Dueling Kabab Stands
The following are in Jackson Heights, near the Roosevelt Ave—74th St. subway stop:
— Kabab King (73-01 37th Rd)
— Kababish (37-66 74th St)
There's nothing I like to see more than a little healthy competition between Queens eateries. Thus I took a keen interest in a small battle right here in the neighborhood, where the upstart Kababish is edging in on the venerable Kabab King. Taxi drivers from the entire New York area flock to this block at 3 a.m. when their shifts turn over.
I must admit that I have always nursed a strong bias towards Kabab King, mostly because of my love for all-night eateries. Both establishments are open 24 hours, but Kabab King has a particular late-night aura (even at midday) that always seems perfectly appropriate. And the fluorescent lightbulbs and formica table-tops are pure Queens.
Kabab King could be on a street corner in Karachi (where most of the staff hails from), and is populated by men with graying hair, white crocheted skullcaps, and hennaed beards. (While there are rarely women customers at night, I have never received less than a friendly reception.) The ordering system is opaque at best, with separate lines for ordering and paying which tend to intermingle when the place is busy (i.e., any time after midnight).
The men behind the counter generally tolerate my butchering of Hindi — usually, they're so busy that they don't realize something is off until the kabab has been inserted into the tandoor and the naan pried from its edges.
In short, it's always tempting to favor the incumbent. Kabab King seems to be a pilgrimmage spot for Muslim (ie, beef-eating) South Asians from all over the tri-state area, while Kababish has existed for barely two years. On the other hand, Kababish gets points for the cute name, has slightly more room to sit down, and serves dishes for the truly adventurous such as "brain masala" and curried liver. For a time they were trying to get an edge on the King by offering 50c naan, but I saw recently that they've matched the neighborhood price of $1 per.
The best deal at both of these places (and you will see plenty of people ordering it) is the "kabab roll," a version of which is served at many kabab stands across New York but which is particularly perfect at the King. The dish involves taking a kabab (cooked to perfection in the smoky tandoor) and wrapping it in a naan with a generous drizzling of coriander-yoghurt sauce. You can eat it on the go, but only if you enjoy splattering yourself with yoghurt. I particularly recommend the juicy "boneless chicken kabab" and the spicy, salty sikh kababs (ground beef or chicken). The latter on a roll is $2.50 — and it may be the perfect meal.
— January 2006
— Kabab King (73-01 37th Rd)
— Kababish (37-66 74th St)
There's nothing I like to see more than a little healthy competition between Queens eateries. Thus I took a keen interest in a small battle right here in the neighborhood, where the upstart Kababish is edging in on the venerable Kabab King. Taxi drivers from the entire New York area flock to this block at 3 a.m. when their shifts turn over.
I must admit that I have always nursed a strong bias towards Kabab King, mostly because of my love for all-night eateries. Both establishments are open 24 hours, but Kabab King has a particular late-night aura (even at midday) that always seems perfectly appropriate. And the fluorescent lightbulbs and formica table-tops are pure Queens.
Kabab King could be on a street corner in Karachi (where most of the staff hails from), and is populated by men with graying hair, white crocheted skullcaps, and hennaed beards. (While there are rarely women customers at night, I have never received less than a friendly reception.) The ordering system is opaque at best, with separate lines for ordering and paying which tend to intermingle when the place is busy (i.e., any time after midnight).
The men behind the counter generally tolerate my butchering of Hindi — usually, they're so busy that they don't realize something is off until the kabab has been inserted into the tandoor and the naan pried from its edges.
In short, it's always tempting to favor the incumbent. Kabab King seems to be a pilgrimmage spot for Muslim (ie, beef-eating) South Asians from all over the tri-state area, while Kababish has existed for barely two years. On the other hand, Kababish gets points for the cute name, has slightly more room to sit down, and serves dishes for the truly adventurous such as "brain masala" and curried liver. For a time they were trying to get an edge on the King by offering 50c naan, but I saw recently that they've matched the neighborhood price of $1 per.
The best deal at both of these places (and you will see plenty of people ordering it) is the "kabab roll," a version of which is served at many kabab stands across New York but which is particularly perfect at the King. The dish involves taking a kabab (cooked to perfection in the smoky tandoor) and wrapping it in a naan with a generous drizzling of coriander-yoghurt sauce. You can eat it on the go, but only if you enjoy splattering yourself with yoghurt. I particularly recommend the juicy "boneless chicken kabab" and the spicy, salty sikh kababs (ground beef or chicken). The latter on a roll is $2.50 — and it may be the perfect meal.
— January 2006