Malvani Pork Curry

This is a culinary adventure outside of my usual comfort zone. We love a good curry around here, and I've dabbled in making some at home at times, but usually based on some sort of convenient shortcut, like a packaged paste or simmer sauce that's quick and ready to use. A friend pointed me in the direction of this lesser known recipe that she learned to make in her family, Malvani curry - this is a dish from coastal SW Indian cuisine, more commonly made with chicken or prawns. I had lean pork loin on hand so I thought I'd use it this time, next time I'm eager to try it with prawns and veggies instead.

Jump to Recipe

The recipe is quite involved and blends numerous flavor components, but the steps are fairly straight forward. My friend pointed me to the Instagram account of Chef Zacharias she follows, who broke it down and demonstrated the steps. This is my adaptation of his recipe using ingredients more readily available in the United States (and which I already had in my pantry).

I gathered all the ingredients (I later realized the ones piled up in the picture above were missing a couple, see if you can spot which ones, heh), then set out to build the flavors of the curry. To give the meat a chance to absorb the aromas of the spices for as long as possible, take care of it first. Cut in bite size pieces if applicable (for drumsticks or prawns leave whole), then salt generously and add the remaining powdered spices - red chili powder, turmeric, ground black pepper, cumin and coriander. Massage the spices into the meat all over, then set aside.

Tip: If you want to do the majority of the work the night before for an easy prep-ahead week night dinner, you can put the meat in the fridge at this stage and let it marinade in the spices overnight.

Next, set out to make the curry paste. First, heat a tablespoon or so of ghee - the grass fed one I had in my fridge packs so much flavor - over medium to medium high heat and add half the chopped onions. In this stage the aim is to get a golden-brown color on the onions as they cook, not a soft sautee. Avoid overcrowding the pan to encourage better browning. Season well, then add the shredded coconut. This is the first spot where I diverged from the authentic recipe the chef described. I didn't have a fresh coconut on hand to crack and shred up, so I used desiccated shredded coconut from my pantry and added a tablespoon of coconut butter (not oil, important distinction) to enhance the flavor and creaminess. 

Continue sauteeing while mixing often so the coconut browns evenly as well, then add the roughly chopped ginger and garlic, followed by the whole spices (coriander seeds, sesame seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves). Sesame seeds here are quite unique and I don't recall seeing them before in Indian cuisine, but I love what they do to the overall flavor. I also added a bit of poppy seeds, they weren't included in the ingredient list at all but my friend mentioned them and they sounded like a good idea. Continue mixing constantly while the mixture caramelizes to a deep golden brown to chocolate brown, being careful not to burn it.

Once the desired color is attained, you need to cool and blend the mixture to a paste. Since I was only making this for the one meal, I didn't need it to be a very dense paste, as I would add water when cooking the final dish anyway. What I did to both deglaze the pan and cool down the mixture was splashing a cup of cold water in the pan, then scraping the bottom to pick up all the flavorful bits that had stuck on during the cooking process. I put everything in my vitamix and blended it to a smooth paste, adding more water as necessary for everything to move through the blades.

Tip: At this stage, you can cover and refrigerate the paste along with the spiced meat if you plan to make the final dish the next day, the remaining steps just bring everything together for the final meal.

I did this next step on the sautee function of the instant pot because I used it at high pressure a bit later to finish. If you're doing prawns this is not necessary as they cook pretty quickly on their own. Warm up another tablespoon of ghee on medium-low to medium heat (I used the low sautee setting on the IP), and add the bay leaves to stir up the flavors. If you have green chillies on hand (I didn't, I'll mention my solution a bit later), split them at the tip and add them now. Once the oils start releasing, add the other half of the chopped onions (you can thinly slice as well, depending on preference), season and stir to soften. Add the chopped tomatoes and turn up the heat a bit to cook and reduce the moisture. I also added some roasted hatch chiles since I didn't have the spicy green ones in my kitchen, they rounded out the flavor to balance the tomatoes and added some good heat to the dish. 

When the tomatoes (and chiles) are cooked down and darkened a bit in color, add the curry paste and mix well. Finally, add the marinated meat (if you do this recipe all in one go make sure it sat at least 1-2 hours with the spices) and mix well. Add enough water to barely cover the meat and mix it in the sauce so it's fairly uniform, then set the pot to cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes with the valve sealed. When the cooking cycle ends, let it naturally release for 5-10 minutes before releasing and remaining pressure. Serve on rice and top with a squeeze of fresh lime and fresh chopped cilantro. I added some greens around mine to brighten up the presentation and add more veggies to my plate. 

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Malvani Pork Curry

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of pork loin

1 tbsp kosher salt 

2 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp ghee

2 medium sized onions

45g shredded desiccated coconut

1 tbsp coconut butter

2 in. fresh ginger

6-8 garlic cloves

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp poppy seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

8-10 black peppercorns, whole

1/4 stick of cinnamon

3-4 cloves

2-3 bay leaves

14.5 oz chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup roasted hatch chiles

lime, quartered

cilantro, roughly chopped

Method

1. Cut up meat in bite sized pieces, as evenly as possible.
2. Season well with salt, then add all the powdered spices (chili through black pepper).
3. Massage spices into the meat, cover and let sit in the fridge.
4. Chop onions, ginger and garlic.
5. Heat up 1 tbsp of ghee on medium-high heat and add half the onion, mixing to brown.
6. Add coconut and coconut butter, mix frequently to caramelize. 
7. Add ginger and garlic, then whole spices (sesame seeds through cloves).
8. Continue mixing over medium heat until reaching a deep brown color.
9. Deglaze with a cup of water and scrape up any stuck bits.
10. Blend into a smooth paste, adding water as necessary to get an appropriate consistency (think ricotta-like).
11. Heat up 1tbsp of ghee in low sautee mode of the instant pot (or on the stove if not using IP).
12. Add bay leaves and stir for a minute.
13. Sautee second chopped up onion until soft, seasoning as it cooks.
14. Add tomatoes and chiles, and turn up heat (to medium) to reduce liquids and caramelize.
15. Mix in curry paste from step #10, then add meat and just enough water to cover meat.
16. Seal lid and set the IP to pressure cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
17. Allow to naturally release pressure for 5-10 minutes when done, then release any remaining pressure.
18. Serve on rice with a squeeze of lime and a handful of cilantro on top. Enjoy!

Notes

• The original recipe calls for a whole freshly grated coconut, if you have a whole coconut on hand and the means/patience to grate it, this could enhance the flavor even further.
• The roasted hatch chiles can be replaced with a more authentic use of green fresh chilies, just add in the same step as the bay leaves (#12).
• You can use chicken (bone in) and follow the same steps, or prawns (whole, peeled and deveined) and skip the pressure cooking step, just simmer for a few minutes after adding to the curry sauce.

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

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

Wang's Kitchen

Location: Milpitas, CA
Website: wangskitchenusa.com/
Cuisine type: Chinese Indian fusion
Atmosphere: cafe style seating, open dining room
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.5

Nina

We stumbled on this place on its grand opening day - it’s a medium sized restaurant with cafe style seating and glass walls on three sides which identifies itself as a Chinese Indian fusion. There wasn’t a big crowd as one might expect on an opening day, even though they were offering an amazing deal - 50% off the entire bill today and tomorrow to launch their new place. The down side was that with this deal they didn’t offer carryout for these two days, but we were intrigued enough to change plans and eat at the restaurant. The menu seemed more Chinese than Indian, but there were a few dishes that seemed to represent the fusion aspect nicely.
The service still needed some kinks ironed out, as one might expect from a brand new place with new staff. The waiters were a little awkward, there was a guy walking between the tables collecting dishes on a rolling cart that was a bit of an eye sore and also making somewhat arbitrary decisions on what to take and what to leave (he took away my tea cup even though I was still drinking from it, but left the dirty bowls on our table for a little while even though we were done).
My first course was a Lung Fung soup - I ordered a little bowl which was definitely plentiful. It was a garlic creamy soup with mushrooms (which seemed like they might have come from a can, but were still tasty), chicken and egg whites, and garnished with parsley and scallions. The flavor was quite a bit richer than any egg drop soup I’ve had before, and the creamy texture contrasted nicely with the crispy scallions and tender mushrooms.

Even though it took quite a while to get the soup (almost half an hour), my entree came 5 or 10 minutes later, so I had both on the table until I was able to finish the soup. I ordered the Manchurian lamb, which seems to be one of the most representative Chinese Indian fusion flavor profiles. The dish, as most others, came with two options - dry or gravy. It wasn’t gravy in the traditional American sense, but rather a thick sauce that came with the meat as opposed to a dry rub. My dry flavored lamb was perfectly cooked and had a warm spiciness that was just hot enough to be fun, but milk enough to not be overwhelming. The Hakka noodles that we shared on the side were a noodle version of fried rice - with vegetables and bean sprouts, and a lightly oily sauce that was just enough to flavor the dish wihout making it too heavy.

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 8

Ben

We were looking to grab a meal by a plaza near our place with primarily Chinese markets / restaurants, and stumbled on this place and saw it happened to be their grand opening. A Chinese / Indian fusion restaurant with locations around the world, this is their first restaurant in the in the U.S. They wouldn’t let us take food to go, since they had a 50% off special for their opening so we stayed anyway. Aside from the lack of an option for takeout, there were quite a few other growing pains (which I do find completely forgivable as it is their first night in operation, but I will list anyway). The service was a little awkward between the waiter and hostess to seat us, and they split a double table as we sat down, despite several empty tables. We ordered two soups, a Manchow chicken (which lacked the fried noodles in the description), and an egg-white chicken soup. We did wait about 30 minutes before the soup was out after we ordered. They were both very intricately flavored, served with fresh herbs and strong flavors (though with what we presumed were canned mushrooms) , definitely a full step above most soups I ever have at Chinese restaurants.

After such a long wait for the soups, the entrees were brought out only a couple of minutes later, before we were halfway through the soup, crowding the table. We ordered a manchurian lamb (dry, with the option of gravy or no gravy.. they even said they can’t serve the gravy on the side.. weird) and a blackbean gravy spicy prawn dish. They were both very generous portions and I found them to be delicious and both the lamb and prawns were perfectly cooked. We also had a good noodle dish that was randomly brought a couple minutes later. While the whole time we were chuckling at the little awkwardnesses, I have to say they had someone who knew what they were doing in the kitchen, amongst the chaos the food surprised me that it was really spot-on. They serve a fresh oolong tea with the meal, and the drink menu is pretty limited, with tea/coffee, salt lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi, milk, and soda. The restaurant is one large open room with several tables, which gives it a little bit of an empty feel despite having a good amount of customers. The decoration is a little in-progress, with oriental panel walls along the entrance, and the rest of the restaurant sparsely decorated. The value is pretty good (even without the 50% discount), with most entrees around $10. Overall I think it is a pretty quality place, especially once they iron out a few of the small issues, and think based on the food itself, they have a chance to establish themselves among an area so densely populated with restaurants.

Food 9
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8

Khana Khazana

Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Website: www.khanakhazanaca.com
Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: casual cafe style seating, limited buffet
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.1

Nina

Khana Khazana is one of the many small strip-mall restaurants so prevalent in the South Bay, but it so happened that it was convenient place to stop for a quick weeknight dinner on this particular day, with a nice Groupon Now deal to go along with it. As it often happens when we have these types of deals for small restaurants, we have a hard time meeting the minimum spend between the two of us. Khana Khazana had a modest buffet on display for really quick grab-and-go meals, but also a much more comprehensive menu with a wide variety of ingredients and preparations.
We ordered a meal with three curries (chicken, chickpea and paneer) with roti and chilli chicken (a Chinese Indian fusion dish), carrot pudding for dessert, and also goat curry to go. While the curries were good but not spectacular, the chilli chicken was delicious, with a good balance between sharp spice, rich flavor and moist chunks of meat. The pudding was a little too sweet for me (which is rare), but that’s not really unusual for Indian dessert from my previous experience.
Overall, this place is a reasonable choice for a quick meal in a clean and cozy cafe setting. However, due to the prevalence of small restaurants like this in the area and to the lukewarm enthusiasm I feel about their food, I wouldn’t go too far out of my way to go back.

