After a failed attempt at finding good Indian food near DC, we headed up north to the tried and true spice kingdom that is Iselin, NJ. Despite the fact that all the curries and stuff they have available are precooked, they are all top of the line. They didn't have chicken tikka masala, but instead they had chicken 65. LOL. EXCELLENT. I didn't even care what the name was. If its brown, has meat, and lots of oil, I'm game. The lady at the front didn't really want to heat up the dish for us, even though there was a microwave behind her. We even asked her twice, and she insisted that it would better to take it home and warm it up. Maybe it was due to my profuse refusal to speak in Urdu, but she didn't understand that we were travelling and wanted to eat in the car. Anyways, the super fragrant, messy, oily, spicy, amazingness is probably sitting somewhere in a blood vessel clogging up my cardiovascular system. It was everything you love about Indian food and nothing you don't. By the way, there's nothing to dislike about Indian food anyways, except when it might be executed badly. I really like how they make their chicken kabobs fresh. Next door, at Shalimar, they don't, and they're are pretty open about it. I'd describe Shalimar's kabobs as mediocre, and having a rough texture due to the fact that they are microwaved before serving. I don't mind microwaved meat if I'm eating my own leftovers, but if I pay for food outside, it should be fresh, shouldn't it? While I can't comment on Ali Baba's kabobs due to not trying them, I'm sure they'll be good as they are made fresh right in front of you. Of course, this comes with the downside of waiting a bit. Lots of specials available, and really good food. The kabobs are made fresh, which has to be nice, and the other dishes they have are pretty tasty as well. This place is simply awesome.
(5)
Rohit K.
Not exactly sure why this restaurant is so highly rated. They advertize their biryani as Hyderabadi Biryani, and they are lying. I've lived in Hyderabad for over 10 years, and have never tasted biryani like this. The biryani honestly tastes like tamarind rice, and it is just not savory whatsoever. The biryani is priced at $6.99, and they have a buy two, get one free offer. The restaurant is extremely dirty and dinghy. I really wonder what the health department rating is for this restaurant. I'm giving their biryani one star, and the other star is for the nice lady behind the cash register. Please save your hard-earned money and go somewhere else.
(2)
Krsna V.
I am a connoisseur of biryani: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi… It is the food of gods, imo. I don't care what you think. Among the various types of biryani eaten by gods, Hyderabadi biryani is the creme de la creme. You only get to eat Hyderabadi biryani if you are the superman of gods... or something like that. It is the only food on this planet I will kill someone for. You just need to bring me Hyderabadi biryani and I'll get naked for you in a heartbeat. Wait, scratch that.... I'll get naked for you if you are cute, regardless of the biryani. A brief, but not comprehensive info about Hyderabadi biryani: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy… Properly prepared biryani is a rarity in the US. I am yet to find a restaurant in the US that makes Hyderabadi biryani as well as the motherland. Even in the motherland there are only certain places that are considered temples of biryani (because I claim it is the food of Gods, it is only appropriate to call these restaurants temples). Places like Bawarchi, Paradise cafe, Garden restaurant, and a few others in Hyderabad are the temples where you can get this kind of food eaten by gods. Now that I have provided the context, let's get to the review. Ali Baba is among the top 3 places in the entire country that come close to making an authentic Hyderabadi biryani. It is still not the same as I remember, but it is pretty darn good. The rest of the stuff from this restaurant is just alright. It is only the biryani that matters. Well, $hit! Now you know where to go and act all god-like.
(4)
Sunia T.
I love this place so much. They make everything fresh, granted you are sitting there for a good 30 minutes-1 hour waiting but it is worth it. I like how it's not as popular as Shalimar and Shahnawaz and never packed. They are really friendly and accommodating. It's not a sit-down restaurant but the food is delicious. I love their mixed platter and kebab rolls.
(5)
Hrishikesh H.
Authentic desi food. Very good customer service. 24 hours
(4)
Matthew N.
Well, there aren't many choice of authentic Pakistan food so you're left Shalimar and Ali Baba. Maybe there are more that I'm not aware of. As far as the food is concerned taste wise it is not bad at all. But I believe when you eat out you expect more than just the food taste and that's where they lack. We were offered to take Buffet dinner but all food was cold, when I say cold I mean freezing cold as there was no heating inside the restaurant. We had to fill up and get it microwaved after every re-fill. We order a separate Paya which was not in Buffet which tasted horrible and the worst part was it was not returnable. In my books if you eat in a restaurant like this service you never go back there. I think take out at these places is the best way to enjoy desi food at home.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
Imran G.
After a failed attempt at finding good Indian food near DC, we headed up north to the tried and true spice kingdom that is Iselin, NJ. Despite the fact that all the curries and stuff they have available are precooked, they are all top of the line. They didn't have chicken tikka masala, but instead they had chicken 65. LOL. EXCELLENT. I didn't even care what the name was. If its brown, has meat, and lots of oil, I'm game. The lady at the front didn't really want to heat up the dish for us, even though there was a microwave behind her. We even asked her twice, and she insisted that it would better to take it home and warm it up. Maybe it was due to my profuse refusal to speak in Urdu, but she didn't understand that we were travelling and wanted to eat in the car. Anyways, the super fragrant, messy, oily, spicy, amazingness is probably sitting somewhere in a blood vessel clogging up my cardiovascular system. It was everything you love about Indian food and nothing you don't. By the way, there's nothing to dislike about Indian food anyways, except when it might be executed badly. I really like how they make their chicken kabobs fresh. Next door, at Shalimar, they don't, and they're are pretty open about it. I'd describe Shalimar's kabobs as mediocre, and having a rough texture due to the fact that they are microwaved before serving. I don't mind microwaved meat if I'm eating my own leftovers, but if I pay for food outside, it should be fresh, shouldn't it? While I can't comment on Ali Baba's kabobs due to not trying them, I'm sure they'll be good as they are made fresh right in front of you. Of course, this comes with the downside of waiting a bit. Lots of specials available, and really good food. The kabobs are made fresh, which has to be nice, and the other dishes they have are pretty tasty as well. This place is simply awesome.
(5)Rohit K.
Not exactly sure why this restaurant is so highly rated. They advertize their biryani as Hyderabadi Biryani, and they are lying. I've lived in Hyderabad for over 10 years, and have never tasted biryani like this. The biryani honestly tastes like tamarind rice, and it is just not savory whatsoever. The biryani is priced at $6.99, and they have a buy two, get one free offer. The restaurant is extremely dirty and dinghy. I really wonder what the health department rating is for this restaurant. I'm giving their biryani one star, and the other star is for the nice lady behind the cash register. Please save your hard-earned money and go somewhere else.
(2)Krsna V.
I am a connoisseur of biryani: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi… It is the food of gods, imo. I don't care what you think. Among the various types of biryani eaten by gods, Hyderabadi biryani is the creme de la creme. You only get to eat Hyderabadi biryani if you are the superman of gods... or something like that. It is the only food on this planet I will kill someone for. You just need to bring me Hyderabadi biryani and I'll get naked for you in a heartbeat. Wait, scratch that.... I'll get naked for you if you are cute, regardless of the biryani. A brief, but not comprehensive info about Hyderabadi biryani: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy… Properly prepared biryani is a rarity in the US. I am yet to find a restaurant in the US that makes Hyderabadi biryani as well as the motherland. Even in the motherland there are only certain places that are considered temples of biryani (because I claim it is the food of Gods, it is only appropriate to call these restaurants temples). Places like Bawarchi, Paradise cafe, Garden restaurant, and a few others in Hyderabad are the temples where you can get this kind of food eaten by gods. Now that I have provided the context, let's get to the review. Ali Baba is among the top 3 places in the entire country that come close to making an authentic Hyderabadi biryani. It is still not the same as I remember, but it is pretty darn good. The rest of the stuff from this restaurant is just alright. It is only the biryani that matters. Well, $hit! Now you know where to go and act all god-like.
(4)Sunia T.
I love this place so much. They make everything fresh, granted you are sitting there for a good 30 minutes-1 hour waiting but it is worth it. I like how it's not as popular as Shalimar and Shahnawaz and never packed. They are really friendly and accommodating. It's not a sit-down restaurant but the food is delicious. I love their mixed platter and kebab rolls.
(5)Hrishikesh H.
Authentic desi food. Very good customer service. 24 hours
(4)Matthew N.
Well, there aren't many choice of authentic Pakistan food so you're left Shalimar and Ali Baba. Maybe there are more that I'm not aware of. As far as the food is concerned taste wise it is not bad at all. But I believe when you eat out you expect more than just the food taste and that's where they lack. We were offered to take Buffet dinner but all food was cold, when I say cold I mean freezing cold as there was no heating inside the restaurant. We had to fill up and get it microwaved after every re-fill. We order a separate Paya which was not in Buffet which tasted horrible and the worst part was it was not returnable. In my books if you eat in a restaurant like this service you never go back there. I think take out at these places is the best way to enjoy desi food at home.
(2)