“Zaika means ‘taste’ in Hindi and Urdu,” says Rahim Karowadia, one of the partners in the new Zaika Indo-Pak Restaurant (16556 Southwest Fwy., 281-313-0123), located where Shiva used to be. The restaurant is serving both Indian and Pakistani cuisine, and the chef is Pakistani, with more than 25 years’ experience in Houston restaurants.
When Dish visited one hot summer evening, we found the food to be not only authentic but absolutely delicious. Since the restaurant serves two types of cuisine, we sampled dishes from both countries. The Pakistani beef nihari was so tender, it fell apart on the fork and, surprisingly, wasn’t too spicy. The Indian yellow dal, or lentils, were excellent, as was the eggplant and the chicken masala, which was also so well braised, the meat fell off the bone. A simple plate of basmati rice and naan bread were perfect with the well-seasoned food. Portions were sufficient to feed two people, with enough leftovers for a light lunch the following day — all for an incredible price of around $30. The restaurant also has a daily buffet.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.