Afghan Express: The Worst Afghan Place I Have Eaten at So far

Restaurant: Afghan Express
Address: 5600 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 8/16


Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be doing a really quick review of another Afghan place called Afghan Express. I got to go here from my internship because I did not bring lunch from home. Since it was a Tuesday, I could eat lunch, then head immediately back to work.
Now let me tell you something about the location. In the past 5 years, there have been 3 separate restaurants that have occupied the space. Afghan Express is the 3rd one. The only other time that a new halal place replaces an old halal place was when Fatoush replaced Aladdin's (independent of the Aladdin on Westheimer).
One thing to note about this place is that it has received a lot of positive feedback on the Internet. In fact, I first heard about this place via extremely heavy promotion on Facebook in various groups. What immediately caught my eye was that they used the same logo as Afghan Dastarkhwan and put Afghan Express on it. It turns out that the same people who used to own Afghan Dastarkhwan now own this place. There is even an article written about them by Houstonia Magazine named "Why You Should Try Afghan Express' $10 Lunch Buffet" (article: http://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2016/4/29/why-you-should-try-afghan-express-10-lunch-buffet).



Let The Experience Begin!
Inside, it was DEAD. For most of the time, I was the only one inside the restaurant eating the food. It was incredibly eerie. There was only a TV. I got in and started eating.



Let's Eat!
It was a buffet consisting of various Afghan items like Kabuli Pulao, bolani, and the Afghan version of chicken tikka. It came with free naan. To drink, I just had water. I paid a total of $10.98 (tax included).



Menu: http://www.afghanexpress.net/menu-specials.html
The buffet from what I know is only on the weekdays for lunch. The online menu on the other hand is for other times. Now, one thing: WHICH MENU IS THE CORRECT ONE??? Both have different prices on them for the majority of the menu items. How can you commit a fundamental mistake by not deciding what prices to use? If anyone were to dine in for the first time, you give them one menu with one set of prices, and then you actually charge them the prices from the second set, then you'll lose customers and you'll get a bad reputation for ripping people off.

Top: naan. Bottom right: Kabuli pulao, chicken korma, chappli kabab, chicken kabab, and chicken tikka. Bottom left: daal, bolani, chappli kabab, chicken korma, and chicken tikka

The Verdict:
The food was a hit an miss. The naan and the chappli kabab were the only things that I liked. That's it. I didn't like the Kabuli Pulao (or rather the Kabuli Pulao rice as it lacked the lamb shank). I didn't like the daal as well, and this is from someone who is a huge daal fanatic. The chicken tikka, chicken kabab, and chicken korma were OK. However, one of the pieces of chicken tikka that I had was actually raw (I wish I still had the pic). The bolani was without a doubt the worst that I have ever had in any Afghan place. I expected much much better. Overall, one thumb down.
The service was much worse. No greeting from the owner. Literally no words said. During my entire trip, he was very quiet. I said "Thank you" and he never responded. Never has this happened to me in a while. What also put me off was that when a group of older customers came, he was very friendly greeted them, and even conversed with them. I don't know whether it's either favoritism or it's that the owner is like this towards other people or youngsters or that he was scared that I was going to say something bad about his food.



Conclusion:
I'm not going to lie. I was thinking of trying their a-la-carte one day if the buffet was good. But since both the buffet and service did not hit the mark, I'd neither recommend this place nor would visit the place again. Heck, if I want some good Afghan food, I'd just head to Afghan Village or Afghan Cuisine.



Grading:
Service: 3//10
Food: 5/10
Total: 8/20 = 40% (F)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Afghan Express
5600 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas
Phone: (281) 974-2163
Website: http://www.afghanexpress.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houstonafghanexpress/
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Haveli Kabab & Grill House: Another Buffet place

Restaurant: Haveli Kabab & Grill House
Address: 5901 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77036
Buffet or a-la-carte: buffet
Date of visit: 1/30/16

UPDATE 11/16/18: They have been closed for a while. The location is now the Hillcroft location of Tempura

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today I will be sharing my experience that I had at another Pakistani restaurant: Haveli Kabab & Grill House. Haveli is one of the newer halal Indian/Pakistani places. It has been open for business for nearly a year now. I have heard mostly positive reviews about this place. The time came for me to try when I was with my friends at the Houston Auto Show. We were done seeing cars and test driving some and then decided to go eat somewhere. One of the friends was in the mood to pig out because he hadn't eaten all day. So he decided that we should try it out. His parents went and said they liked it. I hoped it would be good. After praying, we went inside the restaurant.



Let's The Experience Begin!
The inside was pretty dark compared to other Pakistani restaurants. You had tables with chairs, a huge fish tank, and a common sighting among Indian/Pakistani restaurants: the buffet spread. We then got drinks and then headed to the buffet spread.



Let's Eat!
Well, we had the buffet. The buffet had a variety of items such as biryani, different karahis, haleem, nihari, and tandoori chicken. We had to request naan to be brought to the table, and they got it within minutes. We also saw the restaurant getting prepared for the dinner buffet. Some items just disappeared and new items came. One that struck me was an entire fish fitted into one tray with a lot of spices on it. It was fairly priced.



Menu: http://havelihouston.com/index.php/menu/
Well, since this is a daily buffet place, consider using the menu if you want to get takeout. Not that much difference in terms of items provided compared to other Indian/Pakistani restaurants. You have various karahis, tandoori items, and biryani. If you do get takeout from this place and you want naan, expect to pay at least $1 for the basic naan.

Buffet plate consisting of chicken biryani, chappli kabab, frontier chicken, chicken tikka masala, and mutton karahi. In another plate, I had the chicken tikka. I also had naan (this was taken before the naan came)

The Verdict:

The buffet was a hit and a miss. The hits were the chappli kabab, the frontier chicken, and the naan. The naan was very fresh and I liked it compared to some of the other places that I have been to. The frontier chicken had a good taste, and the chappli kabab here was almost as good as the one at Khan BBQ. The misses were the biryani, chicken tikka masala, and chicken tikka. The biryani was very plain. The chicken tikka masala was very oily. Chicken tikka masala and oiliness do not go together at all. Chicken tikka masala is usually very creamy and has a lot of flavor. Finally, the chicken tikka was dry. There was absolutely no flavor at all. Even my friends, who all love Indian/Pakistani food, mentioned that it was not good either. Overall, one thumb up and one thumb down.

The service wasn't that bad. The people are nice. Note: pay after finishing eating at the front.

Conclusion:

Haveli is a lot like other Indian/Pakistani places, but there are some items that actually taste good. With three other Indian/Pakistani places in the vicinity, I would pick this and Mezban if I wanted a Pakistani buffet. But if I want the best Indian/Pakistani food on or near Hillcroft, I would go to either Hyderabad House or Mayuri.

Grading:

Service: 8/10

Food: 6/10

Total: 14/20 = 70% (C)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Haveli Kabab & Grill House
5901 Hillcroft Street, Houston, Texas 77036
Phone: (832) 740-4255
Website: http://havelihouston.com/index.php/menu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/havelihouston/?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 11 PM
Caters: Yes
Banquet hall available

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

Fogo de Chao- More like Fogo de Wow

Restaurant: Fogo de Chao
Address: 1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 11/27/15

Photo Credit: http://www.hoursmom.com/themes/outlet/images/brandlogo/fogo-de-chao.jpg

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review! Today I will be reviewing what is possibly the fanciest and most expensive place on this blog. That place is Fogo de Chao. Well, why would I review a place like Fogo de Chao? Two reasons: one, halal lamb. And two, a FREE DINNER! Now before I continue reviewing, I would just like to make it clear that I am not being paid to do any reviews including this one. All my reviews are completely unbiased. If I notice some mistakes, I will write it. If I didn't like something, whether it's the food or the service, I will write it.
Believe it or not, the lamb at Fogo de Chao is actually halal! A page called Halal Food Nation had actually called up the corporate office of Fogo de Chao and even the lamb distributor and asked about the lamb being halal, and the answer was yes. I have attached below the confirmation from the group itself about the lamb being halal.

The people have also verified with the supplier that the lamb is halal. They often update, so they are a reliable source. Fogo de Chao has restaurants in nearly every major city in America, in Puerto Rico, and in Brazil. This one is on the location in the Woodlands. They have another location on Westheimer next to Saravanaa Bhavan. Anyways, I saw on the Houston Food Bloggers Collective Facebook Group that Fogo de Chao is having a special where members would eat for free there. I decided to take that opportunity and go there on Black Friday. I first asked my parents, but then they told me to take friends. So I told my friends about it. waited until the day came, and then went to the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

It was a really long drive from Cypress to the restaurant. It's located on Hughes Landing, next to other higher end restaurants. We qualified for free valet parking (yay!) and went in the restaurant. I confirmed the reservation with the person in the front and we were taken to the table. After being asked what to drink, we were ready to eat.

Let's Eat!

The way it works here is that a server introduces himself/herself and then explains how the churrasacaria works. Basically, you have a card where one side says "Sim por favor" ("Yes please" in Portuguese) and the other side says "Nao Obrigado" ("No thank you" in Portuguese). And, you can eat as much meat as you desire, and they would come to the table and actually carve out the meat and give it to you. We told them that we would like lamb only and that we don't eat pork (It's important you say that as South America is a popular place for pork). The server did help us out saying that the specific items had pork in it. A dilemma came as the server wasn't too sure about how to make the lamb since the marinade usually contains white wine  The server then said that it could be prepared with just lemon pepper. Disaster averted! So after the requests were taken, we were off to the appetizer area. The appetizer area was so big that it could be a legitimate meal. There were so many options to choose from, including vegetarian and seafood items. Along with the lamb chops and the leg of lamb, I got the following for appetizers: regular salad, potato salad, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, bread, imported cheeses, mozzarella cheese, smoked salmon, fresh tomato, and ranch. There is also an unlimited supply of Brazilian cheese bals (pao de queijo), polenta, and fried bananas. All of this food for free! Now if you want to eat here on another day, expect to pay at least $30 for lunch and $50 for dinner.

Menu: http://www.fogodechao.com/menu

Nothing else in the menu is halal. They do have seafood, but it's not part of the churrascaria experience. Again, you can literally eat as many appetizers are you want, as it is very extensive. An interesting fact is that all the servers cook the food by themselves and then they serve it to you.

Regular salad, potato salad, roasted peppers, bread, imported cheeses, mozzarella cheese, and smoked salmon

Fried Banana

Pao de Queijo (Cheese bread balls)

Lamb chop (no white wine in any meat), imported cheeses, salad with ranch, and sun-dried tomatoes

Polenta

 

Lamb chop, imported cheeses, salad with ranch, fresh tomato, and some potato salad

Leg of Lamb

How they serve the meat at Fogo de Chao

The Verdict:

Despite the high prices on a regular day, I will tell you that each and every penny spent towards eating here is absolutely worth it. Both lamb dishes were excellent and had a lot of flavor. We were literally addicted to the pao de queijo. I lost count of how many I had after about 10. I also loved the polenta and the mashed potatoes. All the appetizers were of high quality and was very fresh. Two thumbs up for the food.

Overall, the service was great! The people were friendly and they literally didn't mind four college students literally eating their butts off, that too with one of my friends in t-shirt and jeans (It's recommended you go in business casual). The person in the front was very nice as well.

Conclusion:

I would recommend Fogo de Chao if you're going for a business lunch/dinner or if it's a special occasion. For the person dining in and wanting to eat halal, I have a tip for you: make a reservation. When making the reservation, ask them to not put any white wine in the lamb dishes, and ask them to just use the lemon pepper that we asked for. Also, tell them that you just want lamb and no other meat. Eat all the appetizers you want.

Now for Fogo de Chao, I have two tips for you. Firstly, you should consider exporting halal meat directly from Brazil. Brazil is actually one of the largest exporters of halal meat in the world. Nearly half of the meat that is exported from Brazil is halal-certified. You can find all the cuts that you guys use in your restaurants but with halal meat, as the halal meat market is constantly growing in demands and is being enjoyed by many all over the world. The second tip I have is that you could have some seafood items (salmon, shrimp, scallops with no bacon, sea bass, etc.) on your churrascaria menu. There are other Brazilian steakhouses that do have that and they are enjoyed by many. I believe that it would be successful alongside the sea bass you sell at Bar Fogo. 

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 9/10

Total: 18/20 = 90% (A)

Pricing: $$$$ out of $$$$

Restaurant: 

Fogo de Chao

1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Phone: (281) 298-4200

Website: http://www.fogodechao.com/

Timings: 

Monday - Thursday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 5 PM - 10 PM for dinner

Friday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 5 PM - 10:30 PM for dinner

Saturday: 4:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Sunday: 11 AM - 2 PM for lunch and 3 PM - 9 PM for dinner

Caters: No

Private dining for special events and groups available

Reservation allowed

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

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

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

Indian Grill - A Halal Restaurant in Greenspoint

Restaurant: Indian Grill
Address: 185 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77060
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 5/16/14

Photo Credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/a9/bf/e2/indian-grill.jpg

Background:
Salam/hey guys! After nearly a month away from blogging due to exams, I am back! Today I will be reviewing an Indian restaurant: Indian Grill. Quite generic if you ask me to be honest. Now why would I be reviewing a place near Bush airport and my old high school during my Summer Break? Well, it's because I was volunteering at Bayyinah's event at the Hilton Houston North, where Nouman Ali Khan was giving an in-depth look at Surah Yaseen (Chapter 36) of the Quran. There was food in the hotel, but the line was too long. Thankfully, this place was literally two minutes from the Hotel. After the break time started, I left for the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
The restaurant is located in the same strip mall as IHOP on Greens Road right at the intersection at I-45. Inside was dead. There was barely anyone there. I was greeted at the door and asked what the price was for the buffet. After getting a reasonable answer, I sat down.



Let's Eat!
This place has a lunch time buffet, so I went for that. There were vegetarian options like daal and aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower curry). What I had was the chicken biryani, lamb vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, and the chicken chappli kabab. To drink, I had water. I paid a total of $10.81 (tax included)



Menu: http://www.indiangrill.net/
This restaurant has all the basics of an Indian restaurant, such as rice, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, appetizers, and a few Indo-Chinese dishes.

The Buffet

The Verdict:
Overall, the buffet was average at its best. The biryani barely passed. The butter chicken wasn't really that flavorful. A good chunk of the lamb pieces on the vindaloo mostly had bone instead of the actual meat. The chappli kabab was probably the best thing. I washed down the food with a nice full glass of water. Overall, one side thumb.
The service was normal. The owner seemed like a nice guy because unlike many other Desi restaurant owners, he was not rude and actually had a smile on his face. The person serving me was very nice.



Conclusion:
Indian Grill could definitely improve their buffet, as it is average at its best. Only the chappli kabab was the decent item on the buffet. If you want some good Indian food, then I would recommend you go somewhere else.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 6.5/10
Total: 14.5/20 = 72.5% (C)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Indian Grill
185 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77060
Phone: (281) 781-8718
Website: http://www.indiangrill.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianGrill.Houston?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 9 PM; Sun: Closed
Caters: Yes


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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Fresh Foods Co at Moody Towers: Not Great food for College Food

Fresh Foods Co.
Location: Moody Towers, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: None
Date of visit: 5/6/2015



Background:
Salam/hey guys! After such a really long time, I am back! The reason for the long absence was because of school. Anyways, I will be writing about Fresh Food Co. at Moody Towers. Last semester, UH Dining started serving halal chicken in the dining hall at Moody Towers at UH. It was started because of the high demand that Muslim students had for halal food availability on campus. At first, it used to be shared with the gluten-free table. Now, it has a separate section with a list of items that are available that uses halal chicken. I decided to go here mainly because of the fact that I was not allowed to go off campus to eat otherwise the delay would have been much longer. Also, Coreanos wasn't on campus and I didn't want to eat Tandoori Nite. I did remember people saying that Moody could be a hit or miss, so I decided that since I would most likely be transferring to Prairie View A&M University (Addressed on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), I decided to give a try and see how they are doing. After studying for a while, I went.



Let The Experience Begin!
Well, there is really nothing experiencing about going to a school cafeteria. I just paid $8.66 (tax included) and went in. More description below.



Let's Eat!
Well, what's being done here is incorporating cafeteria style food and buffet together. This means that you get food served, but you can make as many trips as possible. They also have a self-service salad bar. I got the following: Cheese pizza, spinach and ricotta pizza, pasta and zucchini with garlic bread, salad, roasted veggie and feta sandwich, and the halal item, chicken stir-fry with pineapple rice (weird name really). The food was promptly served.



Menu: http://univofhouston.campusdish.com/Commerce/Catalog/Menus.aspx?LocationId=6884
Each day's menu is listed. You just have to click on either Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Pineapple Rice

The Verdict:
I did have some of the vegetarian items, which were featured on my Snapchat at halalreviewer. Now that they're gone, I might as well describe how it was. The spinach and ricotta cheese pizza, the pasta and zucchini and the roasted veggie and feta sandwich were horrible. They were served cold and barely have any taste. The salad was not that great, but better than the first two items that were listed. At first, the sight of seeing "pineapple rice" really confused me. But it turned out that it was just rice with pineapple flavoring. In fact, the pineapple rice and chicken stir-fry tasted OK. The garlic bread takes the cake for the best item. Overall, two thumbs down for the vegetarian items and one thumb sideways for the halal item.
Service was nothing to write home about. I just got the food and ate. Thankfully the people serving the food had no attitude problems.



Conclusion:
Before actually eating here, I heard that Moody can be hits and misses. Those people are absolutely correct. I hope one day UH Dining actually listens to the complaints students have about the food and fix the food situation. Till then, I would rather use my money to go somewhere off-campus or to go to McAlister's, Jimmy John's, Pink's Pizza, or Cafe 101 on-campus and eat vegetarian or seafood. Needless to say, the quality of the halal food could have some improvement, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as some of the vegetarian items.

Just to clear a misconception, I still review halal places. This place has a separate halal station along with the vegetarian items (it's like a cafeteria)


Grading:
I honestly forgot the exact grading of the vegetarian items, but I remember the average was roughly between 30% and 40%. Since I emphasize using the exact scores I give, the grading will be done solely on the halal item. I also think the feedback would be important to them, since I and a couple of my friends actually met with the UH dietitian and discussed about what should be done to meet the demand a significant number of students had for halal meat on-campus.

Service: 7/10
Food: 6/10
Total: 13/20 = 65% (D)  (Exact scores of the other items would've meant a drop in the overall grade to an F)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Fresh Foods Co at Moody Towers
Moody Towers, Univeristy of Houston, Houston, Texas
Phone: (832) 842-6095
Website: http://univofhouston.campusdish.com/Locations/FreshFoodCompany.aspx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uhdining?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Thu: 7 AM - 12 AM; Fri: 7 AM - 10 PM; Sat-Sun: 8 AM - 10 PM
Caters: No (Separate catering by UH Dining; called Catering on Cullen)

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

King's Chicken- A Desi Restaurant with a Nice Ambiance

Restaurant: King's Chicken

Address: 2209 Highway 6 South, Houston, Texas 77077
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 12/18/14

Photo Credit: http://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Ze_0RKqGvI5e7UuIWIwWEg/ls.jpg

Background:

Salam/hey guys! After a long time, I am reviewing another restaurant in the same week! Last Tuesday, I reviewed Thai Choice. Today, I am reviewing King's Chicken. I first heard of King's Chicken when I was in high school. The original owners had sold their biryani and fried chicken after the Friday Prayers at the mosque my dad and I used to go to. Then all of a sudden, they disappeared. Their food was really good though. Many years later, I found out that there were new owners, and that they have completely changed the restaurant. The biggest change was that they no longer sold fried chicken. Makes me wonder why they still kept the name. The time came for me to try when I got a call from my father saying that we should meet up for lunch here while I was at UH collecting my belongings from my locker at the campus recreation and wellness center (a.k.a. the gym). He told me that he was on limited time, and that he is a frequent customer at the restaurant. Thankfully, it took me less than 3 minutes to get my stuff. After taking detours, since 45 was shut down at Allen Parkway due to a major accident, I arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

King's Chicken is located right across Highway 6 from Great Khan Mongolian Grill. Like from the entrance, you can see the big letters indicating that Great Khan is located there. From the outside, the restaurant looked very small, and very average looking. However, once you get inside, you feel as if you are at some fine dining place. The only other Indian/Pakistani places that had such great ambiance were Mayuri on Westheimer, and Marhaba Restaurant back in Al Khobar. Everything was shining, and soothing restaurant music was playing. The tables were laid, similar to how many fine dining places do so. After meeting with my dad and my friend, who is my dad's colleague, it was time to eat.

Let's Eat!

We went for the lunch buffet. The buffet spread was separated into vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections. I opted for the non-vegetarian selections. The selections available were: chicken biryani, chicken karahi, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, seekh kabab, and lamb rogan josh. We all got naan and water. When I went up to get the food, the food was piping hot, and I could hear the chefs cooking the buffet food. My dad also got takeout biryani for my family, since my mom was not feeling well.

Menu (click to view): I am surprised that a restaurant of this caliber doesn't have a website. Anyways, this restaurants features dishes that are popular in both India and Pakistan. The pricing is very reasonable

Appetizers

Rice Dishes

Tandoori

Chicken Curries (I)

Chicken curries (II), goat and lamb curries

Seafood and Vegetables (I); (sorry if it is crooked. It just wouldn't stay still!)

Vegetables, naan, and desserts

Desserts and Beverages

The Buffet spread

The Verdict: 

This buffet, like most I have been to in Houston, had hits and misses. The hits were the seekh kabab and the butter chicken. The seekh kabab was cooked perfectly and was full of flavor. The butter chicken was very creamy. The downs were the chicken karahi, and the Tandoori chicken. The tandoori chicken could have been much better, and the karahi had very little taste. The rest of the items tasted decently. My father liked the food, while his colleague agreed that the Tandoori chicken could have been much better. My mom and sister liked the biryani, but said that it was not as good as Khan BBQ's (Idk why). The naan kept coming in, and each time the naan was very fluffy and tasty. One thing that I will point out is that unlike many other Indian/Pakistani places, the karahi was not oily at all! This makes it easier to eat all the food and minimize the waste. The food was washed down with refilled glasses of water.

The service was ok. Nothing to praise or criticize. We just ate, paid, and left.

Conclusion: 

The new management of King's Chicken is doing a decent job. I have two tips for them: change the name of the restaurant. King's Chicken was originally named because it would sell fried chicken along with Indian/Pakistani food. Also, the phrase "King's Chicken" is analogous to "Church's Chicken" or "Hartz's Chicken). Had I been asked to suggest the name, I would name it "Baadshah" (King in Urdu). But in the end, the decision whether to change the restaurant name or not is entirely up to the management, and I will respect their decision. Their biryani gets a pass, along with the rogan josh. But in all honesty, if I were to choose between here and Maharajah, then I would pick Maharajah because of the latter's consistency in the taste of their food. However, if at all I come back here with my dad, then I would order something off the menu.

Grading: 

Service: 8/10

Food: 7.5/10

Waiting Time: N/A

Total: 15.5/20 = 77.5% (C)

Pricing: $ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

King's Chicken

2209 Highway 6 South, Houston, Texas 77077

Phone: (281) 498-2900

Website: None

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kings-Chicken/354214774745263?sk=timeline

Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 10:30 PM

Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

Shahnai Restaurant: Not A Great Place to Dine

Restaurant: Shahnai Restaurant & Catering
5920 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, Texas 77036
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 10/3/14

Photo Credit: http://www.shahnai.com/images/11.jpg

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Once again, I am late. This was because I had two midterms the previous week and I broke my toe while playing soccer. Now I am on a brace for 2 weeks. For these two weeks, I can't drive. This means that I can only go places with the family, and they rarely go anywhere. The last restaurant before these events unfolded that I visited is called Shahnai. Shahnai is another vintage Houston restaurant. It opened in 2001 and claims to be one of the "jewels of Indian Pakistani cuisine in Houston" They are more known for their banquet hall and their catering. I would always see flyers for events that were to take place in the banquet hall. I also heard mixed reactions about the food that is served in Shahnai. The time came to try as my family were invited to a post Nikah (post declaration of marriage) dinner. As almost always, I go to Indian/Pakistani restaurants ONLY with family or for takeout. After the 30 min drive from Cypress, we arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

Shahnai is located in the same strip mall as Bijan and Mercy Islamic Center. There are two parts of this restaurant: the banquet hall, and the restaurant itself. The banquet hall is across the parking lot. The outside reminded me of the restaurants in Saudi, bright neon lights everywhere. Inside was your typical restaurant scene with tables, and the cashier. We had a private room next to the restaurant, which I assumed to be the former banquet hall. After meeting up with the relatives, the bride, and the groom, we were ready to eat.

Let's Eat!

Like almost every Indian/Pakistani restaurant, there was a buffet. Usually we would order, but this time we did go to the buffet. The buffet has the usual tikka, karahi, and rice dishes. As I was going through the buffet spread, I was told to not take the biryani. Instead, they ordered it made. This clearly tells that the biryani in the buffet was not fresh at all. I went and tried the other dishes from the buffet spread. This included Chicken 65, chicken karahi, chicken tikka, kabab, and vegetables. To drink, I had water.

Menu (click to view): Buffet, Dining Menu, Catering Menu

I have never seen a catering menu this vast. Not even separate catering companies that I have reviewed was this big. The buffet is pretty big and the cost is a bit high. The dining menu prices are similar to other Pakistani restaurants that I've been to.

The plate consisting of the buffet items

The Verdict:

The rest of the buffet food was not fresh at all. What was ironic was that the Chicken 65 turned out to be more like Chicken kheema (minced meat). The kababs were completely tasteless, and the karahi was just not good. The only thing close to decent was the chicken tikka. The food was washed down by a few glasses of water. Overall, two thumbs down.

Since this was a party, there was nothing to talk about the service, so the service will not be graded.

Conclusion:

Well, based on what I have heard from people, this is obviously leaned towards the bad things that people have said. There are definitely better Indian/Pakistani restaurants around town. If I were in Hillcroft, I would just drive a few more miles down the road to another restaurant.

Grading:

Service: N/A

Food: 2.5/10

Waiting Time: N/A

Total: 2.5/10 = 25% (F) (New record low)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information: 

Shahnai Restaurant & Catering

5920 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, Texas 77036

Phone: (713) 953-1388

Website: http://www.shahnai.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shahnai-Restaurant/121697511177267

Timings: Mon-Thu & Sun: 11 AM - Midnight; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 1 AM

Caters: Yes

Dining Hall available

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

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

KC Grill N Kabab- A Decent Way to Finish off a Vacation

Restaurant: KC Grill N Kabab
8611 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 8/22/14

Photo Credit: http://a4.urbancdn.com/w/s/at/xcaF7fVcgYQnZJ-640m.jpg

Background:
Salam/hey guys! At long last, I have the time to write up my final review from my vacation to Kansas City. This time it is KC Grill N Kabab. This is the first review that I have done outside Overland Park. Lenexa is located just a few miles east on 435. This was the last place that I ate at before heading back to Houston. My aunt and uncle wanted me to try out their favorite restaurants; this is one of them. They've been going here and have never been disappointed. After a few hours playing the PS3, I got ready, helped the cousins get ready, and went to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
KC Grill N Kabab is located at the intersection of West 87th and Hauser Ct. Inside, there were tables, and two TVs. One TV was showing the local news, and the other had a slideshow of famous places in Iran. We met with one of my uncle's colleagues, talked a but about Houston, then progressed to eat.



Let's Eat!
For my final meal in Kansas City, it was a buffet! There were 3 different types of rice, along with condiments, and also popular meals such as koobideh, kabob, and even curry. I do not know the pricing as I did not pay for this.



Menu: http://www.kckabob.com/menu.html

The restaurant offers popular Persian items along with a kids menu. It also gives an idea on how much you would have to pay to eat something there.

Saffron rice with chicken kabob, yogurt sauce, chicken and beef koobideh, and chicken and vegetable curry

The Verdict:
For buffet food, the food was actually not bad! My favorites from this were the koobidehs and the saffron rice. The rest were just acceptable. The food was washed down with a few glasses of water. Overall, one thumb up.
The service was good too. The owner was very friendly and very hard working. He would rotate between seeing the kitchen and also conversing with us and the other customers at the same time.



Conclusion:
KC Grill N Kabab is a pretty good place to try the taste of Iran. From what I had sampled, I would highly recommend the Koobidehs, as they were scrumptious and flavorful. I will definitely come back and try things from their menu the next time I visit Kansas City.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Overall: 16.5/20 = 82.5% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
KC Grill N Kabab
8611 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Phone: (913) 541-1900
Website: http://www.kckabob.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Grill-n-Kabob/184644694894265
Timings: Mon: 11 AM - 3 PM; Tue-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri and Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Chilli n Spice Indian Bistro: Vacation Time!

Restaurant: Chilli n Spice Indian Bistro
8562 West 133rd Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 8/19/14

Photo Credit: http://www.kansastravel.org/kansastravelblog/blog120417a.JPG

Background: 

Salam/hey guys! Sorry I have been late as I had no laptop during my vacation to Kansas City (Overland Park is one of the most affluent suburbs in the Kansas City area). So anyways, here is my first review outside Texas in over a year! Like most cities, the vast majority of halal restaurants in the Kansas City Metro are either Indian/Pakistani or Arab. And we go from right where we left off: Indian food. I don't usually eat Indian food outside because my mom makes the exact same food back home in Houston, but that doesn't mean that I don't like any Indian restaurants. But when I actually go, it is either a family trip or getting takeout; very rarely do I go myself or with my friends. In this case, Instead of going myself, I went with my aunt, sister, and cousin. They said the food was pretty good for a buffet. She also said that food in Kansas City is very good compared to the food in Houston. We planned on going here after watching Maleficient. After the 20 minute drive, we arrived at the place.

Let The Experience Begin!

Chilli n Spice Indian Bistro is located at the intersection of W 133rd and Antioch. Next to the restaurant is an Indian grocery store, so if you need some groceries, you can go there. It was pretty packed inside, even though it was nearly 3 PM. The ambiance was quite dark. We just got in, and started eating.

Let's Eat!

Now why did we just start eating? Because it was a buffet! Now they brag that it is the "Largest Indian Buffet in the Greater Kansas City Area carrying more than 40 different items including Salads, Chutneys, Desserts, Indo-Chinese, South Indian Appetizers, Soups, Vegetarian Entrees, Biryanis, Tandoori Items, Non-Vegetarian Entrees and serving choice of Fresh Baked Nan on the table". Looking at the items, there was everything. The buffet area was divided into condiments, including the salads, chutneys, appetizers and desserts, the vegetarian items, and the non-vegetarian items. Fresh naan was served on the table. To drink, I simply had water. The buffet is $10.99 (tax NOT included).

Menu: http://www.chillinspice.com/PrintableMenu-DineIn?category=All

To be honest, I am impressed at the large number of options that they offer in the restaurant. Contrary to popular belief, Indian food is not just curry or rice. Every state in India has its own specialties. The menu here focuses more on the specialties from the Southern states of India.

A plate of some of the buffet items: chicken biryani, naan, chicken curry, butter chicken, garlic chicken, and chicken tikka

The Verdict: 

The standouts were the butter chicken and the naan. The naan was crispy and fresh when it came out. The butter chicken had a lot of flavor. The others were just acceptable, except the garlic chicken. The garlic chicken had way too much garlic. The food was washed down with a glass of water. Overall, one thumb up and one side thumb.

The service was nothing to brag about. We just ate and left. It did seem like they were uninterested in working here

Conclusion: 

Chili n Spice is an ok place to dine. The food here is actually ok. I would definitely recommend the butter chicken and the naan though. Looks like I will give them a second chance with their dinner menu, since they don't have the buffet.

Grading

Service: 7/10

Food: 7.5/10

Waiting Time: N/A

Overall: 14.5/20 = 72.5% (C)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Chilli n Spice Indian Bistro
8562 West 133rd Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213
Phone: (913) 681-3663
Website: http://www.chillinspice.com/Default.aspx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chilli-N-Spice/136475986476240
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChillinSpiceKC
Timings: Lunch --> Tue-Fri: 11 AM - 2:30 PM; Sat-Sun: 11 AM - 3 PM
Dinner --> Tue-Sun: 5:30 PM - 10 PM
Closed Mondays
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Afghan Dastarkhwan- A taste of Afghanistan in an upscale fashion

Restaurant: Afghan Dastarkhwan
6800 Southwest Free Suite C, Houston, Texas 77084
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 8/11/14

Photo Credit: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EsM9Z7_fJY8/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAABQ/IyV0dDUwZ5U/photo.jpg

UPDATE 8/13/16: They closed down a few months ago. In it's place is a Pakistani restaurant called Lal Qila

UPDATE 8/10/15: They have relocated to 10581 Highway 6 South, Sugar Land, Texas 77498

============================= ORIGINAL POST =============================

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Today I'll be reviewing another Afghan restaurant here in Houston. It is called Afghan Dastarkhwan. Dastarkhwan is a Persian term that mean "spread out meticulous dining spread". I've been wanting to try this place ever since I got a notification from zabihah.com that this place had opened up. What's funny is that I have heard so many stories about this place. It is supposed to be a place that is the "First High End Afghan resstaurant in Houston". I have heard the owner bragging about how great it is and that it's the best restaurant in town. On their Facebook page, they took pictures of the restaurant being full, the restaurant hosting graduation parties, catering to events in Houston and even Beaumont, which is 90 miles away, and franchising all over Houston! Heck, even Indian celebrities and the Pakistan club of Houston have dined here in this restaurant. The Saudis in Houston organization has even recognized them as one of the best restaurants. Now here is the drawback. The last time someone boast on the radio about how good their restaurant was Paradise Biryani nearby on Hillcroft. And this boast seemed more like "come and enjoy the most mediocre and reheated biryani in USA" rather than "come and enjoy the best biryani in USA". But there was a feature that was good: Cafe Pita. I've tried nearly all of Guy's favorites in later trips and they are really delicious! The time came for me to try when my summer macroeconomics class finished, and I had time to kill before I continue studying for my final exam. Initially I was planning on going for my monthly trip to Stanton's, but they were closed as it is was a Monday. So Afghan Dastarkhwan it is!

Let The Experience Begin!

Afghan Dastarkhwan is located at the exact same building that Lucy's Ethiopian is located. While Lucy's is in the front when you turn from the US 59 feeder, Afghan Dastarkhwan was at the back of the building. When I came in, the owner was right in front sitting on the couch and answering phone calls. He just said "feel free to sit somewhere and make yourself comfortable". I was pleasantly surprised that an Indian/Pakistani owner would be so calm. Inside, the restaurant resembled a party hall. It was quite dark in there, and there was also a stage. Maybe it's their definition of high end dining. There was also a TV playing. 

Let's Eat!

I had the buffet. The buffet consists of Kabuli Pulao, a potato and lamb curry, and Biryani (as usual). To drink, I just had water. I paid $11.80 for the buffet (tax included)

Menu: http://www.afghandastarkhwan.com/menu/

The menu consists of various traditional Afghan delicacies. I must say that for a high end restaurant, the pricing was splendid. Normally at fine dining restaurants, the prices are usually above $30

Kabuli Pulao and potato and lamb curry

The Verdict:

Contrary to the majority of buffets I have been to, this was some decent food! The Kabuli pulao still retained the flavor as if it was fresh, and the potato and lamb curry was very flavorful. It reminded me of the time in Turkey when I had a similar dish like that! Compared to Saffron Kabob House in regards to the Kabuli Pulao, this wins because it is less oily. The food was washed down with a nice full jug of water. Overall, two thumbs up

The service was good. The waitress was very attentive and I liked the idea of having a jug to yourself. That way, you can have the water when you feel like it.

Conclusion:

Unlike Paradise Biryani Pointe, the actual taste and service lived up to what the owner had said! As always, actions matter more than words. Very rarely do buffets have taste and high quality. This is one of the buffets that actually have taste and good quality. I hope to one day bring my whole family here or just grab lunch here when driving from UH.

Grading: 

Service: 9/10

Food: 8.5/10

Waiting Time: N/A

Total: 17.5/20 = 87.5% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Afghan Dastarkhwan
6800 Southwest Free Suite C, Houston, Texas 77084
Phone: (281) 784-4900
Website: http://www.afghandastarkhwan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Afghans-Dastarkhwan/274960609352045
Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 12 AM; Sat: 12 PM - 12 AM; Sun: 12 PM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

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

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed