Ghar-E-Kabab in downtown Silver Spring
This is an interesting addition to the downtown SS eating scene, notable because it is NOT a chain. (Locally owned, one of the partners actually is from Nepal.) It's on Wayne Av. across from one of the major parking garages for the new downtown complex. It's Indian-Nepalese, open for business since this past Tuesday night. Lots of rough edges as you might expect, but promising nonetheless. We asked for one of the Nepalese appetizers, Momo (described as turkey, chicken or veg dumpling w/ Nepalese sauce), but they didn't have it. We settled for Gundruk, a Nepalese broth with dried vegetabgles and mystery peanut-like nuts (beans?) that evidently warms people up at high altitudes. Also had more traditional Indian chicken kabab and lamb curry, plus very flavorful naan. We paid with a debit card and they couldn't get the receipt to roll out of the swiper machine properly, so we signed a sketchy, torn-in-half slip & left a cash tip. (Appears to have traveled thru our bank account without incident.) All in all not quite up to Heritage India or Rasika maybe, but a good start, certainly worth going to if you're looking for something different in Silver Spring. Would be interested to hear comments of anyone else who goes to Ghar-E-Kabab.
-
JeffCraddock
Apr 27, 2008 12:11 PM
My wife and I had dinner there last night and it was slammed. It's a family-run, so most of the staff are members of the same Nepali family. Some may recognize at least one of the wait staff from Passage to India. It's a very small space with limited seating, so it was with some difficulty that the staff managed to seat everyone who came, often moving tables together, etc.
I have eaten the buffet several times--the choices are limited, but it's still one of the best buffets I've had in the metro DC. They serve one non-veg curry, tandoori chicken, three or four veggie choices, dal, raita, chutneys, fresh nan, and a small dessert. The food is fresh and tasty, the naan is light and pillowy, with a nice amount of char. It is easily one of the best naans I've had in this area. (FWIW, naan doesn't travel well with carry-out. It tends to lose it's heat and freshness quickly, but can be rehabilitated some with a few drops of water and some time in a toaster over, a trick I learned from chef Sudhir Seth at Passage to India.) I've yet to be disappointed with anything on the buffet--high praise, given that I think most Indian buffets do not show the restaurants at their best. Their chicken saag (spinach) is as good as any I've had, as are many of the veggie offerings.
My wife and I have had a couple of dinners here as well and have enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Despite the small space, the restaurant is pristine, with the atmosphere reflecting the freshness of the food. The food is excellent and I find myself not wanting to make comparisons with our other favorite Indian restaurants. Our go-to remains Passage to India, but Ghar-e-Kabab is far and away the best in Silver Spring and is, in my opinion, a rare find in the somewhat depressing chain choices that dominate downtown Silver Spring.
FWIW, we were told last night that they are planning to open a second restaurant soon in Bethesda. If last night's experience is any indication, they will quickly outgrow their very small space, so this is a good thing.
›1 Reply-
re: JeffCraddock
I have been dining here over the olast few weeks. It is really good! The lunch buffet is very good with the food tasting fresh and freshly prepared. Unlike a lot of inexpensive Indian restaurants, the flavor profiles of the various dishes are quite distinct. The owners and chef are nepali and they have a limited selection of nepali food as well. I tried the nepali Thali and it was very good indeed and a huge amount of food for $21! The goat curry was my favorite with the aloo tamar (chickpeas, potatoes, bamboo shoots in a light, ginger spiked curry) being my favorite. And for $11 their lunch buffet is a super bargain. Great find. Thanks to Jeff C who turned me on to it!
-
-
-
I went to Ghar-E-Kabob with coworkers for lunch today. We had take-out, so I can't speak to the service, but the owner (I assume he was the owner) was very nice and accommodating. We all ordered the buffet (to-go), mainly to try a little of everything. I don't think I'd order an entree or special from the menu for lunch because of the price (nothing under $11 except veggie dishes and sides), but the buffet was definitely a good deal at $8.95, and I'll probably go back at some point with my wife for dinner.
Now about the food....had Pulao Rice, Spinach with corn, Aloo Ghobi (steamed potato with cauliflower), Dal (lentils), Karhai Lamb, and Chicken. Came with a whole piece of naan (10" diameter) and dipping sauces. I absolutely cleaned my to go box. Yum. The lamb and chicken were excellent - moist and tender and in tasty sauces. The rice, dal, spinach, and potatoes were also good, not blow-you-away good but definitely all well-prepared and nicely complimented the meats. The naan is my only "complaint" in that it was slightly rubbery, not soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, and that could have been attributed to the fact that it was take-out, wrapped to go vs. right out of the tandoor. But the flavor was spot on and the sauces were exactly right, and I did eat it all.
And though it's only a week later than Dan F.'s trip, they'd gotten the credit card machine working. I don't see it in a comparison category with Rasika, which is a completely different atmosphere, far more upscale and trendy, and much larger. This has a much more homey, family atmosphere - the owner-guy was really nice and welcoming, as was all of the staff we encountered. I'll get the buffet for lunch when I go back, and who knows what dinner service will hold, but it's worth a trip.
Forgot to add that it all tasted very freshly made, and is touted on the menu as organic. "Fresh, Simple and Organic" is what they say. And it was.
