Shalimar, I Forgot How Good You Are
When Mackie and I lived on Russian Hill, the Shalimar on Polk Street was a regular stop for take-out. Mack’s not a huge fan of Indian so we didn't make it as often as I wanted but sometimes she got into the mood. If we really went all out, we’d split our order between Shalimar and Darbar, across the street, each place having dishes we favored in a head-to-head matchup (Shalimar for Tandoori lamb and chicken as well as chana, Darbar for chicken tikka masala and palak paneer). I’d heard rumors that the Shalimar location in the Tenderloin was even better than the Polk Street venue (difficult to believe as, on a good day, Shalimar on Polk was my #1 Indian restaurant of all time). Alas, we never made it back to Shalimar after we moved to SoMa and I’d forgotten how good it really is.
Until a couple of nights ago.
Somehow, Mackie got the urge for Indian. It was late and we’d not gotten around to eating dinner. Options were few but she sniffed out Shalimar on Jones Street in the Tenderloin which, mercifully, stays open to 11:30 every night.
Mackie didn’t exactly hustle home after picking up the food so it was not at optimum temperature when she plated it. Still, it was amazing.
The chicken tikka masala (price N/A) was exactly as it should be – tender chunks of chicken, creamy sauce, spicy. It was wonderful served over basmati rice ($2.00), which nicely soaked up the sauce. [N.B., all prices taken from Shalimar web site and not confirmed to be current.] The rice was nice and fluffy, correcting a problem we occasionally found at Shalimar on Polk, where the rice could be dry and crusty from sitting too long in the steam tray.
Shalimar TL’s palak paneer ($5.95) was also superior to Shalimar on Polk’s. The recipe used in both locations is much less creamy than I’m used to from other Indian restaurants. At Polk, the overall effect is that the dish looks like it came out of someone rather than being fit to go into someone. Very unappetizing and I just couldn’t get past it. The color of Shalimar TL’s palak paneer is much less brownish and much more appealing. While still a different formulation that usually found elsewhere, it was excellent, with tasty spinach, firm paneer and just the right amount of hot spice.
The star of the Shalimar show is the tandoori lamb chops ($9.95). The menu says they’re the chef’s recommendation and I can see why. Covered with a hot spice rub and fired in a tandoori oven, the chops are a treat. The portion is generous. At times, the lamb can be a bit chewy but not so much as to detract from the overall effect of the dish.
The only thing that truly suffered from the delay between cooking and consumption was the naan ($1.00). It was tough. I suspect that it would have been much better if eaten while it was still hot.
If you eat in at Shalimar, don’t expect nice surroundings. The Tenderloin location is, well, in the Tenderloin and the Polk Street location is as close to the Tenderloin as you can get and still be in Nob Hill (the Chronicle places the demarcation at Pine Street). The places are down and dirty, with inspection scores (74 and 86, respectively) to prove it. (For the record, I haven't gotten sick from eating at either location. YMMV.)
If you take out, be aware that the food can be greasy and the take-out containers are ill-equipped to handle it. They try to compensate by wrapping the containers in foil but it’s not fully effective. When you get home, clear out the sink, set the bag in it and open the containers over it to minimize the mess.
The person who originally clued me in on Shalimar told me that there are a bunch of great off-menu items you can get if you go with someone who knows what to request. I've never had the pleasure but she tells me that it's fantastic stuff, especially if you like spicy hot.
If you get a hankering for Indian food (which is actually Pakistani but let’s not quibble about regional differences), head on over to Shalimar. Both locations are good but, based on our recent take-out experience, I’d judge the Jones Street location to be a touch better.
Shalimar
532 Jones Street
between Geary Street and Jones Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-928-0333
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 74
Symbol of Excellence: No
Shalimar
1409 Polk Street
near Pine Street (the Shalimar web site says at California Street but it's almost a full block away)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-776-4642
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 86
Symbol of Excellence: No
For what it's worth I haven't gotten sick at the Jones St. Shalimar, but I did get sick from Darbar. I haven't been back there to test it again.
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I've never had a problem at Darbar but that obviously didn't help you. Your response did prompt me to pull the inspection score for Darbar -- not the best but not the worst...
Food inspection score : 86
Symbol of Excellence : No
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