North Side Restaurant Review: Sabri Nehari
By Andrew Jenkins on Oct 20, 2006 5:52PM
So we just finished reading Interpreter of Maladies, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s frequent mentions of samosas and stews had our normal craving for Indian and Pakistani food on a heightened state of alert. This week we ventured up to Devon and Western to try a place we’ve never visited, Sabri Nehari. It seems there’s a list of seven or eight restaurants in the area that are praised on the various Chicago food sites; Hemma’s, Viceroy, Bhabi’s Kitchen, Udupi, Tiffen etc. This night it was Sabri’s turn for us.
We were seated quickly and the first thing to be noticed was the restaurant’s cleanliness. And considering the fact that they’ve got enough lights on in the dining room to rival Soldier Field, it’s probably a good thing that all of the bright walls and glass-covered tables are spotless. The night we hit Sabri it was stocked with a huge staff, so we enjoyed attentive and friendly service throughout the meal. Our server was more than willing to answer a few questions and give some recommendations. The Pakistani feast we ordered consisted of vegetable samosas, Nihari, Frontier Chicken and Garlic Nan.
Storefront image via bindifry's flickr.
The samosas were a delight—layers of thick pillowy dough holding a spicy potato and vegetable concoction. Sabri seems to serve up the extra-large size samosas compared to some others in the neighborhood.
Our entrees followed quickly. The Garlic Nan, a flat bread, came out warm and soft and filled with the perfect amount of minced garlic. The Nihari, a signature item for the restaurant, lived up to its reputation as a less-than-visually-appealing dish. A large chunk of braised beef with an quarter-inch-thick layer of demi glaze sitting atop it. The beef rests in a bowl of savory gravy with potent ginger flavors. We had read that Nihari blended hints of sweetness into the spicy gravy, but on this night it was all heat. The portion was generous as we would have needed two more orders of Nan to finish off the rest of the gravy. Our date’s Frontier Chicken was made from pieces of grilled chicken mixed with tomato, green pepper and onion, then seasoned with garlic, cilantro, ginger and herbs. It brought a nice mild spice that stayed with us throughout the meal.
If we have one regret about our visit to Sabri, it would be that we did not order the Chicken Charga. To prepare this dish, Sabri lightly flours and then deep fries an entire chicken, smothers it with hot sauce, onion and spices and serves it on the table wrapped in foil with a knife sticking out the top.
It should be noted that Sabri is an alcohol-free zone. Unlike some other competitors on Devon, this place does not serve alcohol and does not have a BYOB policy. We’ve heard that a fair amount of unknowing diners have walked in with booze under the arm only to be quickly escorted out. They do offer some fun soda choices, but we stuck with the water this evening.
If you haven’t checked off Sabri Nehari from your Devon list, we recommend doing so. They’re located at 2511 W. Devon Ave. Phone: (773) 743-6200; Hours: 12:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., seven days a week.