Review: Kababjees in Hicksville

There was a time when most Pakistani-owned restaurants on Long Island identified as Indian.

But when Faisel Ejaz opened Kababjees in 2017, he made his background clear. "I saw many other Pakistanis operating so-called Indian restaurants," he recalled. "I wanted to be straight about where I am from."

The interior here is cafeteria-spare, enlivened only by brightly colored artworks and an ornately painted tuktuk (three-wheeled passenger scooter). But once the food comes, your attention will be drawn inexorably to your plate.

Kebabjees is a carnivore’s paradise. The name translates, roughly, to "Mr. Kebab" in Urdu, and about half the menu is devoted to Pakistani-style kebabs — chicken, beef, lamb and goat in dozens of varieties, among them tikka (boneless chunks), seekh (minced cylinders), gola (minced ovals), Bihari (marinated with spicy yogurt) and malai (marinated with cream, ginger, garlic and chili). Many of the kebabs can also be had slathered with chutney and / or mayo and rolled up, burrito style, in puri paratha (deep-fried, paper-thin flatbread).

The most (and justly) popular item on the menu is karahi, a succulent stew that takes its name from the pot it is cooked and served in. In opposition to the complexity of many South Asian dishes, karahi is seasoned only with salt, pepper, tomato and chilies.

Go for the goat. Beef eaters will thrill to the nihari, a shank that has been cooked for 8 to 10 hours with dozens of spices. Both these dishes require naan after naan to mop up all the sauce.

The bird to get is chargha, a whole chicken roasted in the tandoor oven. Two stellar spud dishes are toofani aloo — a spiral-cut potato, stretched out and deep-fried into a crispy Slinky — and aloo naan, in which the soft flatbread is filled with seasoned potatoes. You’ll not find anything so deliciously knish-like outside of a delicatessen.

Find more restaurants: