BARR - Pasand

My cousin is visiting us this weekend. We decided to take him out for dinner. After giving him a tour of El Camino Real and the 25 odd restaurants within a 10 block drive, we asked the guy "What do you feel like eating ?".

He was still dazed after seeing 25+ Indian restaurants in 5 minutes. The guy actually spent the last month and a half in an Indianapolis suburb. So you can imagine his surprise!

Finally the decision was Pasand. This restaurant at the northwest corner of Lawrence expressway and El Camino Real (right between the Albertsons and OSH), needs no introduction to the local desi. The place has been around for a long long time. The day my wife landed in the US of A, we went to Pasand. Jr.'s first birthday was celebrated at Pasand. So, my wife always has a sentimental liking to this place. Somehow we dont go there often because the place is a little too formal for my liking. The food is great, but the people who come here are usually the quiet eaters and are dressed a few notches above my simple T-shirt and shorts. That should not be held against the place!

Here is the highlights :





Wait time : 1 minute (no crowd and we were seated instantly).
Food wait time from order : 15 minutes for all items including Dosa
Check time : 2 minutes (Visa Mastercard, didnt check if they take AMEX)
Average price per person : $14
Rating "I miss my mother in law!".
Service : Excellent


Items sampled : Rava Dosa,Masala Dosa, Malai Kofta, Butter Naan, Vegetable Biriyani, Chai.

All items came at the same time including the Dosas. One of the few places where this has happened. The masala dosa and the Rava dosa were excellent. Every restaurant has a different touch to the Rava dosa (which is why I use it as a common denominator to compare south Indian restaurants). Pasand had fine stands of carrots and green peas in their Rava dosa. It was also crispy enough for my liking.

The malai kofta was tasty but watery. I like the gravy thick (the Mrs. actually hailed the thin gravy as being more healthy). My thinking is that tasty and healthy should be decoupled. I dont like compromising taste for health. If adding an extra spoon of fat makes it taste good, then so be it!

The naan was "melts in your mouth" excellent. I didnt sample the tea or the biriyani but the rest of the gang declared them a sucess as well. Jr. liked the place also and the service was great, considering the fact that none of the servers complained about a baby who was practising her walking skills when they had their hands full with the plates.

Pasand still has the magic touch.