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The table was one of
only two in the restaurant
entrance area; however,
an adjacent seating area
has plenty of tables for
customers wishing to dine
in. A glass refrigerated
case sits near the order/
check-out counter and
showcases an assortment of
drinks and desserts which
will be described later.
Behind this area is the
moderately-sized kitchen
where Abassi prepares all
of the delicious Indian and
Pakistani cuisine, assisted
by his son, Unzer, and
his daughter, Mehik. Also
noteworthy is a small stage
nestled in the corner of the
dining area, complete with
speakers and an assortment
of musical instruments.
Abassi said that sometimes
Karaoke is performed at
the restaurant, and at other
times, musicians will opt to gather to
play music and sing. In fact, Abassi said
he is a professional singer, and he will
sometimes join in the music-making
and singing.
Abassi started our dining
Gulab Jaman (Honey Balls)
experience by offering each of us cups
of hot Chair tea (traditional Masala tea
with milk) which is always available
at no cost to restaurant customers.
During the fall and winter months,
Abassi also offers free fresh homemade
soup to his customers. A self-service
stand sits in the entry way where
customers can serve themselves tea
and/or soup, when available. The
Chai tea was unsweetened and was
wonderfully aromatic and delicious.
Next, Abassi provided us with colorful
paper tri-fold menus and asked us
what we would like to eat for dinner.
Since neither my guest nor myself
dine regularly at Indian or Pakistani
restaurants, we weren’t quite sure what
to order—almost everything sounded
appetizing based on the descriptions!
So, we asked Abassi to choose a few
items for us that we could share so
that we could try a variety of food
selections. Before ordering, he asked
about our spice tolerance, and we
told him that we both thought we
could tolerate medium spiciness. He
placed the order and while his son and
daughter prepared the entrees, we had
the opportunity to learn more about
Abassi and his restaurant.
Although he has two Masters
Degrees earned in Pakistan--one
in Islamic Studies and the other in
Homeopathic Medicine--he has always
had a passion for cooking. He credits
his mother and his grandmother
for teaching him how to cook
authentic dishes from his homeland,
and nearly all of the food selections
on Vegan N’ Chicken’s menu are
adaptations of those original recipes.
He has worked for many years in
the restaurant industry both in his
homeland and here in the
United States. In Pakistan
he also was a restaurant
owner for a period of time.
He emigrated to the U.S.
approximately 20 years ago,
and worked for various
Pakistani restaurants before
opening Vegan N’ Chicken.
Suffice to say that with
his wealth of experience,
Abassi has mastered the
art of cooking Indian and
Pakistani food. Over the
years, he has also picked
up additional cooking tips
from the Food Channel
and the internet, and has
experimented with creating
various ethnic fusion
recipes, including Chinese,
Thai, and Caribbean, among
others. However, none of
these creations are on the
Vegan N’ Chicken menu.
As we spoke, Unzer
and Mehik began to deliver
colorful savory dishes to
the table. The presentation of each
dish was beautiful and emanated
the most wonderful aromas. We
were served a variety of selections
including: Chicken Tandoori (2
chicken legs cooked in a clay oven);
Palak Paneer (spinach cooked with
homemade cheese); Punjabi Curry
(a special vegan curry dish not on
the menu); Chicken Tikka Masala
(boneless chicken pieces with tikka
masala sauce); Basmati rice; and Garlic
Naan (fresh bread baked in a clay
oven topped with fresh garlic and
cilantro.) What a feast we enjoyed!
Abassi explained that the Chicken
Tikka Masala, one of the most popular
dishes in most Indian and Pakistani
restaurants, is actually not a native dish.
It was originally introduced by the
United Kingdom (UK) ad is typically
made with a tomato-based sauce
and heavy cream. Abassi said that he
doesn’t personally like Chicken Tikka
Open 7 days a week, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM for Dinner | Found on Facebook and Yelp