Shalimar Restaurant

Location: Fremont, CA
Cuisine type: Indian/Pakistani cuisine
Atmosphere: casual, ordering at the counter
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.3

Nina

This was actually not my first time at this place - Shalimar is one of the first restaurants I tried on the pre-move apartment hunting trip. It seems to be an authentic local favorite, since it was on an enthusiastic recommendation from a complete stranger that we found it in the first place. This time, it was dinner with friends that brought us here, so it was a great opportunity to try a wider variety of dishes and share across the table.
The vegetarian dishes were tasty, but nothing that I haven’t had before - in essence an array of spicy curries with lentils, okra and chickpeas, along with the alltime classic palak paneer (creamy spinach with mild cheese cubes).
The meat dishes were a bit more interesting, and the flavors were rich and spicy, coating the palate with a fiery creaminess. The lamb curry and beef shank were extremely tender, falling apart at the touch of a fork, and had absorbed an enormous amount of flavor from their sauce. I have to confess that I need to be in a certain mindset to embark on the spicy journey that Shalimar offers, because there is little relief from the heat on their menu (other than the basmati rice and naan, of course). Pro tip: avoid the hot chai (especially rich in ginger notes) as a drink with your entree unless you’re really in for a serious burning for your taste buds.
The desserts that we ordered at the end of the meal were good, but not awe inspiring. The gulab jamun was a bit tough and not as light as I would have liked, and I was disappointed that they were out of the carrot pudding, which is usually easy to pre-cook in bulk and also contains many of the same ingredients as other dishes. We did get the rice custard instead, which is usually something I enjoy quite a bit. This one was a little too soupy to call a custard, though the nuts and spices they added combined into a rich bouquet of flavors that was a pleasant end to our meal.

Food	8
Drinks	5
Atmosphere	6
Service	7
Value	9

Ben

I haven’t been to India, but I am confident saying this is the most authentic Indian restaurant I have visited. It is bustling environment, extremely popular with the local Indian / Pakistani population in Fremont, and the cooking style is instantly clear as curry smells seem to emanate from the walls and floor. Orders are taken at the front counter and picked up, and the whole restaurant is deeply embedded with a strong curry smell. A free chai is offered as well. Menu options feature a large variety of vegetarian and meat dishes, including a lot of goat and lamb (and brain dishes). We ordered many classics … a lamb curry, chickpeas, daal, palak paneer, and okra. The dishes were all generally simple dishes with powerful flavors - they hold nothing back on the spicy dishes, which I appreciated. While it has an Indian fast food environment, everything appears freshly made and made in quantity. While there was limited service (some food was delivered to table), the employees and service were efficient and friendly. It is definitely the un-americanized Indian food, and overall very delicious and at reasonable prices.pretty

Food	8
Drinks	6
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	8

Red Rock Cafe

Location: Napa, CA
Cuisine type: American classic BBQ
Atmosphere: very casual
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.5

Nina

Strange choice to seek BBQ in Napa valley, in a world of fine dining and fancy wines, but we just felt like it after an entire morning spent in an orchard picking nectarines and apricots, and talking about making a bourbon fruit barbecue sauce later (which, by the way, turned out quite delicious). We found Red Rock Cafe in a small, unassuming building, where the most prominent features were the signs for the take-out window (which at first made us doubt that there was a dine-in area). Their dining room is a small space with plain tables covered in plastic sheet and with an old looking bar spanning the length of the room. I have to say it added to the authentic feel of the place, which might as well have been a dive bar somewhere in Texas.
I ordered the pulled BBQ pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw. This dish was impressive if nothing else in sheer size. I was presented with a large bun which was crunchy on top and soaked in pork cooking juices on the bottom, hugging what must have been nearly a pound of soft, tender shredded pork. I felt like I needed to add more sauce as I ate this since there wasn’t much to begin with, and I did feel like the sauce was a little on the runny side, but I did have plenty of it to satisfy my palate. The coleslaw was refreshing. though nothing out of the ordinary. Ben’s ribs, which I tasted, were beef ribs and a little too tough for my taste, but they also came in a generous portion size, served with a side of mac&cheese and a corn muffin with butter and honey. The corn muffin was soft and moist, though nothing memorable. However, the mac&cheese was rich, creamy and had an unusual (though not bad, don’t get me wrong) flavor which I could only explain by the use of cream cheese or some other unorthodox ingredient like that.
Overall, it was a little more expensive than what I would hope a BBQ dive would be, but it’s a good Napa substitute for a solid BBQ meal you could get somewhere in the deep south.

Food 7
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 7
Service 8
Value 7

Ben

This is an instant classic, clear to see why it’s a local favorite. This reminds me of much of the midwestern/Texas BBQ dives; cheap, generous portions, and a small place with a bar and TV. The beef BBQ ribs were very good, huge and pretty tender. They were served with a generous amount of sauce (seemingly homemade, may have been bbq sauce based). It’s hard not to have a good corn muffin, and theirs was no exception though it wasn’t my favorite (a little dry, bland). Nina’s BBQ pulled pork sandwich was fantastic - an impossible amount of pork stuffed (and soaking into) fresh, crunchy buns. This is definitely the way to go if you are checking this place out, the sandwich was one of the best pulled porks I’ve had (the ribs were good but not among the best). A pretty small place with about 10 tables and a long bar, it’s an affordable place to go for any meal and a great place if you are craving classic barbecue. They also have takeout, which seemed quite popular (the food is more of a highlight than the atmosphere).

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 7
Service 8
Value 8

Ambrosia India Bistro

Location: Aptos, CA
Website: www.ambrosiaib.com/aptos
Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: casual
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.5

Nina

We picked this restaurant because of an enticing deal (of the restaurant.com variety), and we were pleasantly surprised to see just how close to the beach it was - between the time we got in the car to the time we entered the address, we had already passed it. The restaurant is in a small building with a unique feature - the front windows are not in one line, but rather in a zig-zag that allows for tables to be in more private and cozy nooks with ample window space. Unfortunately, these windows open towards a gas station which mostly blocks (and spoils) the otherwise beautiful indirect view of the coastline. The decor is a combination of traditional Indian statues and imagery lining the walls, joining a modern style bar and boldly colored walls.
We were quickly brought a basket of papadam with three dips (mint chutney, tamarind sauce and a pickled salsa-like concoction). While they were good, there was nothing special about this opener. The waiter presented us with a happy hour special offer for beer on tap, so we ordered a pair of Hefeweizen beers. Although he misrepresented the discount and the size of the beer (he said the small beers were huge, though they were only 12-16 oz), it was not a bad deal.

I ordered the Lamb Korma dish, which came together with the other entree, and pretty quickly too. The curry sauce was quite mild, but incredibly creamy and flavorful from the infused saffron. The lamb had absorbed many of the flavors of the sauce and what seemed like a marinade, but it was a little on the dry side (cooked too quickly?). I decided not to order any rice on the size, but rather a tandoori whole wheat roti, which was just a perfect complement to my dish.
Overall, this restaurant is good though not outstanding, and service is friendly and prompt, despite occasional slips of inaccuracy. If the exact same building could be transplanted a couple of blocks west, giving it an ocean view, it would make for an excellent destination for a casual weekend dinner.

Food 7
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 9
Service 7
Value 8

Ben

An indian restaurant near the beach in Aptos. The restaurant is pretty large, several tables around a large bar in the center with assorted indian decorations above the bar and along the walls. We sat at a window table in a row of stepped window walls. We had some standard chutney and dips with papadum, and ordered happy hour beer. I had a tandoori mixed grill, which was well spiced but a little overcooked. NIna’s lamb in curry sauce was much more tender and overall pretty tasty. The restaurant overall looks very nice, the service was decent but a little bored.

Food 7
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 7
Value 7