Food 7
Drinks n/a
Atmosphere 6
Service 9
Value 8

Ben

An Indian fast food place, with 6 dishes on the bar which can be purchased right away in combinations of 2 or 3. We ordered the combination of three curry dishes (chicken, chickpeas, paneer) with roti, and they were decent. The chili chicken (a fried, Chinese/Indian dish) was flavorful, but the best dish I had was the freshly prepared goat curry. The carrot dessert was also decent. The place is pretty small and narrow, and is really more built to be a take-out stop as they don’t really have any service but a water pitcher and self-serve plates / silverware. The value is decent, and (surprise) the freshly cooked food was a lot better than on the bar. However, for what it is - it is a good quick stop for some decent, low cost and fast indian food.

Food 8
Drinks n/a
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value 8

Amber India

Location: Mountain View, CA
Cuisine type: Classic North Indian
Atmosphere: fine dining, mood lighting
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.2

Nina

It often happens on weekends that we start running errands, and get caught up in them until we find ourselves starving, far from home, and with no ingredients readily available for a quick dinner. That’s when we choose a quick restaurant that we drive by, that sounds appealing or that we have heard of before but never tried. It was on one of these days that we stopped at Amber India. It looked unassuming from the outside, with a narrow entrance off a strip mall on El Camino Real, but we had actually heard of this one and it came with high praises; plus, the full parking lot also offered a hint this place might be a hidden gem. The inside immediately dispelled the initial impression of a small shabby place - this place had an elegant and authentic decor, a sophisticated atmosphere and labeled itself as an Indian fine dining establishment, and rightfully so.
We went straight to the point - ordered two entrees, no drinks or appetizers or anything else that could detract from us getting our food. I picked a dish that sounded very unique - cochin scallops - since I had never eaten shellfish in an Indian restaurant before and I was very interested to see how they would hold up to the spicy cuisine. Having learned our lesson from Shiva’s, we went straight for the unleavened bread cooked in the tandoori oven - not only does it offer the benefit of being whole wheat, but it’s also somewhat crispier and lighter than the classic naan. The server convinced us not to go with roti, but with something similar yet more sophisticated - a paratha (layered bread), with this aromatic seeds that reminded me of cumin though they weren’t quite the same. He insisted they were an Indian seed with no exact equivalent in English, I’ll have to figure out what that is so I can try it out in my own cooking.
The scallop dish was excellent, they definitely earned their title of “Best Indian Food in the Bay Area” several years in a row by the SF Chronicle. The scallops were large and tender, drenched in a tomato based coconut milk curry with peppercorn and tamarind. The texture wasn’t quite as creamy as the classic seared preparation for this shellfish, but it was surprisingly soft for something cooked slowly in sauce that way. They were also quite generous with the portion size, I had never eaten more than 3 jumbo scallops in a restaurant entree before, and this time I had 5, which made for quite a satisfying meal. The bread we ordered was also great, with a crispy texture on the outside, yet the fresh baked softness on the inside. The seeds gave just enough aroma to allow the paratha to hold its own, yet were subtle enough that they didn’t detract from the flavor of the curry.
I can definitely see how this restaurant earned it renown, and I enjoyed our dinner experience here quite a bit. The food was flavorful and excellently cooked, the service was beyond reproach and the atmosphere was appropriate for everything from a semi-casual family dinner to a romantic date night. A must-try in the Silicon Valley food scene.

