Would recommend this place overall.

Very flavorful lamb shish kababs (cubes, not seekh kababs), moist and well marinated. Not hot (as in chillies, as most Afghani food isnt very hot in general), but with a good mix of spices. 9/10
Their menu item - Lamb Kabob
Charbroiled lamb shish kabob marinated with special seasoning

Chaplee Kabob (Spicy)
Beef patties mixed with green onion, eggs, and other Afghan seasoning, grilled until cooked thoroughly
This was very tasty as well and spicy too. 8/10

Mazza, Berkley, MI

2014-11-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

http://www.mazzaindiancuisine.com/id1.html
3354 W. 12 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072
(248) 543-6299

Lamb karahi - 6/10 - sizzling and spicy but the lamb was a bit tough and the flavor was superficial. The thick gravy was nice.

Tikka biryani - 5/10 - the biryani ex chicken was ok, but the 'chicken tikka' chunks in it seemed like left over chopped tandoori chicken pieces that had dried.

Rang Indian Bistro, Stoneham, MA

2014-11-19T20:00:00.002-05:00

www.rangindianbistro.com
6 Central St, Stoneham, MA 02180
(781) 438-8200

Matar (peas) paneer - 3/10. Watery and no flavor. Structurally, it was like miso soup, except with paneer, chopped onions and peas floating around.

Star of India, Ferndale, MI

2014-11-19T20:00:00.001-05:00

ferndaleindianfood.blogspot.com
180 W 9 Mile Rd, Ferndale, MI 48220
(248) 546-5996

Lamb biryani - 5/10 - nothing to write home about. Very average. Was accompanied by a vegetable curry that didnt help either. Not even worth taking a picture of.

Rangoli, Auburn Hills, MI

2014-11-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

www.detroitrangoli.com
Walton Village Plaza Shopping Center, 3055 E Walton Blvd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326
(248) 377-3800

Weekday lunch buffet - 5/10 average overall, although the shrikhand (yogurt based dessert) was nice.

Zaike lamb chops - 8/10. well made, marinated and juicy. Some pieces were a bit stretchy (chewy) though, but overall tasted good

Hyderabadi chicken biryani - 6/10. Not much Hyderabad to it. Wasnt spicy, but that is subjective. It did have a dominant taste of a mix of cumin seeds and perhaps coriander/mint, which did not help the flavor.

Priya, Detroit, MI

2014-11-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

priyarestaurant.com
72 W Maple Rd, Troy, MI 48084
(248) 269-0100

Lamb Karai - 8/10. Well made, spicy semi-dry lamb dish. Tasty, with juicy lamb chunks.

Tandoori combo platter- This was largely a disappointment.

Lamb seekh kabab - 4/10: was coarsely ground and had whole coriander seeds in it, that, when chewing, gave a dominant 'raw coriander seed' flavor for many seconds (not a good taste by itself). Repeat that taste for each bite ... and the experience is not good.

Chicken tikka - 5/10 was dry and not very well marinated either, besides the spices being limited to the top surface of the chicken.

Naan - 7/10 fresh and lightly buttered plain naan.

Akbar, Baltimore, MD

2014-11-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

www.akbar-restaurant.com

823 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201

(410) 539-0944

A nice restaurant that has been around for 18 years. The chef is from Punjab, and the owner is from the Delhi area.

Lamb chops - 8.5/10. Very well made, tasty to the core and well marinated. A bit expensive ($20 for 3 pieces), but surely recommend.

Lamb xacutti - 6/10. This one was a bit disappointing despite having discussed the style it should have been made in, with the owner. Overdose of tomato and made in a hurry, he later acknowledged.

Garlic naan - 7/10. Fresh and uniformly sprinkled with finely chopped garlic.

Gaylord Restaurant, London, 6/10

2014-09-25T21:16:00.001-04:00

www.gaylordlondon.com
+44 20 7580 3615
79-81 Mortimer St, London W1W 7SJ UK

Restaurant with a nice ambiance, however the food didnt match up. Ordered the dishes based on the server's recommendation and also told them how I prefer it cooked... but...

