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

Gaters Kebab Hot

Location: Fremont, CA
Cuisine type: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Atmosphere: austere, crammed cafe style
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 6.4

Nina

A tiny, narrow restaurant in a Fremont strip mall, Gaters Kebab has a very authentic feel due to the aroma in the air and the crowd sourced pictures of food that cover the walls. It seems like customers in the know just call ahead and order carryout, which is a wise choice since there are only 3-4 small tables in the whole restaurant, and the atmosphere is not the most ideal for a quiet, peaceful meal.
The dish I picked from the menu was a mixed plate that promised chicken and lamb steak chunks, along with rice, greek salad and hummus. At the counter I was told that they were out of lamb, but could serve me chicken and lamb shawarma instead, which would essentially replace the steak quality meat with slices from the gyro pillar of meat. I agreed and was glad to see I was also being charged less (shawarma had its separate entry on the menu as it turns out). I picked the spicy option, which was actually quite great. The sauce had a rich flavor, with enough heat to give it a kick, and the tzatziki sauce that came on the side was a great compliment. That said, there was a little too much filler rice on the plate, and the greek salad was so acidic I couldn’t eat too much of it. I noticed that there wasn’t any hummus on my plate (even though I had a few pita triangles), and when I asked about it I was given a vague excuse that the menu had changed and then handed a sauce-sized container with a spoonful of hummus. That bite, however, was quite amazing. They make their hummus in house (as evidenced by the enormous pot of chickpeas that they were boiling on their burner) and the consistency was smooth, the flavor fresh and rich (a little more sesame kick than usual, but well balanced) and the texture creamy.
Overall, this is a decent place for a quick bite to eat, though next time I would definitely go for takeout and order a sandwich rather than a plate to take advantage of the delicious pita instead of a large amount of rice.

Food 6
Drinks N/A
Atmosphere 6
Service 7
Value 8

Ben

This is pretty typical gyro place, fast and cheap. The food is decent, would recommend going with one of the steak cuts rather than gyro meat for the quality, unfortunately they were out when we were there. The hicken gyro was a little dry, processed. The vegetables were all pretty fresh, tzatziki and hummus were both good. The baklava was decent. Overall a pretty standard gyro place. The service is a little gruff, reminds me of Turkish doner places.

Food 6
Drinks N/A
Atmosphere 4
Service 7
Value 8

Sala Thai

Location: Fremont, CA
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: family-friendly, cozy atmosphere
Meal: dinner
Overall grade: 7.67

Ben

A vibrant environment filled with conversation, a lively and popular locale. The service was pretty good, though it could be a little difficult to get their attention. I was in the mood for something a little more intense than the green curry I was served - a little weak despite being warned it was spicy. The house wine was decent and had a fair price, and the mango ice cream is a real winner for a dessert. Overall a pretty solid Thai place, though I have definitely had more amped up flavors.

Food 7

Drinks 8

Atmosphere 9

Service 7

Value 8

Nina

The week between Christmas and New Years Day was not exactly a busy work week - between work holidays and vacation days, we were left with exactly one work day, a lonely Wednesday. Since that was all the time we had at home, it seemed impractical to go grocery shopping and try to cook dinner at home between unpacking from our trip out to the Midwest for Christmas and our impending drive to Disneyland for New Years Day, so we were planning on eating out. Conveniently, a friend was visiting the area so we took the opportunity to meet with her for dinner in Fremont. We found this small(ish) Thai restaurant conveniently close, located in one of the many strip-mall style parking lots so ubiquitous around the Bay Area.

The three of us shared a Thai samosa-looking appetizer, which had a spicy veggie filling, not unlike its Indian cuisine counterpart. In keeping with the Thai flavor profile, this was served with a small cucumber, carrots and cabbage salad topped with crunchy peanuts.

For the entree, I opted for a classic with a twist - Pad Thai with crab meat. The dish was not completely out of the ordinary - fairly plain in flavor, with a pile of saucy rice noodles served along finely shredded veggies and crunchy peanuts. The crab meat addition was the unique component, which I feel enhanced the flavor above and beyond the usual vegetarian or chicken varieties I’ve tried in other restaurants. I also appreciated that the peanuts were minced, which is not always the case, and served on the side with the dish, so I could control if and how much of this ingredient I would add to my plate. The glass of house chardonnay I picked to accompany my meal was merely a pleasant addition, though its role would have been more fitting had my entree been spicy (note to self - ask for more spice next time :) )

Finally, since it was a festive occasion (in the midst of winter holidays, dinner with a friend) we also went for dessert - in our case, we picked sticky rice and mango ice cream. The rice tasted almost too savory and the coconut syrup used to create the sticky effect had a strange, plastic-like aftertaste. The ice cream was tasty, creamy and satisfying, though nothing mind blowing either. Unfortunately (and contrary to my habit) the dessert course actually negatively affected my impression of the meal, which up to this point had been delicious and well executed.

Food 7

Drinks 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9