Gul-Naz Cuisine of Pakistan Report

I had an opportunity to go down to Redlands recently and this allowed me the chance to go to a restaurant that was recommended by a co-worker. It was Gul-Naz Cuisine of Pakistan. Located in a strip mall (where all the best restaurants can be found) in Colton it was at 1624 E. Washington just east of the 215 so it was easy getting there.

The host was friendly and accommodating, seated us quickly and was attentive during the time we were there.  If you are familiar with Indian food many of the dishes on the menu might be familiar.  One distinctive difference was that there were beef dishes on the menu.  We started with an appetizer called Shami Kabob which consisted of beef and chickpea patties fried and served with a spicy yoghurt sauce.  It was vaguely reminiscent of falafel but smoother textured.  The sauce was the perfect accompaniment adding a tartness to cut through the heaviness of the fried patty and just a little heat. 

I ordered a rose syrup drink made with milk called Rooh Afza.  I am fond of rose water but recognize it is not universally loved.  If you like it this cold creamy drink is a good way to enjoy it and it is an option if you get tired of ordering a Lassi every time (though there were several on the menu too). 

For entrees we ordered Lamb Palak and Chicken Tikka Masala. The Palak dish was cubed lamb cooked in a creamy spinach sauce with spices and a side of naan.  The lamb was mild and tender and the sauce was great.  The bread was soft and a perfect accompaniment to sop up the sauce.  My wife claimed the Chicken Tikka Masala was the best she had ever had and it was excellent.  It came with a side of perfectly cooked rice.  It is a mystery to me how to elevate rice to a level of perfection but they accomplished it here.  

We didn’t have time for desserts but we will definitely be coming back to try more.  Our host/server mentioned that all of the food is made from scratch on site and it all had a homey personal feeling to it.  It wasn’t just like homemade food but homemade by a talented capable cook.

The website for Gul-Naz is http://www.gulnazcuisine.com/ and has part of the menu with the prices.