GHAZAL INDIAN CUISINE

So I don’t really believe in coincidences and I totally had one last night. My friend and dining companion mentioned this restaurant to me on our last trip to Miss Pearl’s and as we walked by Ghazal he told me that it was pretty good. I of course (who can’t remember names for shit) didn’t even realize I was choosing the restaurant we had previously discussed when purchasing dinning certificates in order to have a few cool nights of culinary exploration on the cheap this month; but am I ever glad I did.

That said, my friend did not do this place justice in our first conversation as he only experienced the lunch buffet—which he said was “not too bad”! When we entered, the wait staff came right to our aide to seat us and pour us fresh iced water in very simple yet, elegant goblets. Not sure if the service was so gentle and attentive because the restaurant was quite empty for a Wednesday night in Jack London Square or if they do it like this all the time. Anywho, the boys in charge of serving us were so beautiful with the prettiest dark eastern skin and hair, who cared about the rest?

I ordered the Paneer Butter Masala with the plain Naan and my companion had the Lamb Boti Kebab Masala also with the plain Naan. Let me just say that some restaurants have trouble making the sauces taste and look different—so as a new comer to Indian cuisine it can be really difficult to distinguish flavors; particularly if you really like it with a lot of heat. I must say that the balance here was achieved in both dishes; and though we both ordered the curries (using the term loosely) very mild in order to really be able to taste the spices unique to each one, it was clear that there was a very warm background heat in both dishes that was very pleasant and made us giggle as we talked about it.

The waiters suggested the Indian beer which was actually a light premium Lager called Taj Mahal. We both had one and it just wasn’t my cup of tea as I generally like Lambic—though I do get what the waiter was trying to do as I felt the beer change the feel/taste of the spice in the back of my mouth and cool down the heat just a tad, giving me the urge to have more of the sauce!

All in all it was a wonderful dining experience and for $18 plus tip (taking the certificate into account) it was a great deal also! So go to Ghazal, have divine curries, good beer and a great time!

131 Broadway in Jack London, Oakland-CA

Arsimona's Bar & Lounge - Yesterday

Okay; now usually I don't like to have anything bad to say about a restaurant...especially one that I've eaten at (lol); but I digress--

Aside for having less than a gentleman joining me for dinner; the restaurant was okay, but kind of hard to find. The address was on 11th Street but the entrance was on Clay Street so I was a bit confused as I passed right by it due to the door being so elusive.

Once I walked up the long flight of stairs in a very narrow corridor, the space opened up and it was actually a quaint and charming space. A little chilly, but for the most part, great acoustics and interior with sports on every flat panel TV from wall to wall.

A sexy fully stocked bar with comfortable seating and a very sexy bartender; who was charming despite the limited food options, expensive drink menu and the obvious, “my wack ass dining companion”.

I ordered the fish and chips; a smart choice in my opinion, as it’s hard to screw-up fried food items. I must admit I was hungry and the plate was aesthetically pleasing; but after I really thought about it the fish was somewhat remnant of Gordon’s and the chips were okay. Nice plates though…and the cocktail I had was so delicious that it really didn’t matter. My companion had the chicken fettuccine which was just okay too—the chicken was great, well seasoned and tender for sliced pieces of breast meat; but the noodles were a bit bland and poorly dressed.
We could have stopped there; but I insisted on having the chocolate cappuccino cake as the certificate I purchased from my diners club was not honored without the manager trying to tack on more additional $$$ (even though he did reserve the right too-I couldn't help thinking that he was chicken shit for doing so).

So bottom line: Go for drinks during happy hour—order chicken wings or something; but not a full meal. Friendly service and a tasty cocktail menu—there’s always a place for that; but leave before 9:00 if you don’t want to party with a younger less sophisticated crowd.