Hyderabadi ghosht (lamb) biryani - 6/10. Had flavor and the lamb was nice, but not great. Too much overtones of mint and clumps of white rice as if the thing was not properly mixed (having to mix is a no no anyways).

Murgh (Chicken) bhuna (roasted, in curry) - 6/10. This was a disappointment with too much tomato and the chicken was dry and fibrous. Normally, this would have been a dark brown well blended thick gravy (not orange) .. but theirs seemed put together in haste (not that the food arrived any faster). And to top it all, there was a full carrot floating in the curry! (decor, I assume)

Naan - 5/10. Fresh, but was on the sour side, as if made with over fermented dough.

Chung Fa, Mahanagar Lucknow India

2014-07-19T02:03:00.001-04:00

New Goal Market, Mahanagar Lucknow

This used to be one of the best Indo Chinese places in town, 20 years back. One of the few places that served very good chili chicken. Unfortunately, the place has gone downhill faster than Jack and Jill.. But it still exists.

Chili chicken dry - 6/10. Very disappointing. And expensive.

Kool break, Hazratganj Lucknow India

2014-07-19T01:49:00.001-04:00

Tekarees Chambers, Ashok Marg, Hazratganj, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001

Tried the chili chicken "dry" here in the ongoing quest for the original style from many moons ago... Dark brown chicken nuggets with green chillies. No capsicum or onions. Simple. This came close, but not the same thing.

Chili chicken dry - 7/10

Junoon, New York 8/10

2014-06-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

http://www.junoonnyc.com/

Address: 27 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

Phone:(212) 490-2100

Great ambience and good food. Definitely on the expensive side.

Goat Patiala - 8/10

Naan - 7/10

Havelie restaurant, Nice France 7/10

2014-06-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.restaurant-havelie.fr/

Address: 35 Rue d'Angleterre, 06000 Nice, France

Phone:+33 4 93 88 99 40

One of the better Indian restaurants in Nice (there arent many there to begin with).

The maitre d is a knowledgeable lady with a background in hotel management and local history, besides the food.

Lamb madars - 7/10. Well made and flavorful, thick gravy. Tasty.

Chicken biryani - 6/10. The chicken could have been better (marinated) but was still tasty.

Sheezan, Paris 5/10

2014-06-22T19:12:00.002-04:00

Address: 84 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris, France

Phone:+33 1 45 23 18 77

A 'dhaba' like ambience, Indo Pakistani food, but the food didnt live up to the expectations of a good dhaba.

Naan - 6/10

Chicken kabab - 5/10

Lamb seekh kabab - 5/10

Both the kababs were not moist and didnt have much flavor either.

Kanapina (food card at Canary Wharf) London, 6/10

2014-06-22T16:23:00.001-04:00

https://www.google.com/search?q=kanapina+canary+wharf

Address: Reuters Plaza, London E14 5AJ, United Kingdom

Phone:+44 20 7519 6288

Nice fast food card just outside the Canary Wharf tube station.

Chicken tikka and Lamb seekh kabab roti rollups or in-salad plates - 6/10

Spice and Ice, Greater London (Surrey) 7/10

2014-06-22T16:17:00.003-04:00

http://spicenice.co.uk/
South Park Hotel
Croydon, Surrey

Nice restaurant, and have heard most of the food is pretty good Indo Chinese.

Chilli chicken - 7/10, though my bad in ordering. Was looking for the classic Indo Chinese "dry" chilli chicken (with green chillis and soy sauced chicken nuggets), but forgot to tell the chef to make it dry. The default was wet... which completely spoiled the experience. But in all fairness, my local friend who frequents this place said that the dry one is as close as it comes to the Indo Chinese one. (which I havent found anywhere else outside India, yet). The best one so far has been at the Golden Dragon in Rangila Park, Surat, India

Roomali roti - 6/10. Could have been thinner.

Tai Pai Chicken and Tai Pai Paneer - 7/10. Dry style, with Sichuan flavors. Well made.

Sichuan Gourmet, Billerica, 7/10

2014-06-09T19:51:00.000-04:00

Sichuan Gourmet, Billerica, MA
502 Boston Rd, Billerica, MA (978) 670-7339

Update 6/4/14:
By far one of the best Chinese places this side of town, frequented by many Chinese (indication) as well. Its not American Chinese (like P F Changs, which is nice, but Americanized), but good Sichuan food.

Lo mein - 7/10
Kung pao chicken 7/10
Shredded chicken with cayenne pepper 8/10

---
Indian style lo mein ("chow mein" in India). The Chicken lo mein (or veggie lo mein) comes closest to it. Its not wet and sloppy like some Chinese restaurants. - 6/10
Shredded Chicken with Cayene Pepper - chicken with 50% hot peppers. Very nice. - 7/10. The item # is "J2" on the menu.

Indian Star Restaurant, near Monaco 6.5/10

2014-06-03T20:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.indianstar.fr/
23 Bvd de la République 06240, Beausoleil France Tel: 09 82 48 94 34

One of the few Indian restaurants near Monaco... the food is a bit above average, but "good" for that area.

Tandoori mixed grill - 6/10. several different kebabs and tandoori chicken.
Lamb rogan josh - 6/10
Chicken tikka - 6/10
Lamb madras - 7/10
Chicken rogan josh - 7/10

Naan - 7/10

Maharaja, Milwaukee 6/10

2014-06-03T19:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.maharajarestaurants.com/

Address: 1550 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202

Phone:(414) 276-2250

Average food here.

Mixed grill (except tandoori chicken or shrimp - still havent found good tandoorii chicken anywhere in the USA...) - 6/10

Goat curry - 6/10

Naan 5/10

Benares, New York 7/10

2014-06-03T18:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.benaresnyc.com/

Address: 240 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

Phone:(212) 397-0707

Kakori kebab - 7/10

Ground lamb rubbed with ginger garlic chili infused with poppy seeds & nutmeg

Barrah kabab - 7/10

Lamb pieces marinated in yogurt and nutmeg

Dishoom, London, 7/10

2014-05-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

http://www.dishoom.com/covent-garden/

12 Upper St Martin's Ln

London WC2H 9FB

+44 20 7420 9320

Nice restaurant, with a couple of tasty dishes. Very popular and busy (had to wait an hour, but they were nice enough to serve tea to everyone waiting outside in the cold - Feb 2014). Had high expectations going in, but the food was mixed... specially for a Indian restaurant in London (London has some of the best food outside India :).

Lamb chops - 8/10. tender and well spiced.

Chicken tikka - 6/10. could have been cooked a bit more

Lamb Seekh kabab - 7/10. could have been a bit more moist and flavorful

Roomali roti - rare find. 8/10

Kacchi lamb - 7/10

Sitar restaurant, Paris 7/10

2014-05-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

http://restaurant-sitar.fr/
7 Rue Liot, Boulogne-Billancourt, France+33 1 46 21 32 16

Overall, a fairly good restaurant, given its Paris...

Cheese naan - 8/10 different and interesting
Lamb (Agneau) madras / curry - 7/10. Tasty lamb dish
Lamb biryani - 7/10. Lamb pieces could be better marinated, but still an above average biryani
Chicken (poulet) curry - 6/10. The use of tomato puree, instead of fresh tomatoes, adds some gelatinous consistency to it, otherwise its ok
Chicken bhuna/madras - 7/10
Keema matar - 7/10 - a bit on the sweet side

Mixed kebab platter -
Beef seekh kebab - 7/10
Chicken tikka - 6/10
Lamb tikka - 7/10

Masala chai - 7/10

Utsav, New York, 9/10

2014-05-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

http://www.utsavny.com/

Address: 1185 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036

Phone:(212) 575-2525

Good food and ambiance as well as location - NYC

Roomali roti 9/10 - one of the few places in the country to have this on the menu
Mutton bhuna (goat) - 9/10. Tasty, thick gravy, well spiced.

The serving folks need an education in animals... they insisted that lamb and goat are the same animal! :)

India Restaurant, Paris 5/10

2014-05-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

www.indiarestaurant.fr

Address: 20 Rue du Débarcadère, 75017 Paris, France

Phone:+33 1 45 74 22 88

Average food.
Chicken kabab - 5/10. Nothing much to write about it.
Lamb madras - 5/10.

Chicken (poulet) madras - 5/10
Lamb (Agneu) biryani - 6/10