Shahi Zaika

After all these years of blogging, it finally occurred to me that I haven't been blogging about restaurants, even though Waterbury's diversity of restaurants is one of the reasons I love living here. So, starting now, I will take photographs and write blog posts whenever I eat at a Waterbury restaurant. I have no training in reviewing food, and I make no pretensions to be a professional restaurant reviewer. This is just me, telling you what I ate and why I liked it.

We did take-out from Shahi Zaika last weekend. If you haven't been there, it's in the East Gate Plaza (Store Avenue, off Meriden Road). The restaurant is diner-style, the food is spicy! Pakistani and Indian cuisine. I highly recommend the tandoori dishes.

Our medley of food below (clockwise from the top):  Mutter Keema (ground chicken with peas, onions, tomatoes, spices); Bhindi Masala (okra); Vegetable Samosa; Aloo Palak (spinach and potatoes cooked Punjabi style); rice with vegetables; and Chicken Tikka in the center. Not shown in the photo is the Naan.

Shahi Zaika is not your standard Indian restaurant (partly because it's more Pakistani). It's also not an upscale, artsy restaurant. It's more of the classic Waterbury restaurant started by immigrants, for immigrants, which means the recipes haven't been modified to please American palates. There are a lot of places like this in Waterbury, representing a wide variety of immigrant groups. The prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious!