Shalimar is a new restaurant that’s opened in Shunyi, serving up Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The menu is varied and features a range of traditional Pakistani dishes and some Indian classics. I decided to give their delivery service a go last weekend. The restaurant staff speaks English, which made the ordering process simple, and all of the food arrived quickly and still hot. The bombay aloo (RMB 38) consisted of chunks of well-cooked potato, coated with a rich sauce of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. The balance of spices, including cumin and garam masala, was just right.
Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian dish of chicken in a mildly spiced curry sauce. Shalimar’s butter chicken (RMB 46) was rich and creamy, with tender chunks of chicken. The combination of butter, cashew nut butter, and tangy passata came through well. The chicken tikka masala (RMB 46) had a rich tomato based sauce, with a good level of heat coming through from the complex mix of spices. I would have liked the chicken to have had more of a tikka BBQ flavor, but it was nonetheless tender and the amount of chicken pieces generous. Other curry dishes include lamb karahai, beef bhuna, kofta, biryanis, plus several vegetarian options. Their BBQ grill dishes include meat and fish tikka, boti, tandoori, kebab, and shashlik.
I’ve dined at several Indian restaurants in Beijing and they often fall down when it comes to their breads. We opted for the plain naan, a bargain at just RMB 6 for a large serving of soft and light textured bread. The paratha was the favorite though. The texture and the taste made for a great authentic tasting paratha. Both breads did their job of mopping up all the plentiful sauce from both curries. The standout dish was Shalimar’s samosas. Crispy, crunchy pyramid delights, stuffed with beautifully spicy potato mashed with fresh vegetables. These pastry parcels were cooked perfectly, not at all greasy. They also do chicken, keema, and paneer samosas RMB 20-25, and a variety of pakoras and meat skewers as appetizers. Kid’s dishes are available, and include Western favorite’s chicken strips, fish fingers, macaroni cheese, burger, pizzas, and chips.
Shalimar Pakistani & Indian Cuisine
Room 104, 1/F, Building 8, 18 Yu Feng Road, Shunyi District (5686 4641, 139 1169 0944, shalimarshunyi@hotmail.com)
beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.
Photos: Sally Wilson
