Monday, September 28, 2015

Basha Kabab - Halal Mediterranean Food in the Mediterranean Center

Restaurant: Basha Kabab
Address: 2807 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, Texas 77054
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte:
Date of visit: 9/12/15



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Sorry I've been away as I had midterms to take care of at Prairie View A&M. Today I will be reviewing a new Mediterranean place that has opened near the Medical Center called Basha Kabab. Basha Kabab is located in the strip mall that is right next to the intersetion of Almeda and 90 Alt. Right opposite it are the Abu Omar Halal and Gyro King food trucks. I was in the mood for trying a new place, but my friend insisted on going to Gyro King. So I actually dropped him there, and then drove myself here.



Let The Experience Begin!
Inside the restaurant was very bright. It had paintings of famous monuments in the Middle East. There were the usual cashier area and tables. I then decided to order.



Let's Eat!
Trying to order here was at first chaotic. My original choice of Cornish Hen ran out. I don't know why a restaurant would run out of a specific meat during the day, out of all the times in the day. So I decided to settle with the kofta kabab. I got the sides of rice and french fries and with the kabab came pickles and red cabbage. I paid $9.73 (tax included). I just waited for my friend to come while waiting.



Menu: This place has all the popular Mediterranean food items like hummus, shawarma, and plates. I'm surprised that they don't have a mixed grill. They also have a wide variety of appetizers.


The Menu. Photo Credits: Their Facebook page


The Kofta Kabab


The Verdict:
Overall, the food was pretty good, though I didn't get my first choice of Cornish Hen. The bread was tasty. It was nice and fluffy. The vegetables were fresh, and the kabab was juicy and tender. The rice tasted nice also. The fries (not pictured) were perfectly cooked. The food was washed down with half a glass of Pepsi. Overall, one thumb up.
Though they ran out of the item I wanted, the service could still improve. The guy behind the counter was nice and was apologetic about my first item finishing, but they forgot my side of fries. It's important to not forget the order of the customer otherwise the customer would be very upset.



Conclusion:
I would definitely give this place another try. The food was convincing enough for me to try it again. Just recently they announced that they were going to introduce a favorite dish of mine: Mansaf. Guess it's time to plan my next trip.



Grading:
Food: 8.5/10
Service: 6/10
Total: 14.5/20 = 72.5% (C)
Pricing: $ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Basha Kabab
2807 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, Texas 77054
Phone: (713) 747-1000
Website: none
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BashaKababRestaurant/timeline/
Timings: Mon-Fri: 10 AM - 9 PM; Sat: 10 AM - 6 PM; Sun: closed
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, message me on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Taz Indian Cuisine - Halal Indian Food in Aggieland

Restaurant: Taz Indian Cuisine
Address: 2416 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas 77840
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 9/9/15



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review. Sorry I haven't been posting for a while. I've been getting really busy with schoolwork, with midterms right around the corner. Anyways today's review is Taz Indian Cuisine. I visited College Station to attend the career fair that was taking place at Texas A&M University. Although I attend Prairie View, I am allowed to attend there since Prairie View is part of the Texas A&M System. I actually heard of this place by reading a list of restaurants that were listed on the website of the Islamic Community of Bryan- College Station when I came here for MSA Showdown. I also did not want to drive far from the Texas A&M Campus to Bryan, because I was planning on meeting a good friend of mine at his apartment. I then remembered reading this and actually considered trying this place, even though it's Indian. I called them up, and they said it was halal. So I went to the restaurant after finishing speaking to companies and handing in my resumes.



Let The Experience Begin!
The restaurant is located in the same strip mall as the Kroger at the intersection of South Texas and Southwest Parkway. The inside had a very dark ambiance, the darkest I've been in during the daytime. In fact, it was so dark that I found it difficult to take the picture without flash. And it was actually packed with people! To make things more ironic, it was a buffet because once you came in, you saw a few yellow lights and food right under it. The last time that I remember a packed buffet was at Mayuri back in Houston. Could this buffet be really good for it to be packed?! I had to wait for a little bit before someone came and arrived and helped me. I was then escorted to the table, asked what to drink, and then started eating.



Let's Eat!
Among the Indian/Pakistani buffets I have been to, this is a very rare occurrence where there was no biryani in the buffet. This is only the second instance (first being Maharajah back in Houston) that this had occurred. It was like every other Indian buffet, where you have vegetarian and non-vegetarian options with rice, naan, and chutneys. I had potato with brocolli (they're actually two of my favorite vegetables), white rice, chicken tandoori, lamb curry, chili chicken, and chicken masala. I went twice. I don't remember the exact price, but I think it was either $9.95 or $10.95 (both NOT including tax).



Menu: http://www.tazcuisine.com/collegestation_tx/menu.html
This restaurant does serve alcohol, but there is no pork. The restaurant has many of the popular curries, kebabs, naans, and rice dishes from both North India, and dosas, and idli from South India.



The Buffet


The Verdict:
For an Indian buffet, it was actually tasty! This was far better than most of the Indian/Pakistani buffets that I have been to back in Houston. The curries actually had some flavor. The rice was actually fresh as well. It definitely didn't seem like everything was just reheated. Good job Taz!
Service could improve though. The people were very nice and had smiles, which is one thing that is severely lacking in many Indian/Pakistani restaurants back in Houston. The gentleman who took me to my table didn't speak at all however. I honestly was confused who was gonna help me. My advise is that they should let the gentleman refill the water or do something that doesn't require communication, and let someone who speaks help the customers that walk into the restaurant. On the bright side, they weren't hesitant to answer when I again asked if they're halal.



Conclusion:
Taz Indian Cuisine exceeded my expectations, especially considering the fact that it was a lunch buffet. I would definitely come here for dinner one day if I were to be in College Station in the future. I would also recommend those who want Indian food or those who only eat Indian food when eating out (yes, there are many like that). You can even take friends that are vegetarian here and enjoy the food!



Grading:
Service: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Total: 15/20 = 75% (C)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Taz Indian Cuisine
2416 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas 77840
Phone: (979) 696-6560
Website: http://www.tazcuisine.com/collegestation_tx/index.html (They also have a location in Beaumont)
Timings: Lunch --> Mon-Sun 11 AM - 3 PM; Dinner --> Sun-Thu 5 PM - 9:30 PM & Fri-Sat: 5 PM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Bullritos- Halal Chipotle at UH

Restaurant: Bullritos
Address: 4701 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77004 (University of Houston)
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 8/27/15



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review! Today, I am reviewing something that I had been waiting for a really long time: a halal alternative to Chipotle. Think of it this way. Elevation Burger is like the halal version of In-N-Out, and this is a halal alternative to Chipotle. Chipotle's meat is not halal, nor do they plan on providing halal meat at any time in the future. I would always want to try a halal version of Chipotle, since I have heard so many good things about that place. I found out about it while they were still in construction. I emailed the manager after seeing the email on the door about providing halal. And they did say yes! And they also said that they would cook separately! I went earlier in the summer, but they actually started at the start of Fall semester. I had to wait until I visited UH on the date since I got off early from my class at Prairie View A&M. I came with my best friend to the place. After going to a university event, we arrived at the place.



Let The Experience Begin!
Bullritos at UH is located in the same place as Jimmy John's, the Nook Cafe, Cafe 101, and Pink's Pizza. I was familiar with this place, since I would come to Pink's for their cheese pizza or the Nook cafe for some macarons and Mexican coke. The setting was really nice. You had a lot of places to sit and watch TV. After waiting in the line for a bit and asking about the halal food, we ordered.



Let's Eat!
My best friend and I ordered burrito bowls. The reason being that burrito bowls are really popular in Chipotle. I would see my friends always order the stuff. And I knew it would be a chance to try that thing but a halal version of it! I also had burritos and tacos and quesadillas during my M&M Grill days. We paid $7.99 each (tax NOT included). It was a lot like subway, where you could customize the items and they make it as you tell what you want. It was unlimited vegetables, but they charge for extra cheese and guacamole (bummer). We got the burrito bowl with the halal chicken, spanish rice, pico de gallo, cilantro, refried beans, and queso cheese



Menu: Bull bagTex-Mex plates
This place does serve both pork and alcohol, but the halal chicken is cooked separately. I even saw them cook separately with my own eyes. All the beans are vegetarian, and so are the rice options. They have all the Tex-Mex favorites like tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and the basic burrito! It's really nice!



The Burrito Bowl


The Verdict:
The burrito was really awesome! There was a lot of flavor in the bowl. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and everything was fresh. The queso was incredibly delicious. My friend also really liked it as well. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was also great. The people were very nice and helpful about the halal chicken. I also saw them keep their word about cooking the halal chicken separately.



Conclusion:
Well, the closest we have to halal Chipotle turns out to be a wonderful gem that has been added to the ever growing halal scene here in Houston. I hope to try out the other stuff as well. I also recommend you guys to give this place a try. Wonderful to see that there's a halal burrito bowl and other Tex-Mex items that many halal eaters can enjoy.



Grading:
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 18/20 = 90% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information
Bullritos
4701 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77004 (University of Houston)
Phone: (832) 831-0940
Website: http://www.bullritos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bullritosUH
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send an email, or message me on Facebook.

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed