G'Raj Mahal - Austin, TX

"G'Raj Mahal"

"Yes, can I place an order for carry out?"

"Sure.  What'll you have?"

"I'll have the Jalfrezi with chicken, some garlic naan, and some raita."

"Do you like spicy?"

"Light my ass up."

They obliged.  Holy shit, did they oblige!

Great carry out spot, the food travels well.  Despite the relatively crowded location come evening, they've got a little area in the alley for you to pull over, jump out, and pick up your food.  Frankly it's probably easier than parking and going in (under?) to eat, and given the current state of the Town Lake trail, is probably easier than walking to right now.

As far as the food went, like my previous posting on this place (http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/04/graj-mahal-austin-tx.html), I strongly urge you to order some naan and raita, as much for the flavor as to act as a cooling agent if you've ordered something spicy or extra spicy, as I did.  The garlic naan is better enjoyed at the G'Raj than at home, as the garlic loses a little of its fresh taste as it steams in the foil and tastes a bit more like the pre-chopped stuff you get in a jar.  But, don't get me wrong, it's still good, and is a perfect shovel for the rest of the meal.

The Jalfrezi is an onion and pepper based curry, which unlike the Rogan Josh, is not cream based, allowing all that heat to come through unimpeded.  Flavor was rich, complex, and incredible, and the chicken all white meat, tender, and saturated with that heat.

See all that red?  Yeah, that's called fire.  Liquid form.

I kind of figured what I was getting into, it's called an excuse to hit Amy's Ice Cream for dessert, and I did, opting for their raspberry ice cream with hot fudge.  From a strictly medical standpoint, nine out of ten doctors call that combination the best firefighter for the job.

Summary

Atmosphere:   food truck/restaurant, outdoor seating both covered and uncovered, good for a date, good place to start or end an evening of drinking at the neighboring bars, good for groups, great for carry out

Food:  Indian

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  dinner, late

Crowd:  hipsters, 20somethings, 30somethings, old people, REAL Indians

What to Order for the First Timer:  naan bread, rogan josh with meat of your choice, raita

Kebabalicious - Austin, TX

Walked the ladies downtown this afternoon to get a kebab from Kebabalicious.

Lady:

Kebabalicious:

Kebab:

Aftermath:

Man was this place good.  I opted for the beef and lamb kabob, which I got with all the vegetables, feta cheese, and extra spicy.

Meat was good solid Kronos (I'm guessing) prefabricated gyro meat, which was prepared the right way thinly chunked from a rotisserie with the expert markings of crispiness on one side, tenderness on the other.  Fresh lettuce, onion and tomato provided a nice, cool, crunchy offset to it, and the spiciness came in the form of red pepper flakes, simple but effective.  The pita was incredible.  Not soft and doughy.  Not dry and crumbly.  It was the perfect texture, with a crisp initial bite, firm integrity, and soft insides.

The regular was perfect size for lunch, and left me satisfied but not stuffed, which meant we could stop by Amy's Ice Cream for a scoop on the way home, which we did.  Sugar cone mounded with Mexican Chocolate Cayenne ice cream, which was awesome.

Plenty of tables to sit at outside at Kebabalicious, and other food options adjacent to it if you want to mix and match.  Sushi in a Box, Chilantro, and Patika Coffee.

Summary

Atmosphere:  outdoor food trailer, good for a quick stop

Food:  kebabs

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  lunch, late

Crowd:  downtown businessmen, hipsters, turkeys, beatniks, girls, boys, men, women, grandmothers, grandfathers, well not really those last two

What to Order for the First Timer:  kabob of your choosing