This week, Neighborhood Eats takes you to Kebab aur Sharab located at 247 West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
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"Kebab aur Sharab, sharab means liquor, the two components without which any wedding, any north Indian wedding is incomplete," said Salil Mehta, the founder. "This was just our way of expressing that happiness and that togetherness, that's a very important part of our culture."
"So this is our special cocktail for Holi. We're leaning into the cannabis milk which is traditionally drunk, a little tequila, and a very light high ball. The juices are turned into ice on the inside. There's hibiscus, mango, and butterfly pea," said Colin Stevens, the Beverage Director.
"As a North Indian restaurant, North Indian cooking, understanding the mix of spices is the most important thing and if you get that and the rest of your proteins are good, you're headed in a good direction," Mehta said.
Dipesh Shinde is the head chef.
"North Indian cuisine is a very rich cuisine. My favorite dish is Dori Kebab. This dish is very close to my heart. I use a young goat. I use 35 types of spice. Spice mixes are very important in the Indian cuisine," Chef Dipesh said.
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"Maybe this is the first restaurant to make rumali roti here and it goes with every curry like butter chicken, and gorma, it's very thin and flaky roti," he said.
"There's a fight back home as to who originated it because it's a very special dish. I don't think any North Indian restaurant should exist or does exist without butter chicken. And if you can truly take something iconic and execute it in the right way, that's all that matters," Mehta said. "A lot of labor of love, no shortcuts, everything fresh."
The founder said that he holds a special place in his heart for the residents of the neighborhood who visit their restaurant.
"Growing up in New Delhi, the best food that we ever ate was a part of Old Delhi and that's where your Muslim chicken, your butter chicken, and your kormas and other dishes that we're known for and that we're thankful for are all originating in that one little space," Mehta continued. "What's truly been amazing and more special is people understanding our vision. From the neighborhood, from the people, from the guests, we thank them all because they're truly helping us tell our story."
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