Our three week quest for good kebabs came to an end last night at Shahi Quila, or Royal Fort restaurant.
Shahi Quila is located at 226 Bui Vien, in the Pham Ngu Lao area of Ho Chi Minh City.
The chicken tikka kebabs were so good, they inspired (sic) me to write a review. Soft and succulent, marinated to perfection, and flavor even in the aftertaste. Not something a lot of restaurants can boast of in an area choc-a-bloc with budget restaurants with 18 page menus!
Shahi Quila, incidentally, is owned by the same guy who made Mumtaz, the other Indian/Pakistani restaurant on Bui Vien, such a fixture in guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Let’s Go Vietnam. Two years ago, he sold the restaurant to another guy, South Indian Christian apparently, who expanded the menu to include South Indian specialties such as Dosas and Idlis, while the quality of food did a nose-dive.
Anyway, this is not a review of the Mumtaz, which I will write soon..
We ordered a large meal – mutton biryani, raita, chicken tikka and namak parey. On the side was lassi and watermelon shake. I’ve raved about the chicken tikka kebabs already. The namak parey (flash fried, small flat pieces of dough) were excellent too. It’s important for the dough used in namak parey to have texture but be light. I hate it when namak parey leave an oily residue on my fingers, and these did not.. so 10/10 again.
When we ordered the mutton biryani, the manager warned us not to expect the same quality as great Indian or Pakistani biryani, because the rice used in good biryani is not available in Saigon. No problem, we said.. let’s give it a shot. True, the Vietnamese rice used in this biryani killed its flavor somewhat, but the mutton piece were cooked to perfection and made the whole dish a very pleasant experience.
The raita (runny yogurt with a hint of spices) was good too but diluted the flavor further. I presume the taste of raita and biryani (a traditional combination) would please a spice-sensitive palate but it wasn’t meant for us. There was a complimentary side of curry too but it really wasn’t much to talk about and is best avoided.
The day before, we’d tried the lassi at Shahi Quila. Lassi (Luss-eee) is a cool yogurt drink which can be salted or sweetened, or both, depending on your taste. If made with stale yogurt, lassi can leave a bad taste in the mouth. The lassi here was fresh, sweetened with just a hint of sourness, perfect for a hot day (which is really, everyday in Saigon) and a great way to hydrate your system.
Oh, and I was also impressed that the tables are spaced far enough that you aren’t compelled to hear the details of the conversations to your left and right.
All in all, 4 stars to Shahi Quila. (Taking the one star off for mutton biryani)
