Lazeez Tava Fry

After picking up the most recent issue of Atlanta Magazine and noting that Lazeez Tava Fry had made the Top New 14 Restaurants of Atlanta, my curiosity was inflamed. The same issue also contained a review of Indian restaurants in Atlanta. I'd also read the review on AJC, and by the time I put the magazine down last night, I was jonesing for Indian.

So today, my boyfriend and I went for lunch. I was a little concerned that the place would be crowded, especially after such a glowing review. To our shock, the place was completely empty at nearly 1 pm on a Sunday. I was wondering whether it was even open, but the moment we walked in, Mr. Momin and his wife greeted us enthusiastically. We told them we had just read the reviews, and were dying to try the "Green Gosht" -- a special cilantro, cashew, and coconut curry prepared only on weekends.

I also asked for a couple of other recommendations. While I was inclined to try the Lagan Seekh, Mr. Momin steered me to the Shami Kabob, saying the Lagan was really spicy. Now, I'm ethnically Korean, spice doesn't intimidate me, but I was thinking, I really should listen to the proprietor.

We then asked for another entree recommendation, and he said his Chicken Tikka Masala was very special. I've had tons of Chicken Tikka Masala around town, and I told him I wanted to try something different. However, he insisted that his CTM was prepared in a very unique way, and that if we didn't like it, he'd throw it away! You can't argue with that...

So, the papadums sitting on the table were accompanied by the standard mint/cilantro and sweet red tamarind chutneys. Nothing special. And the food was taking possibly a little longer than we thought...then BAM.

All of it came at once--the Shami Kabobs, generous patties of delicately breaded meat patties. I was amazed that these were not oily at all. The heat from the kabobs is deceptive--it hits your palate after a slight delay, than it kicks in! Yum in a patty! My boyfriend Frank mentioned that if this was spicy, he was glad Mr. Momin steered us to it rather than the spicier Lagan.

But let's get to the down and dirty.

The Chicken Tikka Masala? It lived up to all of Mr. Momin's claims. I can honestly say I've never tasted a CTM this good. There's some spice in it that I can't identify, but it gives the sauce a sweeter, complex aftertaste, not just the creamy tomato taste I normally expect in CTM. Mrs. Momin proudly said that it's this sweet/sour combination that makes EVERYONE love it--even little kids.

But for me, the true piece de resistance was the Green Ghosht. I'm still savoring it now. A beautiful vibrant green curry, with tender chunks of goat meat. I could not taste the cashews or coconut distinctly in the dish, but trust me when I say--it SO kicks ass! The goat must be very young--not gamy at all, and so tender that with the sauce melting in your mouth, I wanted to suck those bones!

Accompanying the meal, we had both rice and naan. The naan is excellent--not heavy or soggy, but crisp on the crust and pillowy above, lightly buttered. However, the ghosht goes so well with the basmati rice, I kept just spooning sauce on the fragrant grains. If I could have gotten away with licking the entire plate, I would have.

As a perfect after-meal breath freshener, the little handfuls of Indian spice they served with the check were a revelation. I'd never seen these ones before, and no wonder. Mrs. Momin explained that they don't sell these here--she gets them direct from India. There were 2 kinds, but the most addictive one was the sugar-coated fennel seeds. Little explosions of licorice and sweetness in your mouth that almost outdo the Listerine mint tabs.

We have vowed to return, especially since it's just minutes away from my house in Tucker. I can't wait to try the other dishes, particularly the ones prepared in the "tava fry" way, for which the restaurant is named.

Go NOW! Before it becomes overwhelmed with crowds!

I must disagree with Fdoamerica: when I visit an Indian restaurant, I expect that the food will be a little spicy. My meal was fantastic! While the Shami Kabob was at the high end of my spice tolerance, the proprietor kept my water glass filled, so there was no problem! The chef told me that his Chicken Tikka Masala was unique from hundreds of other restaurants, and if I didn't like it, he would throw it out! Happily, there is no need to fill his dumpster - the Chicken Tikka Masala was wonderful, with an interesting subtle mix of sweet and sour. And while it was a little spicy, it was mild enough for this white man! Great nan, efficient service (my meal was completely served within 15 minutes) and pleasant ambiance.

I read the 9/18/09 review "Lazeez Tava Fry" in the AJC and double checked via the internet reviews and thought “let’s find this place”. Even with Mapquest this is not an easy restaurant for you to find. You can't see it from the Jimmy Carter and we passed it twice before we stumbled on it. Hallelujah.... We found it! There is ample parking, YEA, adn restaurant is clean and large. We were one of two couples in the place on a Friday night (8 pm) hum. The waiter saw us right away and had us in a table – pronto.

However, after the sit down the waiter was, well, slow, It took 12 to 15 minutes to get a cup of Chai Tea.... however, the tea was very good and super hot. We ordered a few appetizers, rice and the tea. That is when the fireworks started. Wow. How many ways can you say HOT.
All the food (was sooooooooo spicy that you could not enjoy them. This is the hottest food I have tried to eat in years. I told the waiter "Why didn't you tell us that the dishes were so spice?:".... “Sorry, Sir, they can get hot”... That will be $22 please.

We paid and left 98% of the food…. We couldn’t eat it. Maybe, the restaurant has food that doesn’t burn the palate but from our experience I would not recommended the "Lazeez Tava Fry".