Foodie Family in NJ: Shalimar Kebab House

Who would have thought we'd ever end up in Edison, New Jersey. The "birth place of the technological revolution" and "one of the best places to live in America." To be honest, I didn't put it together until recently when the light bulb went on (pun intended). Edison is the hometown of Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb.

What were we doing there you ask? We weren't on the "American Pioneers" tour or anything. We also weren't on the "Sopranos" tour (as much as hungry husband would have enjoyed that). We were actually on the "hunt" for Shalimar Restaurant, one of the best places to enjoy South Asian cuisine. All the way in Edison, New Jersey. I bet Thomas Edison never thought his hometown would be home to such a gem!

Like most South Asian restaurants that are known to have great food, the restaurant is simple. Nothing fancy about it. In fact, it's quite pedestrian. But the food is far from that. We ordered a few dishes and settled down for the long wait... it felt like hours when it was actually minutes because the smell was making our stomachs growl. It was calling... it was hungry...

"Number 44," the woman yelled and we jumped. Warm Naans, Chicken Seikh Kebab, Haleem, and Tandoori chicken. With the arrival of plastic plates and cutlery, we started to dig in. The chicken kebabs were perfection. Not too overwhelming with spice, not too greasy, not too heavy. Oil wasn't dripping with every bite. Nor was it dry.

Our partners in crime spoke so highly of Haleem that I just had to go for it. At first, I thought it was cheese in sauce. It had such a similar consistency to melted cheese. Turns out, it is a dish made of lentils, wheat and beef, stewed for hours and then turned into a paste-gooey-consistency. It may not sound appetizing but it was definitely tasty. It's actually similar to a dish that my family makes called Keshkek. Our version is a stew of beef, chickpeas, wheat and garlic but enjoyed as-is. No gooeyness.

If you're a carb-o-holic, you'd probably feel the same way as I did when I saw the tower of Naans. Joy and happiness. They were hot out of the oven and a perfect side-kick to the meats and the Cholay (chickpeas). 

If there is a single complaint, it goes to dessert. It's not that the dessert at the restaurant was terrible. It's that South Asian restaurants just can't get dessert right. Everything is quiet intriguing to the eye but it all falls flat on taste. There is an over use of rosewater. I think my dessert sensibilities are a tad more European. Like a slice of Napoleon. Note:  Hungry husband disagrees. Apparently, everyone loves South Asian desserts... aka... Burfi (pronounced as "Barf-e".... sadly).

I never thought I'd ever visit Edison, NJ but I guess you just never know where you'll end up and for what reason. If you're ever in the neighbourhood, It's definitely worth the stop.

Enjoy!

Foodie Wife