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Kabab grill and goaty stew
I was actually on my way to go check out Macaron Cafe but I was swayed by the huge 'Internet Access' banner. Why eat food when you can feed your body with broadband? The Kabab Grill attracted my attention because what's better than kababs when it's twenty degrees outside? As it turned out, it wasn't really a kabab grill, but actually a place that has Pak-Indian food and Latin food.
This is the second time in midtown where I saw an Indian place next to a Spanish food place, all inside the same place. Does that make any sense? Basically the Kabab Grill is one store, and inside, two different areas offering different foods. For some reason this just makes me happy beyond belief. This whole idea of random cultures together. It's naan meets ox tail. It's heaven as we know it.
For a place like the Kabab Grill, you have to really temper your expectations. This is not the best Indian food in Midtown. I'm not even sure what that is but this is what should be called, serviceable and filling. The naan is a little less soft than others that I've had in the past. On the plus side they do give you a huge one. And they appear to at least be semi-fresh. Or they just keep all of it in the back and only bring it up when it's ordered. The standard order of chicken tikka masala was decent and less oily than Taste of India if you're into less oily foods.
Since they have the word kabab in their store front, it was only right to get a chicken kabab. $2 dollars. It's an average deal. The kabab has a nice spicy kick to it and I bet if you bought three and a naan, it would make for a decent sandwich. Just remember the naan is not super soft, therefore your theoretical sandwich wouldn't be like a soft taco, but more like um, I don't know. Not a soft taco.
The next day I decided to tackle the other steam table with the Spanish food. They seem to have many of the normal choices you see at steam-table places. You have oxtail and various other stews that smell great. My strategy at steam tables is to pick the stew that's close to depletion. This means all the regulars like it too. Or, all the newbies order with the same strategy and none of us know WTF we're picking.
The most depleted one is the first picture of this post, goat stew. I don't eat much goat. This is due to the fact that my over-priced grocery store limits my meat selection to cows, pigs, and horses. No wait, I meant chickens. Sometimes lambs. Never goats. [Side note, the other day I saw alligator arm/claw in a Chinese meat market. It was craaaazy.] I figured, might as well. It's goat. How often do I eat this? It's in a stew and he's going to pour it all over this yellow rice with beans. Awesome.
You could tell the stew was cooked low and slow because the bones were all hollow. No marrow action. This meant all the goatiness was cooked into the stew. One small problem. It was way too goaty for me. Some dude next to me just cleaned his plate and I sat there thinking... "Um... maybe next time I will try to ask for a goat sample before ordering it..." See, I still have faith that goat is good. It just takes getting some time to get used to it.
I threw 80% of my goaty stew into the trash. It was a sad moment. Anyway, I would go back to this place just to try the meat stews that I'm familiar with and also to just eat more Indian food and kababs. It's about time the blog gets some dessert action though. Mmm.... cupcakes.
Kabab & Grill
150 W. 36th St.
New York, NY 10018
212-967-0813
Map
Sign up to the feed and never miss a post!Posted by Danny on January 16 2009 at 2:20 pm
I love goat. What a waste to throw 80% out. It must have been real bad. I always have a hard time not finishing everything on my plate, even if it isn't that great. Of course, later I end up hating myself.
I can't believe you didn't take a pic of the alligator claw! It sounds so creepy, especially if it was a big carton full of claws.
bionicgrrrl on January 16 2009 at 2:54 pm
Was it too gaimy?
wonders on January 16 2009 at 5:26 pm
I'm picturing you now, walking up to the convenient spanish restaurant trash can and depositing 80% of a goat in there. Song is a work in progress....
Oh, Danny boy, the goat is much too goaty....
Hungry Bitch on January 17 2009 at 11:19 am
Ha, I love the spanish-american-pakistani-indian-halal places. There's another one on 31st St at 7th Ave. I've heard more than one confused customer asking where the pork was.
Janice on January 17 2009 at 1:51 pm
It's been awhile since I've had the chance to check your blog regularly- I've missed it!
How did the goat smell?? I love lamb, but I don't know why, I keep thinking the goat would smell really goat-y, and with tough meat. (Side note: I've had crocodile soup as a child... I hated the smell!!) And I prefer naan super soft and chewy, yum (although i like thin pizza crusts?!?!)
Veronica on January 18 2009 at 4:47 am
Awww, you didn't like the goat? Was it particularly gamey? What a shame. It must've been bad if you threw out most of it!
Agnes on January 18 2009 at 7:15 am
For some reason I associate goat and lamb in my head. I like lamb quite a lot. Not sure if I recall goat. And dude, alligator?! I didn't know Chinese people ate th- er, scratch that. I don't think I've ever seen alligator on a Chinese menu - wait, I can't read Chinese. Never mind. I give up. Maybe my mom will order it for us next time.
Yvo on January 20 2009 at 12:20 pm
@bionicgrrrl,
You're right, it was a waste. But I just couldn't eat it on that day. It was quite a disappointment personally since it's like a defeat to not eat everything. You can't win them all. I still think goat can be tasty though!
@wonders,
That's probably what it was... that extra oomph was just too strong for me :P
@Hungry,
Oh? New song? 80 percent of a goat would be a disturbing pictures. The question is whether you chop off the front 20 or the back 20...
@Janice,
Asking for pork fried rice at a Halal place is great. They always look at you funny like you can't read. haha
@Veronica,
You know, the goat was super tender. It was not tough at all, which goes to show how long they braised it. I wish the gamy thing didn't bug me!
@Agnes,
Unfortunately I didn't like it.. :( But I feel like goat is supposed to be tasty!
@Yvo,
Yea, lamb is quite tasty! And yea that alligator arm or claw thing was just crazy. I need to go back and see if they let me take a picture of it. They should have it for Halloween. haha
Danny on January 21 2009 at 11:06 am