Reviews

District Weekly, Nov 2009

"As its name suggests, curries constitute a significant portion of Kabob Curry’s menu. There are about 10 total, soupy things containing chicken, lamb, shrimp or (when available) catfish. The shrimp masala curry is a worthy choice, a brick-red bowl of tender shrimp, bell pepper, onion and tomato. Lamb curry is more prominently spiced, simmered with an aromatic blend of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves"

Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 12:00 am | Updated: 12:15 pm, Thu Aug 5, 2010.
By Larry Hill
Gazette Restaurant Writer

• Staff/Service: The staff is friendly and knowledgeable; service is quick.
• Food/Drinks: The menu is nicely balanced, offering a variety of flavors but without the extremes of choice often seen in larger curry eateries.

Appetizers include samosas, vegetarian and meat, dal, stuffed nan and salad. Curry offerings include Tandoori Chicken Masala, Chicken Curry, Chicken Saag (with spinach and mustard greens), Lamb Karahi and Shrimp Masala. Specialty rice dishes include Chicken, Vegetable, Lamb and Shrimp Biryani.

Vegetable dishes include Channa Dal, Bhindi Masala (okra), Channa Masala and Palak Paneer. Tandoor dishes include Chicken or Lamb Tikka, Chicken Seekh Kabob (ground chicken and spices) and Tandoori Fish.

You can get some of these in a roll that is wrapped in nan for lunch on the go. Good idea, that one.

Special dinners include Haleem (lentil and shredded beef), Nahneri (spicy beef curry), Chicken Karahi Masala (whole chicken cooked karahi style for four or five) and Bombay Biryani (whole chicken cooked biryani style for four or five).

Desserts include mango ice cream and rice pudding.

• Atmosphere: The dining room is open, bright and spacious, easy to relax in or get in and out for an eat-and-run.
• The Taste: I stopped in the midst of mid-afternoon deluge. As luck would have it (one of the many reasons I don’t win the lottery), a parking spot opened in front of the restaurant. I slammed a few quarters in, much to the chagrin of a law enforcer who just happened to cruise by at that moment, and shuffled into Kabob Curry.

There’s nothing quite like walking into an Indian-style eatery. The aromas are intoxicating far more complex than most cooking aromas. Coming in from the rain, made them all the more spectacular.

I sat down and contemplated my order. I had checked the menu online and thought I had my mind made up until I saw the daily special board: lamb korma and a beef samosa. Jennifer was away but she had just sent a text saying they were coming back a day early. I hatched a plan.

Lamb Korma and a Beef Samosa for lunch. Shrimp Masala, Chicken Tikka, Palak Paneer and Channa Masala for dinner. That’s indulgence.

My samosa arrived nicely hot from the oven with a squirt bottle of raita (yogurt and mint — with a zing in this case). I kind of like that squirt bottle of raita, properly ketchup-like for us westerners.

The samosa was nicely flavored and not greasy. And like most good samosas, I could have had a dozen.

Next came a plate of basmati rice, redolent with the aroma of clove. Large clove buds and black peppercorns dotted the colorful rice. Another bowl arrived with lamb korma, a dish that is often seen with cream and nuts in many eateries. Kabob Curry’s version is more traditional, using the braising juices of the meat with yogurt and a decent amount of turmeric. The sauce was brown in the bowl, but deep orange on the rice. The combination of the cloves and the korma spices was excellent. The lamb was tender and nicely flavored.

Jennifer loves curry to go. She was ecstatic with offerings of Kabob Curry. I’m sure she will find her way there as often as she can. The Shrimp Masala was nicely flavored, as was the Palak Paneer (Jennifer’s favorite dish), the Chicken Tikka was tasty and Channa Masala was excellent.

If you’re downtown or passing through on your way home, Kabob Curry is sure to have something tasty for dinner or lunch. Open a scant two months, they already have a following. Stop by for a little adventure.

• Price: Lunch for two is less than $15, and dinner for two is $15 to $25.
• Hello Mr. Tariq & Mr. Amir:
  I wanted to get back to you to thank you for the excellent food and service that you provided for our lunch party on Sept 11 in Long Beach. Most of our guests had good comments about the quality and taste of dishes provided by you. Many of these people live in greater Los Angeles area and have tasted food at other Indian/Pakistani restaurants.

• Thanks for your timely & courteous service and very reasonable pricing.
  We will certainly recommend your Restaurant to anyone looking for good Indo-Pak food.

Best Wishes
Suresh & Sudha Lall "