Panahar

I've mentioned before that Justin is much more adventurous than me when it comes to food. I tried sushi several months ago and really enjoyed it. Justin has been trying to get me to eat Indian and Ethiopian cuisines a lot recently. Anytime we're trying to decide where we're going to eat supper, I always say, "Justin, I'll eat wherever you want to eat tonight as long as it isn't third world ethnic."

I finally gave in this weekend and ate at an Indian/Bangladeshi restaurant. Supposedly, Indian and Bangladeshi cuisines are quite similar and I've heard that Indian food is delicious, but I just couldn't make myself try it.

Justin searched online for what seemed like forever and eventually decided on Panahar. It advertises itself as "Atlanta's first and only Bangladeshi restaurant." It was actually fairly close to our house so we didn't have to drive very far, which was nice. Parking was also plentiful since it was in a shopping center.

We were forgiven for not having a reservation since it was our first visit to Panahar and were encouraged to make a reservation in the future. We waited ten to fifteen minutes for a table, which surprised me because they were very busy. After studying the menu, we were ready to order. One thing I did not like about this restaurant was the waiter trying to upsell our order. I looked over the menu and ordered what I wanted. I don't want someone telling me what I should try. You can recommend something, but when I say I want "X", don't keep trying to get me to order something else instead.

The waiter encouraged us to order an appetizer, which we gave in and ordered one. We tried the appetizer platter (combo of chicken shingaara, vegetable shingaara, and pankoras). It was good, although I have no idea what I ate. I think Justin enjoyed all the items on the platter.

I ordered the tondoori shrimp for my entree. It was very similar to sizzling fajitas. The shrimp were lightly seasoned with something that turned them bright red, but didn't add a lot of flavor. They were served on a sizzling tray with onions and peppers. It was good. Justin ordered the chicken teek-ka. He enjoyed his entree, too. The entrees were served with basmati rice. I'm not sure what it was flavored with, but I did not enjoy it. The waiter also encouraged us to order the raita sauce to accompany our entrees. I did not like this sauce. There were way too many different flavors. The food was all good, just not what I enjoy.

The service was good and the inside was clean. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Indian/Bangladeshi food. Just remember to make a reservation. They were very busy and seemed to have a lot of repeat customers.

I still have to eat Ethiopian food. Justin swears I'll like it. I hope he's right.