2011 Jan 10 Baba-licious: Pakistani Curries at Khan Baba
It’s not much to look at. Despite being newly opened, the carpet is worn – and dusty plastic vines dangling overhead rarely inspire confidence for a fine dining experience. When we wandered in at lunchtime, the bargain RMB 38 buffet looked lusterless, and even the menu was disheartening, featuring an oddly large list of Chinese dishes. Turn a blind eye to all this and focus on the flavors.
As my charming lunch companion Pablo noted, the Lahori samosa (RMB 22) is the Pakistani version of Canadian poutine. Take something fried (a samosa rather than fries) and smother it with something saucy (curry instead of gravy) and something delicious (mango chutney subs for cheese curds). The result was marvelous – Pablo licked the bowl.
The other dishes were nearly as praiseworthy, and made us ashamed of our snap judgment. After all, it’s China – shouldn’t we be used to delectable dishes emerging from the most humble of settings?
The chicken hot karahi (RMB 56) was enjoyably unusual, flavorful and spicy from the whole pickled peppers which burned pleasantly but retained tartness. The Lahori mutton choole is a mild sweet Punjabi curry featuring black chickpeas (RMB 58). Retaining the texture and chew of the lentils, the spinach daal (RMB 40) was likewise bowl-scrapingly delightful, and rounded off our feast in high form. The low point was the naan (RMB 15), a dense Xinjiang-style bread rather than the fluffy tandoori flatbread we were expecting.
In short, skip the buffet, skip the Chinese food, ignore the chintzy décor and just enjoy Khan Baba’s excellent curries.
Standout dishes: Lahori samosa, chicken hot karahi
Also try: Mughal’s, Yadgar
Khan Baba Pakistani Restaurant 汗巴巴巴基斯坦餐厅
Daily 11am-3pm, 6-10.30pm. Courtyard 4 (southeast of Nanjie), 4 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (6506 0976)
朝阳区工体北路4号院
Got something to say about this or any other Beijing venue? Register as a user at the Beijinger.com and post your review on our online directory.
You might also be interested in :
Gao Gao Spicy Hot Pot: Cook-It-Yourself With a Taiwanese Twist
Beijing isn’t lacking for hot pot spots, so when a new one appears, even enthusiasts might ask “Why bother?” Gao Gao answers that question with high-quality ingredients and a commitment to recreating the freshest Taipei hot pot.
Fit For a King: Feast Offers a New All-You-Can-Eat Option
The first thing that strikes you about Feast is that it’s a fine-looking restaurant. Of course, nobody really comes to a place like this to enjoy the design, so it’s just as well that the all-you-can-eat offerings deliver. Mix up your own salad to ease yourself in, and try not to overindulge in the bread and cheese selection – you’re going to need every inch your stomach allows.
Malay Day: Malaysian Cuisine at Little Nyonya
Since the term nyonya refers to the women of Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore, pretend with me for a second that Little Nyonya, the restaurant, is an actual woman. She’d be the kind of gal you could take home to meet your mom: reliable and demure, not the most glamorous, but someone you can settle down with. She does, after all, know how to cook.
Stylish Sichuan: Syringa Opens at China Central Place
If you love the food at Chuan Ban, but find the environment a little too “authentic” for out-of-town visitors or a date, Syringa may be your best new alternative. The kitchen is staffed with Chuan Ban alumni, but the setting is cleaner, fresher and has a certain rustic-chic meets cliché-contemporary-art charm.
Cedar's: A Lebanese Cafe in Sanlitun
At this unpretentious cafe, a light lunch can easily become a feast. Besides the familiar Middle Eastern staples, Cedar’s offers specialties like mankoushi (RMB 20), the “Lebanese pizza” featuring thin flatbread sparingly stuffed with zaatar, labneh and other fillings.