Food 9
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 7

Ben

Appears to be another of countless Indian restaurants on El Camino, in a small parking lot next to a nail salon. We were surprised to find it has won some accolades (SF Chronicle Bay area top 100). The restaurant has a nice feel to the inside, white tablecloths and professional and courteous host and service staff. The food is moderately priced (slightly higher than average Indian restaurants in area, standard meat entrees $15-$25) and a carefully constructed menu (not overwhelmingly large, but covers all classics and has a large selection of both vegetarian and meats (including chicken, goat, lamb, seafood). The wine menu is a good size, but we found the price a little high and didn't go for it. I had a "Rogan Josh" lamb curry and some roti, Nina had a scallop curry. The lamb was tender and the sauce was very flavorful and with a good amount of spice.I tasted Nina's dish.. and wouldn't recommend (the scallops were slightly tough and the flavor was lost in the spice). Overall, I found the food to be very good, but did not stand out in any spectacular or particularly memorable way.

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 7

Shiva's

Location: Mountain View, CA
Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: mood lighting, authentic decor
Meal: dinner
Price range: appetizers $5-$10, entrees $15-$20, dessert $4-$8
Overall score: 8.3

Nina

One of the simple pleasures in life is to walk down the street in a pretty town like Mountain View, admire the sights, walk other people walk by, and best of all - pick a restaurant on a whim. Our spur of the moment decision led us to Shiva’s, which sits close to the south end of Castro St downtown. Even from the outside, the restaurant has a warm glow, a cozy yet majestic feel. Inside, the lights are dim, the decor is glamorous and authentic, and tables vary to accommodate everyone from couple out for a dinner treat to large family-style gatherings. Overall, this place would definitely qualify as “fine dining” without being too glamorous or overpriced.
The appetizer we shared was called Samil Dil Ruba, essentially a cheesy potato cake baked/fried, which was tasty on its own but really got pushed over the top by the accompanying tamarind sauce. My entree was a lamb biryani - even though I was worried that I might get too much rice and too little lamb, the chunky, saucy flavorful plate I received proved me wrong immediately. There was nothing particularly unique to this dish in either taste or ingredients, but it was perfectly prepared - the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce was creamy and spicy, and the texture of the rice was not drowned out by the other components. Along with the entree I opted for the whole wheat tandoori roti, which as far as I could tell seemed to come out of a real tandoor oven - crunchy and ever so slightly charred on the outside, with a softness inside that made it a delicious vehicle for the sauce.
The meal was so satisfying that it had to end in an equally satisfying dessert. We asked our server for a recommendation since the dessert menu was more extensive than usual and I had a hard time deciding. The Kesar Rasmalai (cheese dumplings in sweet reduced milk) that she brought really fit the bill - it was sweet, but not overly so, dumplings had a delicate texture yet held their own, and last but not least the milk sauce had a hint of saffron that rounded off the flavor profile of the dish.

Food 9
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 10
Service 9
Value 7

Ben

An impressive looking restaurant on a prominent corner on Castro in mountain view. The interior is equally impressive, abundant in plants and well adorned and colorful walls and scaffolding, along with a dimly-lit, smooth feel to the inside, a popular date spot. The food lived up to the environment - powerful flavors and fresh ingredients. We ordered sanu dil ruba as an appetizer, a soft cheese / potato cake with some sauce, which was pretty good. I really liked the entree - goan chicken vandaloo, an intense and complex sauce over soft dark chicken. I cleaned the plate with some classic and whole wheat naan, both of which were delicious -a little crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. For dessert, we had rasmalai, a simplistic but delicious two cheese custard-like balls in a sweet milky sauce, a great finish after a spicy entree. They had an extensive wine list and a decent beer selection, and the service was a little overwhelmed but very responsive. The price was around $15-$20 for meat entrees, with glasses of wine started around $7-$8.

Food 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 6

Favorite Indian Restaurant

Location: Hayward, CA
Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: casual, authentic decor
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.17

Nina

We had the unique opportunity of attending the Cirque du Soleil show called “Michael Jackson - The Immortal” at Oracle Arena, which I particularly enjoyed since I grew up being a huge MJ music fan. On the way back home, we were famished since we went to the show straight from work, so we stopped for dinner at this very modestly named restaurant called Favorite Indian Restaurant.

The place was a small standalone building (which we found to be rare in this land of strip malls), with more of the look of a Japanese steakhouse on the outside than what it really was - maybe it was the slanted flat-top roof reminding me of a pagoda, or just a feeling of deja-vu that gave me this impression. On the inside, the tables were pretty plain, many of them nested in simple booths, but the decor still brought in a feeling of authenticity.

I went for the Thali Dinner Platter, not knowing at the time exactly what it involved - I later found our from a very enthusiastic friend that the name describes a traditional way of serving a multi-part meal on the same platter, thus the name “thali”. The entree on my platter was a shrimp prepared in a creamy spinach sauce - I loved this dish, it was delicate, flavorful, yet not really spicy. The shrimp was well cooked, but not tough, and the portion size was very appropriate. I am not sure that I could identify all the other components on my platter even after asking the server specifically about it, many of the names I was presented with were Indian dish names which didn’t really ring a bell. Overall, there were about a half dozen small metal bowls/cups lining the outside of a metallic platter. Among them, I was able to recognize a lentil soup, a vegetable curry and a raita (spiced yogurt sauce that complements spicier dishes by balancing out the hot flavors with the cooling effect of the dairy). There were a couple of other vegetable and lentil based creamy dishes that went along with the meal, which I enjoyed even now knowing exactly what went into them. Finally, the dessert was a single ball of gulab jamun, the traditional cheese-based donut soaked in syrup that is so prevalent at all Indian restaurants and on all Indian buffets. This bite of sweetness was a little tougher than I like, as often happens when the dessert is chilled - I like it better when it’s warm and it melts in your mouth, but I can’t say that I didn’t like this one either.

Overall, this meal was reasonably priced, generously portioned and rish in both flavor and texture. Not sure I would call it my ultimate “favorite Indian restaurant”, but it’s definitely among my favorites.

Food 8

Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8


Ben

We were on our way back home in San Jose from Oakland, and stopped on the way for dinner in Hayward. I was feeling Indian so we googled and found a closeby place. I had pretty low expectations when I saw the name (was thinking they knew it was the only way their restaurant and "favorite" would be found in the same sentence). We were greeted by a friendly hostess and went in to a half full restaurant with buffet fixtures (they were off.. open for lunchtime every day and dinners on weekends). We looked at the menu and were surprised to see how low the prices were - $9 for an entree and an extra $5 for a Taali meal. We ordered one entree (lamb curry) on its own and another entree (shrimp and spinach) with the Taali meal. The Taali meal came with a light lentil soup, a vegetable curry, a sambar (a pea and lentil sauce), and a yogurt dish. We were also served the classic tamarind sauce and cilantro chutney served with papadam (the thin chip used for dipping). I found my entree to be (as of 1/18/12) to be probably my favorite Indian dishes I've had(and I love Indian food). The lamb was clearly slow cooked, was extremely soft and tender and had an incredible flavor. The sauce had a perfect creaminess and spiciness and a strong kick of flavor, and the naan and all of the Taali sauces were also great. The server was young but very good, friendly in explaining the menu and very quick in service. The restaurant is pretty big and well spread out, and there were a few large parties that were well accommodated. There is a pretty decent selection of wines - including plenty of local. Overall I loved the food and experience, and would definitely go back frequently if it were a little closer to us. 

Food 10

Drinks 8

Atmosphere 7

Service 9

Price 10

Kaati Fresh

Location: San Jose, River Oaks Plaza
Cuisine Type: Indian fast food
Atmosphere: fast food restaurant
Meal: dinner
Overall grade: 6.9

Ben

This is an Indian fast food restaurant within walking distance of our place, so we went to check it out. The menu is pretty short but has about what one would expect, different marinations of meats in wraps. I had a spicy chicken wrap with yogurt, which was pretty decent and cheap (though not extremely fresh - it is a genuine "fast food"). I would recommend it as a good place to try out for a different takes on wraps, with decent ingredients and a good price. The server was friendly and the desert we got (a dessert crepe with cinnamon and cream cheese) was also pretty good. 

