Scents and spices
A secret Indian stop in Paco
Afew weeks ago I heard of this Indian restaurant within an ingredients store in the Paco area. Finally, it popped up among the foodies and I decided to check it out. As I wasn’t familiar with the area, I took a private taxi, thinking that the closest parking space was Robinson’s Otis which turned out to be three kilometers away. The place is only a few months old and seems to be servicing the old Indian community in the vicinity though it is not near the Indian stores on UN avenue corner Otis. This sixtable restaurant called Lahore is on the corner of Peñafrancia and San Gregorio, owned by a Pakistani married to a friendly Filipina who, as proprietress, acts as the cashier. A small corner showcase in this tidy grocerette displays their homemade sweets and sizeable samosas.
Lahore is the capital city of the province of Punjab and one can expect a little more fire in the preferred spice mixes of the two Pakistani cooks who man this kitchen. I was very lucky coming during early lunch because I had received a tip that a lot on their menu during dinner would be out of stock (Both good and not good for customers who brave the off the beaten track ride but good knowing that food every day is fresh and limited with less cryo treatment).
From the menu one can expect very basic Punjab selections such as chicken and mutton karahi or kurma. The interiors were surprise bursts of fragrant and floral coriander seed with less of the cumin but more of other dried spices (like ajowan and turmeric) in the mix There are items like tandoori and chicken masalas given probably a dry or thick paste rub. I decided to order the sauced items if only because the
tandoori or chicken masala would have not been cooked in a tandoor because the only bread available was
chapati. There was absolutely no disappointment in the buttery and tasty chicken karahi and the simpler milder tasting and less hot mutton
kurma that was braised to tenderness. For starters, the samosas looked so inviting with their bubbly deep fried crusts. It was also absolutely tempting seeing the chef stuffing the spiced potato pea filling on homemade dough forming them into picket triangles on another table he occupied since we arrived as the first lunch customers. What I find mysterious is an added starch either squash or yam that escapes me. The interiors were surprise bursts of fragrant and floral coriander seed with less of the cumin but more of other dried spices (like
ajowan and turmeric) in the mix. Two sauces an orange “mild” is hot sauce and a stronger green sauce are placed on one’s table. At 60 pesos for four large fried dumplings, this was an absolute steal. A dal makhani I ordered used the regular lentils topped with streaks of yogurt and was wonderful with freshly made chapati with lots of bubbles and sear marks on them. We had ordered a plain basmati to match up to our chicken karahi and mutton kurma. This rice dish passed with flying colors, as it used delicate and long grain basmati and had the authentic tones of rich yellows simulating the different yellow spices. One can see whole green cardamoms in the mixed rice dish.
I wanted to order dessert from the menu like gulab jamun or a faluda but both were not available and I did not want the displayed sweets they have because of the traditionally rustic and overly sweet dishes these regions would offer. Anyway after having these selections I do feel it would be great to do a comeback and try the other items on the limited menu hopefully having the listed desserts available. I see Lahore’s potentials just waiting to blossom if it gets a larger clientele similar to what I saw with Behrouz when I was the first Filipino diner in its two-table stand.