RESTAURANT REVIEW had a bit of spiciness to it. The tamarind The meat did not taste like lamb I had was also very good, and was even better eaten before; I wouldn’t have even when mixed with the mint sauce for known it was lamb based on the taste. dipping. The Fish Pakora was a moist, white fish fried crisply in vegetable oil. The Vegetable Pakora was a medley of small pieces of fried spinach, onions, cauliflower and potatoes. The Samosa was a triangular fried pastry, generously stuffed with pea and potato filling. All three of these appetizers were enjoyable, both with and without the dipping sauces. Our next samples were lamb and chicken kababs, served off the skewers on a sizzling platter garnished with onion, cilantro and lime wedges. Four generous pieces of chicken breast meat cooked to perfection awaited us, as well as three tubular shaped lamb kabobs. While neither my guest nor I typically eat lamb, I had never had the opportunity to try it prepared this way. Not surprisingly, both meats were quite delectable! The chicken was spiced to perfection, giving it an orange outer color, and was very moist and tender. The lamb kebabs reminded me a bit of meat loaf, as the meat was mixed with onions, cilantro, mint, and green chiles. Again, they were moist and tender and I liked it so much, I even had seconds! Order online at zaiqahercules.com or at zaiqa2.eat24.com 30 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM MARCH 2017 Although we were already getting full, our host and hostess brought out the three main entrees for our tasting. These included Zaiqa’s best-selling dish, Chicken Tikka Masala; Vegetable Biryani, and Karahi Chicken. Zaiqa’s goat entrees also rank among their best sellers, so we were even served a small sample of Goat Korma, which is goat cooked in chef’s special sauce. The highlight of the evening was the basket of warm, freshly baked Naan, a mixture of plain and garlic flavored. Together, these items were a veritable feast and everything was presented beautifully and tasted marvelous, even the goat! In spite of being somewhat reluctant, my guest and I both tried the goat and found it to be quite delicious. It was tender, and seemed to have a light, “young” flavor. We learned that the Masala sauce served with the chicken is a special tomato based sauce that can be universally served with any type of meat, fish, or vegetables. We also learned that Biryani refers to anything cooked and mixed with rice, and Ron and Chris explained the Biryani preparation process to us. It is quite humbling to hear about the great efforts that go into the preparation of the Indian and Pakistani food, and to learn of all of the spices and natural ingredients that are combined to create the wonderful flavors we enjoyed. An excellent house-made yogurt sauce/dip made with cucumbers, called Raita, was served to accompany the Biyrani. My favorite of the entrees was the Karahi Chicken, cooked with tomatoes, green chilies and spices, while my guest’s favorite was the Chicken Tikka Masala. Everything had such a good flavor, and the spiciness of the food, while not “hot” to the taste, certainly opened up my sinuses! Chris and Ron are fortunate to have wonderful chefs working for them at both of their restaurants and for their catering jobs. Our chef for the evening, Baldev Singh, is a pure vegetarian for religious reasons, and so cannot eat or even taste any of the meat or chicken dishes he prepares. In spite of this, his ability to prepare the dishes with just the right amount of spices and flavorings is seemingly flawless! Zaiqa appears to be a small restaurant from the outside; but what isn’t apparent is that the owners also have an entire banquet room next Chicken Tikka Masala Karahi Chicken
Contra Costa Marketplace - March 2017
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