Pavani
Ghopaul and I (Rani) had been curious to try Pavani's as it had been recommended by several of our friends. So one night we braved the spaghetti bowl of roads around HWY 59 & BWY 8, crisscrossing various feeder roads, until we found ourselves standing in front of – what looked liked – a very closed Pavani’s.
However once we entered, the aroma of curry leaves and mustard seeds welcomed us to stay. It was one of the "ahhhhhh" moments… like when a bright light suddenly shines down on you while a chorus of angels sings above. As we walked into the main dining area we discovered an impressive dinner buffet of mainly Southern Indian food that stretched along the entire length of the back wall!
Daal fry, spicy okra, fried potatoes, sambar, idly, pokora, briyani, chicken tandoori, chicken tika masala, goat curry, and on and on!
The food was excellent, especially the fried potatoes and the daal! The simple vegetarian dishes were definitely Pavani’s strongest suits. The naan was fresh and flavorful and the Tandoori chicken was perfectly cooked and not dry. Pavani’s also featured a couple of great Indian beers to complement the meal.
With all of these strong points, it was hard to find something less than stunning on the buffet. Two items seemed to be lacking: the chicken tika masala was too heavy with cream and the ground lamb dish seemed to have lost its flavor… or perhaps the lamb flavor was lost among the other spices of the dish.
But most of all, we loved the unpretentious, warm atmosphere at Pavani's. Their focus was definitely on serving up good, fresh food. And the matronly woman in the sari working the front just added to the authenticity of this eatery!
If this restaurant were a Bollywood movie, it would be:
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ~ A romantic anecdote of second-generation Indians living in Britain who are strongly attached to the traditional values of Indian culture.
Pavani Indian Cuisine
10554 Southwest Fwy
Houston, Texas 77074
(713) 272-8259
However once we entered, the aroma of curry leaves and mustard seeds welcomed us to stay. It was one of the "ahhhhhh" moments… like when a bright light suddenly shines down on you while a chorus of angels sings above. As we walked into the main dining area we discovered an impressive dinner buffet of mainly Southern Indian food that stretched along the entire length of the back wall!
Daal fry, spicy okra, fried potatoes, sambar, idly, pokora, briyani, chicken tandoori, chicken tika masala, goat curry, and on and on!
The food was excellent, especially the fried potatoes and the daal! The simple vegetarian dishes were definitely Pavani’s strongest suits. The naan was fresh and flavorful and the Tandoori chicken was perfectly cooked and not dry. Pavani’s also featured a couple of great Indian beers to complement the meal.
With all of these strong points, it was hard to find something less than stunning on the buffet. Two items seemed to be lacking: the chicken tika masala was too heavy with cream and the ground lamb dish seemed to have lost its flavor… or perhaps the lamb flavor was lost among the other spices of the dish.
But most of all, we loved the unpretentious, warm atmosphere at Pavani's. Their focus was definitely on serving up good, fresh food. And the matronly woman in the sari working the front just added to the authenticity of this eatery!
If this restaurant were a Bollywood movie, it would be:
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ~ A romantic anecdote of second-generation Indians living in Britain who are strongly attached to the traditional values of Indian culture.
Pavani Indian Cuisine
10554 Southwest Fwy
Houston, Texas 77074
(713) 272-8259
Posted by Rani Wong & Ghopaul Krishna Mendosa at
11:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home