On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Loading...
Where are the half stars?? This place is definitely a 3.5 stars kind of place and the half star is because the prices are pretty darn good.
Plain naan -tasty and fresh
Garlic naan - threw half of it away, just tasted like garlic powder
side of rice - can't complain
Chicken tikka masala - I like mine creamier and not so red and herby
Paneer - my sister seemed to like it but how can you go wrong with creamed spinach
Okra - delicious!
Its a place that's owned by people of Pakistani Origins.
Go for here for mostly tandoori meat Items. Buna gosht curry, chicken tikka masala curry, No Credit Cards accepted...
Service is non existent, you have to place your own order and get your own plates. The men standing behind the counter are dressed like its casual Fridays in Kabul everyday. No uniform etc. I have seen men with earrings, I have seen men with white t shirts with baggy kmart pants, i have seen designer leather jackets, it just depends on the day.
I have seen with my own eyes, they often don't ring up the sales, and I wonder if they pay taxes to anyone.(Fed or State) They do do not take credit cards which is frustrating. I noticed that the kitchen had at least 7-9 Mexican labor types prepping the food and cooking. For me it would not be a far stretch to say that the cash they get from the register, they pay these guys in CASH. Its all speculation and not 100% founded on anything that may be happening here in reality. Its just my opinion.
My Muslims brothers know how to eat meat. They could not cook a veg dish if there jihad life depended on it, but meat + being Muslim goes hand in hand. Made me think, you suppose all those signs above the cash register or above the drinks fridge, some islamic writing , what do you think it says? Perhaps it says the meat is halal. Which brings me to my next point, halal meat in Bay Area?
Where do you suppose in America you can get chicken or lamb that is killed with a swift, deep incision with a knife on the neck, cutting the jugular veins but leaving the spinal cord intact? Is that something that really happens in America? Let me know where it is because I don't believe it and I would like to see that happening for real. Though I never like places that confuse food and religion. You want to practice your religion go to the mosque.
No frills operation, order at front desk and sit at your table and eat your food. Windows are dirty have a snot like film covering them.
Shalimar has never been a place to go for service or for hygiene or even ambiance. Its always been about one thing ONLY, the food. They succeed in throwing out decent Pakistani, or N Indian Food as if you are sitting in Karachi. No one pays any attention to the TIP bottle because its a damn joke, if your tipping here, your a Caucasian fool.
What makes the food tasty: The fact that the curry's have animal oil floating around helps. The curry's that have bones also helps. Bones add flavor, try to order items WITH bones.
The Naan is below average. I only come here for one thing, THE GODDAMN MEAT. Do not come here and try to comment on the quality of the veg items and the chai tea, that is so lame.
Is it Cheap? Hell no, by the time i ordered two items and a naan, I was out $17 bucks. Not a cheap way to eat but I've heard its good for groups and people who don't give a damn about the cost. How come they have no buffet here? The food is already pre-cooked, with exception of a few items, so wft.......
I counted 7 bicycles parked outside the kitchen. That means that 7 people of lessor means (cant afford a car) are handling my food in kitchen, is that acceptable? Do they understand basic hygiene?
I doubt it, the less you know the better right?
Food is not as good as the Shalimar in Fremont. Its a lessor experiance.
(Comments here are not intended to offend anyone and are 100% fictitious in case of a religious fatwa put on me, I'm just having fun folks.)
OK, I'll admit it, Shalimar is a fricking GREASE fest, and I would not have it ANY other way. Any masala dish has a sea of red oil floating on top. It also has spice and flava, and tastes great. I know some Indian pals of mine who hate the place, but the clientele says otherwise.
The wife, even though she's south-indian, still does eat meat. When I worked near there, her phone call to "bring home some Indian" meant: "go to Shalimar and get our usual Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan, Rice, and Benghan Bharta" --all of which re-heats quite nicely in a microwave, at home. The Benghan is spicy as all get out, and great for it. The Masala on the chicken is thick, spicy, tasty and seriously bad for you.
Home Naan re-heating tip (I learned this from watching Queer Eye tips and tricks before the commercial, where Ted told us how to re-heat pizza at home, without making it mushy): microwave it to the temp you want, then slap it on a wailing hot skillet, to re-crisp the bottom side--but keep an eye out for the bottom burning.
Interesting note: this place has one particular strange memory for me; of the table next to us, erupting into a rather surreal altercation. A patron who was sitting, waiting for--I guess-- a to-go order, simply got up and silently started trying to strangle a guy at the table of 8, next to him. Either he was unhinged to begin with, or thought the patron was making the stink-eye. The rest of the table, and some of the counter workers separated them, and simply kicked the guy out. No police, just back to eating...
never saw this before or since, but if it was going to happen, it had to be at Shalimar, where cash is king, and the grease flows like a river.
Craving Indian/Pakistani food? Shali is the place to go! The bf and his friends love this place! Simple expectations for good Indian food.
Shalimar is located between 2 car dealerships on El Camino so keep a look out for it!
The food is good for the price you pay. For 4 people, we ordered:
4 naans- this is always my favorite with any type of Indian curry!
2 chicken tikas- I prefer my CTM's a lil more creamier. The curry is a little on the greasy side but still good.
1 chicken kofta- The best explanation of this is.....Pakistani meat balls with curry!
1 chicken briani rice- alot of chicken and just enough rice!
1 chicken tandori- chunks of grilled chicken. I'm not a huge fan of tandori but my brother enjoyed it!
4 sodas, 1 water = $50..not bad right?
Don't forgot to grab some tea after dinner. The tea is self served and is unlimited. I always grab a cup after dinner! :)
NOTE: Do not rock your Sunday best here because you will leave the restaurant smelling like a moving Indian spice rack.
Here's the lowdown on Shalimar:
You could spend a lot of money going to a fancy North Indian/Pakistani restaurant and will probably end up getting mediocre food. But the better option is to save yourself a little dough and go to Shalimar for AMAZING Pakistani food. Sure, the decor might not be fit for a king, but who really cares about that anyway?
The one downside to the restaurant is that it doesn't take credit cards. But hey, no problem, just stop at the ATM and get $20 because that's about all you will need for 2-3 people to be stuffed.
I have been here numerous times and have tried almost everything on the menu, and I have never been disappointed.
Chicken Tikka Masala - good
Chicken Kofta - good
Tandoori Chicken - good
Seekh kebabs - good
Naan - the best you'll ever have
Mango lassi - good
All of the desserts - good
Saag gosht & chicken - good
Palak Panner - good
Paneer Masala - good
There are very few restaurants that I've been to with such an all-star line-up as Shalimar. Ch-ch-check it out.
Delicious North Indian/Pakestani food. Spicy beryani, kabobs and lamb dishes. The meat is halal. Very delicious.
The ambiance is not very good but the food more than makes up for it.
The price is very good and reasonable.
I don't know what to order here - my fiance's Indian coworkers usually take care of that. =P I need extra napkins to deal with the spice factor but I walk out of here with a very full and happy stomach. It is deeeeericious. Next time I'll pay better attention to what they order and update this review. Haha, that will be more for my own sake so I know what I want to eat if I ever wander in here without the fiance's coworkers.
Very greasy & very tasty. Quite cheap.
Tasty stuff
I felt privileged to join my friends in breaking their Ramadan fast with some authentic Pakistani food. Since they are the regulars (and I can't pronounce the names properly), they did the honor of ordering the favorites:
- Chicken Kofta ($6.95) - Basically 3 giant ground chicken meatballs in a delicious curry sauce. This was by far the favorite as we wiped all the curry with the naan.
- Chicken Tikka Masala ($6.95) - A common curry I found this masala to be less interesting than the Kofta.
- Sindhi Chicken Biryani ($7) - I love flavored rice. The spices, cilantro and other textures makes this biryani so tasty with curry. Mmm.
- Seekh Kabab Mughlai ($2 per skewer) - It's ground beef blended with Indian spices that I cannot distinguish. I like the consistency of the well cooked skewer but there's something unidentifiable in the seasonings that comes on the later chews, reminiscent of lamb, which throws me off.
- Murgh Tikka Laohori ($3.50) - That's the fancy name for the tandoori chicken. You get to choose breast or leg section or you can go for just boneless chunks (Murgh Boti Tandoori $6.95). I personally prefer dark meat since it tends to be juicier. This tandoori while good wasn't the best I've had. It's less juicy than Rose's International Market.
- Naan ($1 per piece). These are gigantic servings of naan.
You can also help yourself to some ride onions and jalapenos. I learned from my friends to squirt the red onion slices with lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt. It pairs very nicely with the tandoori.
There's also self serve tea whenever you feel like. Add a little cream and sugar and it tastes like Chinese boba tea, minus the boba. Quite tasty.
You get an enormous meal with leftovers for around $15, including tax. I left rubbing my belly for hours afterward, in a good way.
For a no frills, self-serve filling station, Shalimar is where the people eat kind of experience.
I'm hoping it was just the choice of dishes... it was for chaat house....
I've heard about this place for a couple years now, but never took the time to go by until a vendor took us today.
First off..... is it a cafeteria... or a buffet... or a restaurant? none of the above.
you sit down, get your own plates and utensils, but you order up at a counter or something and they bring it to you. sure... it's like chaat house in that regard, but the food wasn't quite as good.
I didn't do the ordering, but I'm pretty open to the different foods, and they felt like they had been sitting a while, and just not that tasty or flavorful. The chicken that we had was dry and was probably sitting around for quite a while.
The naan looked like it was just done in a HUUUUGE batch and I thought it was on the heavy side. Felt like heavy bread vs. how sometimes it can feel light, airy, and almost have that starchy sweetness to it.
The quantities weren't impressive either. For almost $10/dish, leaves a bit to be desired.
The decor was odd too.... again, it was a mix of... is it a serious restaurant or what? I go to India Gate and it's a real restaurant.... I go to chaat house, and I know it's informal and good and loud and that's cool. This place was neither, and add in the fact of the rest of the situations... that's how I got to the ranking that I gave it.
Again.... I may at a later date try this place again(if someone else pays)... but based on what I've seen.... Eek! Methinks not. is about right
Below is my previous rating but I have to put it down (from 4 to 3 and now 3 to 2) because the quality has gone down significantly from my experience especially within the last three or four months. Recession effect? Not justifiable and excusable!
-They are going to LOOSE some regular customers unless they reconsider what has been done and put quality first!
- Nan is not as soft. It can get pretty hard at times.
- Chicken tandoori is not as good as before anymore. One time we went there, there were blood creeping out of the bone.
- My favorite lamb dish "BHUNA GOSHT" isn't as good as before. Lamb tenderness is degraded and the paste is more water-down.
________________________
I recommend this place to anybody who loves authentic Indian Pakistani food and who doesn't mind greasy food once in a while. My favorite dish is "CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA" and "BHUNA GOSHT" (lamb dish). Usually I order one of these dish with one nan. Sometimes I just go with their chicken tandoori "MURGH TIKKA LAHORI" for 3.5$ with 1 $ nan. That comes with a complimentary bean curry so you get a pretty decent meal for 4.5$. And they have a free pretty good milk tea even though it is out most of the time esp during lunch or dinner time when it's crowded. The turn around time to tea refilling could be pretty long and I have seen customers waiting and some just got tired. Overall, it's one of the best place I have been to around Sunnyvale. I like this place better than "SHAN" even though "SHAN" is equally good with subtle differences in tastes.
I have been a long time fan of Shalimar chain. Recent visit to Sunnyvale Shalimar was so crappy, I had to write.
First of all, it was not crowded. Yet, got rice first, curries later and no naan. We had to go to the counter and remind the guys at the counter. And then they took 15 min to prepare naan by which, the curries had gone cold. Again, one curry came almost at the end :-(
The quantity seems to have gone down. But then the quality too seems to have gone down? It wasn't the same Shalimar where I enjoyed every bite.
This place gets the job done. I was in town visiting my brother and we both decided to come here for dinner; it's one of his favorite restaurants and I can see why. The atmosphere is very casual and unpretentious. The food is no frills but good, reasonably priced, and satisfying. I liked everything we ordered but really enjoyed their chicken tikka masala and nan bread. I will come again next time I'm in town.
Probably my least favorite of all the shalimars, and I've now been to all. No complimentary chai tea and curries swimming in oil. Tandoori chicken was okay.
It took me 3 years to try Shalimar despite of recommendations from former colleagues and friends. I was in Sunnyvale this past weekend and a friend of mine and his wife took me to Shalimar for lunch. He told me that's where his Pakistani and Indian colleagues eat lunch.
The place is somewhat like a fast food joint. You order at the cash register, grab a number and they bring you the food. You help yourself to the utensils, water, napkins, to go boxes, etc.
The menu was very interesting with offerings you don't normally see in a more "Americanized" establishment. We felt adventurous so we tried a goat curry, goat brain curry, chicken tikka masala (for my friend's kid), okra, paneer spinach and cheese, garlic naan and basmati rice.
The food was more flavorful than your usual pakistani restaurant.
The portion was also more generous. The goat was very flavorful and tender as was the brain. The okra was good. The chicken and the spinach were a bit plain.
Although I liked the food over all, the part I didn't like was the excess amount of Ghee floating on top and all around all the entrees.... There must have been at least 5 cups of Ghee (clarified butter) per entree. Needless to say, I felt lightheaded for hours after my meal and I skipped dinner as I was not hungry at all that night.
Overall verdict - very casual, self-service eatery with very flavorful curries, big portions and reasonable prices. However, the food is unusually rich that is drenched in a pool of butter. So if you don't like butter or very heavy food, skip this place.
I just came back from lunch and I'm about 5 min from passing out! I came here w/ a group of coworkers who apparently come here almost every Friday. It was a completely new experience for me. We got there and one of my coworkers had already ordered for us. We just had to take our number and find a place to sit. You have to get all of your own plates and utensils. This is where the greatness of this restaurant kind of goes down b/c all of their stuff seems kind of dirty. I had to make sure I whipped down all my utensils and my plate. Everything in terms for silverware and plates and drinks are self serve. You need to get the water out of the big fridge by the kitchen. The water also looks dirty but i drank it b/c well I was super thirsty and my food was a little spicy.
Another thing that bothered me about this place was the wait. Like I said we didn't order the food one of my coworkers did but we had to wait an additional 20 minutes. This 20 minutes felt like an hour b/c I was a little hung over from last nights festivities I was starving by the time we sat down. Not only that I kept seeing the food being brought out to ALL of the other tables around us. It's such a tease when they bring something out and you think its your and then the waiter puts it down on the table next to you.
As for the food.. It was GOOD! We ordered the BBQ Chicken.. I don't know what it's called b/c well I didn't order it. The chicken Marsala, Naan, some chicken legs and rice. The best way I found to eat it was wrapping the BBQ chicken w/ some rice and the green sauce (also found in the fridge by the kitchen) in Naan. YUMMIE.. I also threw in some onions and jalapenos sometimes. The only reason I wasn't a huge fan of the Marsala was b/c you can see a layer of oil on the top of it. It was tasty but I just hate thinking what it does to my arteries.
Overall: I would probably come back.. Maybe order to go so I don't have to use their utensils
Had Shalimar for dinner last night. Fortunately I was with my friend who introduced me to my first Indo-Pak restaurant years ago(pakwan) so I let him do all the ordering. We had
- Bhuna Gosht: Lamb cooked with butter, garlic, and ginger and simmered in Pakistani wild spices.
- Goat Karahi: Diced goat with northern spices, herbs and tomatoes
- Murgh Boti Tandoori: Boneless chicken breast marinated in a blend of vinegar and spices, skewered to bake over charcoal.
- Garlic Naan
- Chicken Briyani
Overall the food was good, the only dish that stood out was the Goat Karahi. The meat was very tender and flavorful. All the other dishes were just average, nothing great or terrible to make it memorable.
i recommend the fremont location -- a lot more crowded there, which also means higher turnover, slightly better naan
dishes still great here also, fast, same bold flavors, noticed lots of people ordering the tandoori chicken
had the chicken masala, kofta, eggplant
mango lassi tasty enough to get more than one
Good portions, pretty authentic (my indian/pakistani friends all say so), and pretty affordable, considering the quality.
Naan is very big, and super worth it. Try the onion naan; fantastic.
Have had the kabobs, eggplant (banggen bartha), palak chicken, and chicken tikka masala. All SOLID. Last year, I was taught to eat it the proper way with raw onion and hot peppers drizzled with lime juice and lightly sprinkled with the brown spice. Then alternate between super extreme and spicy flavors and cool and creamy with an order of raita... that's what I'm talking about.
Typical serve-yourself place, grab your own water (which I don't mind in general because you never have to wait for a refill), get your own silverware, plates, and napkins. Also typical but always tasty is the hot chai. I enjoy mine lightly sweetened.
Have come here many times, and will come again and again. Only shame is it's in Sunnyvale, and not near anything else that is worth seeing (unless you are in the area buying a car on the auto row).
First time to this place tonight. Came here with friends from work who's ALWAYS talked about this place. My friends stress the Fremont one is the best.
Anyways...
Atmosphere - As what others have posted, not someplace to come for its ambiance , but the place is pretty laid back. Spacious and you can pretty much talk and laugh as loud as you want. HA!
Food - Awesome! Probably one of the top places for Chicken Tikka!
(get the breast piece!!) Also ordered plain Naan, Saag Chicken and Nihari. WOW! ALL the dishes were very good! First time I've tried Nihari and how delicious this dish was!
Their curries however, compared to other Indian restaurants, seems a bit oily!
If you want to see ambiance w/ good food, try Madhuban (buffet). If you're just hungry period, this is the place to be!
Price, pretty cheap compared to other 'ala carte' style restaurant. Most main dishes are $6.95. Naan, a buck and its HUGE, soft, cooked perfect.
I did post 1 pix of my dish. It included everything except the Nihari. :(
I'm not sure which was the first location, SF or Fremont. My friends in Fremont would often bring delicious biryani's from the Fremont location to get togethers. On Valentine's day, friends of our's drove from Black Hawk to Fremont to pick up dinner. With all this effort, made a beeline to the location in Sunnyvale.
WOW... call it what you will, the food here is no foo foo'ing around pretty much straight up authentic Pakistani/N.Indian fare. The lil' nitpicky things you see folks (fingerprints on the door, pitchers of tap water, plain dining area) get over it. Go in and grab a menu if not familiar. Step back and decide what you want. Step up and order... in which your choices will be delivered to your table. (you will pay the tab later even though ordering from the counter)
Grab your choice of beverages, pitchers of water, plates, utensils. Onion's and chile's on the side. Yesss folks that would be a big bin of onions and chile's you see. Chances are if you have ever been to your Pakistani or N. Indian friends home for dinner, there will be a plate of sliced onion, lemon's, chiles on the table to accompany the meal. 'When in Rome'
I've had their biryani, bhuna gosht and murghi korma shahi at get togethers. Awesome.
Our in house trek to Sunnyvale had to try the Goat Karahi, Seekh Kabab Murgh, Kabli Channa, Bhindi, rice, naan and raita. Going to take a guess that if had a Pakistani Mother, I'd be shaming myself for saying... 'Ah, just like Mom's'. The goat was tender delicious in the mixure of spices that made just the perfect consistency of a gravy to go with rice. The Murgh Kabab/ground chicken mixed with spices assuming cooking in tandoor was delicious and tender. Channa (chickpeas) nice accompanyment along with the bhindi which yes, some of the dishes are a tad oily but again, "When in Rome".
Get past the lil nitpicky stuff and enjoy some wonderful food!
Probably one of the best if not the best Indian food I've had (though I haven't been to more than 5 or 6 places). Here's what I usually get here (I might butcher some of these names):
Chicken Tikka Masala - of course
Mili Juli Sabszi - it's a mixed veggie dish with cauliflower, potato, carrots, peas, and some other stuff
Sagg Ghosht - Hmm I don't really like this dish too much, but it has nothing to do with Shalimar, I just dont like it anywhere
Chicken biriyani - Really great here, really really great. So many spices and flavors
Aloo Paratha - so fluffy and tasty, it has potato inside with spices
Garlic naan - so garlicky and good
Ok here's what I don't like about this place. They seem to always forget at least one thing you order. And sometimes even after you ask it won't come. You have to ask at least two different waiters which is annoying. The food here is quite oily...well ok it's really oily.
But it doesn't matter because I have to keep going back since the food is really good. Highly recommended, but I have to knock off 1 star because of the negative things I mention.
in south bay area this is the best Pakistani/ Indian restaurant. Actually this is the best among all the Shalimar in bay area as well
i had biryani, chicken karahi, seekh kabob and butter chicken. To top it off i also got mango laasi. Meat was tender and spicy and the food was not oily as other places. It is for sure no 1 in my list to eat in south bay.
Bang for you buck place
Yes, their food is oily. Yes, it looks like the Exxon Valdez had a mini oil spill right inside my Murgh Korma Shahi (chicken saffron). It doesn't matter, their Saag Gosht (super tender lamb in spinach) trumps it all. So tender and so delicious, that I actually enjoy the fact that my clothes will smell like Saag Gosht for the next day or two.
If you want to be a little more health conscious and not order some 10W30 oil to go along your food, stick to the items cooked in their tandoor oven.
nom nom nom.
i love their chicken tikka. so good! yum yum.
also i love their "teh tarik". i'm not sure if it's the actual name, but it reminds me of "teh tarik" i had in singapore when i was growing up, albeit misses some traditional "teh tarik" ingredients.
anyway, the chicken tikka is good, love it, always get the leg, never the breast. and their curries are pretty good. not disappointed at all.
i agree that they have totally weird system. first you come to the counter, order your food, and then scrambling around to self serve yourself. ok. whatever. i'm very adaptive and low maintenance in terms of serving system in restaurant anyway. and i would rather serve myself than have a lousy server who hates his/her job.
so you order stuff on the counter, they give you a number, you find a table, and then you get your own plates, silverware, onions and jalapenos, and "teh tarik" whatever that hot chocolate/ tea thingy.
then they will get your order to you and you eat it happily, without interruptions from servers or anyone else.
this is san jose, silicon valley, engineers, geeks, and techies live here. we hate people. we'd like our dining out experience with as little as human interaction as possible. because frankly, sometimes i get tired of waiter asks "how's your day? how is your food? what do you think of the weather?" stuff.
besides, it makes dining out alone a heck lot easier without any disturbing waiter.
overdue review. I was first introduced to indian food by shalimar. I really enjoyed their tikka masala, garlic naan, the chicken meatballs, I forgot what its called...but my favorite is the tandoori chicken (like indian spicy bbq chicken) and the haleem.
however, as I started trying other indian restaurants I noticed just how greasy this place is. It's been awhile since I've been back... the haleem will bring me back. But I will definitely have a roll of tums with me.
I don't really have the right to fully review this place, since I've never been here, but my company ordered a bunch of food from here today that we had for a company lunch, so let me just talk a little about the food for now and do an update review at a later date. For those of you sticklers for having to actually visit a restaurant, feel free to skip this review.
For today's meal, the staffers ordered the following:
- Murgh Tikka Lahori (Chicken Legs) (8 pieces at $3.50 each)
(3 stars)
These tasted rather typical, but what was unique about them was the sheer size of the leg....it was the entire leg up to the hip bone so there was tons of meat per piece. My one complaint is that it is a little hard to eat because of the weird shape of the bone near the hip, but overall, the size, taste and price make this a great value dish.
- Murghi Korma Shahi (Chicken Curry) (2 orders at $6.95 each)
(4 stars) Oh....this was good. This was very good. This was tastetastic good. It's got this great spicy flavor to it that blew my mind (and made me sweat), but was really tasty and went well with the rice. The spicy oil that floated to the top was clear and a little orangish and was oh so perfect. My my my, for this dish alone, it's totally going to be worth it to visit this restaurant in person. I almost can't wait.
- Palk Aloo Methi (spinach and potato curry) (2 orders at $5.50 each)
(2 stars) This is another unfair judgement on my part as I don't really like potatoes to begin with, and more importantly, prefer meat to be spicy and veggies to be more salty maybe or more dressing flavored maybe but never spicy. Maybe that's just me, but for that reason, I'm giving only two stars. If you like a spicy spinach and potato curry, this may be right up your alley.
- Bhuna Gosht (Lamb stew) (2 orders at $6.95 each)
(3 stars) I guess stew and curry doesn't have much difference at this restaurant because even though they call it a stew, to me it was just lamb curry. It didn't blow me away, but certainly was good and I'd eat it again. The coloring had a nice brown to it and seemed nice and thick, though some clear oil floated to the top. Not bad, not bad at all.
- Naan-A-Akbar (naan) (8 orders at $1.00 each)
(3 stars) This may be because the food was taken out instead of eaten at the restaurant, which may have made all the difference in the world, but at the time when I ate it, the naan was soggy, and eating soggy naan is never fun for me. I just hadd a little nibble and put the rest back. But again, I'd have to order at the restaurant to know whether the naan is fresh or not, so this may be an unfair judgement.
- Shalimar Chawal (mix color rice) (5 orders at $2.00 each)
(2 stars) This was just regular non-sticky rice where about half the grains were colored yellow or orange. It wasn't bad, but didn't jump out at me either.
- Kachumar Salad (free with other food ordered)
(3 stars) This wasn't particularly great or bad. It's a salad. They could have benefitted from fresher food, but since it was free, there's really nothing to complain about. The fact that it's free gives it that extra star.
As far as I'm concerned, this place is a definite A-OK with a real visit expected very soon. Way to go Shalimar. See you soon!
Worst Indian food I have ever had. Everything is super oily. The chicken in their dishes is scarce. If you do find any chicken, it is dry and tastes as if it has been microwaved. Their naan tastes like cardboard. It just made me sick to my stomach forcing it down my throat. And to top it all off, I was pretty sick afterward.
Sure, the prices are cheap. But are you willing eat substandard Indian food of low quality that will ensure frequent trips to the bathroom, all to save a few bucks?
I will never go here again. Gross.
Meh. I've experienced better. I really wasn't too impressed here. First off, the setup is odd. You walk in past the the display of barfi (nice name) to the register. You read the 3 foot x 5 foot paper menu and make your order to the guy at the register. It's all ala carte dishes that you order (I wished I knew that beforehand). You then grab your own drinks, plates, utensils, napkins, and onions and pepper, pick a table, sit and wait. It's kinda like an Indian taqueria (that's the best way I can explain it?)
We ordered the chicken tikki masala, 2 types of kabobs, garlic naan, and rice. When the orders came out, I was disappointed. The kabobs looked like 2 breakfast sausages. They were small and dry. The masala had like 6 small pieces of chicken and the sauce was nothing but oil. I am surprised Bush didn't start a war in there with the amount of oil in their dishes. At about $6.95 a plate, it wasn't worth it. The food was only kinda OK but the portions were tiny.
They do have cans of Shasta in the fridge which is pretty cool.
Cash only, so visit the ATM.
There are many other Indian restaurants in the bay that I would recommend. Try Curry Corner in Hayward. Big-ups to Saras!
I've been to many indian restaurants but not Shalimar. I have not even heard of Shalimar until my friend mentioned it. I went there Friday night to try it with them.
We arrived at the restaurant at 9:30 at night. The parking lot was packed! Inside the restaurant, I noticed that it was also packed! 80% of the customers were Indian. You know a restaurant is good when it's filled with it's ethnic people at 9:30 at night.
Shalimar does things a little different from other indian restaurants. You order your entire meal at the counter. They give you a number then you go get your plates and utensils and sit yourself where you can open an open table.
Soon after sitting ourselves down, the food began to come out. There was beef stew, chicken tikka masala and another beef dish. We also ordered their garlic naan. The dishes were very tasty. There dishes had the perfect amount of spice. It was savory and the heat was just enough to tickle your scalp.
I recommend Shalimar to anyone that wants to try authentic indian food. To the kids running around while I was chowing down... you don't know what you're missing out.
In a little diversion from our falafel lunch explorations, Dan B, David P, and I decided to meet here for a Friday lunch (unfortunately, Lolia S. couldn't make it today) Here in the South Bay, there are so many Indian restaurants, and most of the ones I know are buffets. Now, buffets are good in that one can try a variety of different dishes. However, sometimes I want to get my money's worth, fill up and fall into a food coma.
For this place, you order at the front counter, get a number, grab your own drinks, plates, and utensils, and wait for the food to arrive, then pay when you leave. I'm glad Dan B. was with us to let us know the whole ordering routine. Since he's been here a few times, he knew what was good and went with some of this recommendations, and well some additions of our own. Check out Dan B's., review of this place, and a run-down of what we ordered:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
With each dish made to order, everything was so good and fresh. The huge naan were made to order as well, and very soft. The garlic naan was good with that great garlic taste on that warm naan. An OK ambiance, but the food is great. My favorites were the Murge Tikka Lahori, or butterflied chicken breast, and the chicken and been seekh kababs, as well as the bengen bhujia, or cooked eggplant with onions and tomatoes.
As Dan mentioned, food comes out when it comes out. Some dishes will come out ot sequence, but you will eventually get all you dishes in a timely manner.
Would I come here again? You bet, so many other dishes to try out! I'd recommend going with other people like what we did, so you can order a large variety of dishes to share.
Talk about keepin' it real in the (Bolly)hood! Check your pretensions at the door. What they lack in ambience, they make up in spades with the food. Nothing else matters: crappy decor, confusing ordering system, but who cares!
Stand on the ordering line, tell 'm what you want at the counter, take a number, grab utensils and drink and wait for your food to come in the order its made. Emphasis on "made" as in made to order as in made fresh.
The naan is to die for: big, light and puffy. Curry and tandoori dishes just the right size, well-balanced flavors and good consistency. Dishes like paneer spinach and eggplant curries were not what I was used to but delicious none the less.
Dan B. thanks so much for the heads up. Steve L., thanks for the company and the running commentary. Looking forward to the team's next find!
My friend has been telling me about this place for about a year now, and since I was in the neighborhood, my wife and I had to try it.
Came in on a Saturday at 12:15. They don't open until 12:30. They parking lot is massive which makes it a lot easier. Anything that makes my life easier is an extra bonus.
The place is situated between 2 car dealers. One is a Toyota and the other a GMC/Pontiac/Buick dealer. The building itself is nothing special. A typical nondescript ugly building on El Camino, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The interior of the building can best be described as a greasy spoon place. The walls are an ugly yellow and red, and the seats and tables have seen better days. The table we sat at wobbled so much, we had to move to a different table. 5 Star Dining this isn't.
The menu is quite extensive and when you see it, they have a very good collection of choices in the menu.
The food itself was quite good for the money. Overall, the food we ordered was too spicy for my wife who eats no spice, but for me, it was perfect. In fact, more heat would be just fine. The Murgh Boti Tandoori (boneless chicken breast baked over charcoal) was excellent. The Chicken Tikka Masala was flavorful and the naan was wonderful as well. Unfortunately, the garlic nann I ordered didn't come until after we ate, but I had 2 Shalimar Chawals (rice) to keep me going.
My wife's lamb was OK. I am not a lamb fan, but it was good. A tad spicy for her, but it's OK.
This kind of place is what I call "Value Meal." Lots of Indian soul food at a very reasonable price. What you give up on is the fancy decor and service. This place has no decor and self service. Tables are a bit sticky, but it's perfect for those who want to get great value for the money. I strongly recommend this place to anyone who wants value in their meals, especially in this economic climate.
I've been to Amber in Mt View and notice many anglos eat there but I didn't see any Indians. This place is filled with Indian/Pakistanis eating, so that is a great sign.
It's a bit far for me to eat here since I live in San Mateo, but I know I will be coming back here for more great food at a value meal price. Just know what you are getting into. It's a no-frills non fancy place. I hope they open a store up here on the peninsula. Sadly, there aren't many Indian value meal establishments in my neighborhood.
Pretty good Pakistani comfort food at moderate prices. I will be a repeat customer.
This is as good as it gets as far as Indian/Pakistani Cuisine! I come here when I just want good tasting tandoori chicken and kabobs. I love the fluffy, fresh tandoori naan and the chicken curries!
I don't eat the beef or lamb meats -- so I can't comment but I have seen my friends enjoy all of those dishes too. I also like the fact that I can just walk in and order right away and my food is served to me soonafter! Yummmyyyyyyy! The tandoori (grilled) dishes are healthy and low carb, low fat -- so those of you who want the diet friendly alternative, you can just get the grilled dishes instead of the naan and curries!
A solid halal paki joint. Their tandoori is great, both chicken and lamb. I'm not sure what they do to their naan, but it's half life is pretty short before it starts drying up.
I don't think curries are their strong suit. Their CTM (chicken tikka masala to the unindoctrinated) is a little too runny for my taste. But the meatballs (strange, I know) and the jalfrezi are both pretty good.
+1 for the free chai
-1 for not having a lunch buffet
My favorite indian restaurant. Their chicken biryani is the best.....
Food is great if you can handle the spices the next morning. The place gets a little too busy and hectic after 7 pm to the point of waiting in a long line to order food and to also pay for food when you leave.
But again, I've always enjoyed the food here, just as much, if not better than most other Pakistani\Indian restaurants.
Shalimar has always been synonymous with oily for me. So we were pleasantly surprised to find our Goat Karahi strangely NOT oily! Maybe it was because it was less saucy than usual. But overall, the other dishes seemed less oily too.
However... every also seemed less spicy. The biryani in particular didn't seem as spicy and was hard to eat because the smaller bones were all mixed in with the rice. The naan was also really thin and crispy - I prefer them to be slightly soft but with a bit of crisp.
Overall, still one of my top picks for Indian/Pakistani food around here.
Holiday Special
Cupertino, CA
1/3 Off Entire Holiday Dinner…
Palo Alto, CA
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Indian
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Indian
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Indian
Santa Clara, CA
Category: Indian
Sunnyvale, CA
Category: Indian
When we were looking through craigslist for our…
Here's my list of places I would not have found if…
In these trying time, with everyone having to cut…
Here are some Indian/Pakistani/Afghan restaurants…
Where to go for your midday snack in and around…
I picked the best places based on food for all the…
Here are my fave places to go that combine bargain…
Indian restaurants and establishments that I'll…
