In case you’re wondering what style of cooking or ingredients “tandoori” is, it is actually derived from the word tandoor which is a sort of clay pot oven used in cooking in Indian and nearby Hindu countries. Just like our lechon kawali, the dish is named from the vessel the meat is cooked in.
I’ve been passing by this straightforward roadside eatery named Bhai Shaab's Punjabi Fastfood Nepal N India in Dulonan, Arevalo but it was just recently that I stopped by and savored their specialties. As their signage suggests, one can only find the delicacies and cuisine from the Indian subcontinent and neighboring countries.
A hole in the wall ambiance awaits patrons and curious diners like me as one enter the eatery. Owned by a Nepali who married a Filipina, this unassuming food joint is barely half a year old as I casually interviewed one of the food servers. And with a menu that is full of tongue twisting yet readable items, one can just digest the short description of each dish. Or just ask what their specialties are and hope they’ll be in line with your taste, just like what we did.
And that’s how we got the tandoori chicken for it was their signature dish and best seller. From the way it looked and the aroma it exude, one can really taste Indian cookery on this plate of chicken. Marinated overnight in lots of spices that include curry, chili and yoghurt, this charcoal grilled chicken gives chicken a whole new flavour and taste from the usual cooking Ilonggos are attuned with.
They’ll probably look for unlimited rice which we didn’t order that time. Instead we had a galore of Indian and Nepali breads called tandoori roti, chappati and tandoori naan. It was more of a curiosity order rather than having a “pabusog blowout” as we were trying to appreciate this affordable spread of foreign cuisine.
Tandoori roti is unleavened wheat bread cooked in their tandoor oven giving a soft tortilla consistency or more recognizably, a soft unfilled piaya look and taste. The chappati is a popular soft wheat bread that is cooked in a griddle and has a dried consistency. The tandoori naan is flat baked leavened bread which has a smoother finish.
We also got Prawn Masala which had prawns simmered in a rich yet lightly spiced sauce, Bhindi Masala, okra with lots of Indian spices with the curry powder being most evident and Dal Tadka, a rich saucy side dish made with yellow lentils and lots of spices.
I liked the okra dish most for it was crisp and very flavourful that it was a perfect complement to the yellow lentil dish that doubles as sauce. And with shreds of the chicken tandoor i and chappati, I just made an Indian version of lumpia. Of course they don’t eat them that way (or do they?) but the fun of eating Indian cuisine the Filipino way makes it even a more local experience.
Finishing our meal was lassi which as described then and there was blended yoghurt. An order is good for two but I really can finish even two orders (that’s four glasses!) since it was a refreshing, frothy and healthy drink - with hints of Yakult.
Now that alone is worth another visit to Bhai Shaab's Punjabi Fastfood but as they have more to offer on their menu, a trip back to Dulonan, Arevalo will certainly be another gastronomic adventure to India and Nepal!Bhai Shaab's Punjabi Fastfood is located along Avanceña Street in Dulonan. Just look for the “Nepal N’ India” sign along the road and coming from Molo, it is before the “Y” junction in Dulonan.