Food 7

Drinks 7

Atmosphere 7

Service 8

Value 8

Nina

For a quick weeknight dinner, it made sense to go close to home, to the River Oaks Plaza. The place that drew us this time was Kaati Fresh - the Indian cafe. Their menu was dominated by a large variation of rolls - essentially an Indian flavor burrito, in which the tortilla shell was replaced by a large, thin crepe crusted with a very thin layer of egg on the inside. It was a unique combination, but worked great in preventing the filling from soaking into the crepe shell, and at the same time lent a richness to the overall flavor of the roll. I ordered the ground beef roll, which surprised me a little since I had never really had either beef or meat in ground form combined with classic Indian flavors. The fresh bite in this dish came from a pretty standard combination of iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato, so not much surprise there.
Since I can rarely resist dessert, I also ordered the cinnamon cream cheese roll (saffron churri churri), which turned out to share the same crepe-like base with the entree, and was filled with a soft and sweet cream cheese mixture and topped with a powder of cinnamon.
With its modest, fast-food like setting (even heating was provided by these portable radiators), and fairly unsurprising menu, this place is a solid choice for a filling, tasty and quick dinner, but not exactly a date destination.

Food 7
Drinks 5
Atmosphere 6
Service 6
Value 8

Mezbaan Bar & Indian Cuisine

Location: Santa Clara, CA
Cuisine type: Indian traditional
Atmosphere: family style seating, casual atmosphere
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$13 - $18 / entree
Overall grade: 7.9

Ben

A good-looking restaurant in the River Mark plaza in northern San Jose, well decorated and pretty large sized compared to most Indian restaurants in the area. We were hauled in by an anxious server as we were walking by perusing the menu. During the meal, we were waited on by 3 different servers, all very professional and polite. We started out with the special appetizer of the night, a royal chicken breast in spices.. it was spicy, delicious and filling. We both ordered lamb dishes, I ordered the lamb curry and requested the high level of spiciness. The spiciness level did not disappoint, I was met with all I could handle - exactly what  I was hoping for. The portion of lamb was very generous, and I loved the heavy curry flavor. I ordered an Indian beer (Flying Horse) which went well with spicy food. The naan was fluffy and buttery, perfect for wiping up the generous amounts of sauce. After starting out with the large appetizer, and continuing to the lamb with naan and rice, we ended up taking about another entire meal for both of us home (actually 2 meals for me). The value was overall pretty good for the portions (even the beer was 24 oz), though we were slightly annoyed when we discovered on the bill that the appetizer of the day was more than twice the price of any other appetizer on the menu (~$14). The place was full with a mix of couples, families, and large parties, and was overall an enjoyable experience.

Food:           9

Drinks:         8
Atmosphere: 7
Service:        8
Value:          7


Nina

On a friend's recommendation, we decided to try this restaurant which sits inconspicuously in the same parking lot as the supermarket where we buy most of our food. Honestly, I'm surprised it took us this long to eat here, we pass by it every day, and after all we do like Indian food.

At first glance, the menu looked very reasonable - both in price and variety of offerings. The drinks menu looked equally enticing, with a few domestic as well as European and Indian beers joined by a full wine and cocktail menu. I ordered a Mai Tai - it was very well made and much more complex in flavor than anything I actually had in Hawaii.


The manager personally came to take our appetizer order, and after explaining to us their standard offerings he encouraged us to try the "nawapi(royal) chicken" special of the day - he forgot to mention that it about twice as expensive as all other appetizers, and that was a surprised he saved for the check. That being said, the chicken was tasty, layered with flavors from different herbs and marinades, though slightly overcooked and dry. Before the entrees were brought in, we had a few spicy dips and fresh fried chips  on the table, which was tasty, but nothing to dig in heartily, more of a palate awakening. 


I ordered the Saag Gosht - spinach cream lamb, and it came in a metal dish over a tea light to keep warm, with a side of biryani rice. It was spicy, flavorful and tender, and also plentiful enough that half of it was enough for a satisfying dinner. The rest became breakfast the next day, and it was just as goo reheated as it was fresh. This restaurant is in such a convenient location and serves such delicious Indian food, that we will probably become regulars. 

Food:          8
Drinks:         9
Atmosphere: 8
Service:        7
Value:          7