By guest author, Sullivan Bailey
As a family-owned, authentic and traditional Indian/Pakistani restaurant, Naan Boti & Chai Shai has a lot to live up to as a representative of Arabic and Asian culture in St. Pete and a delicious eatery.
That, it does. Easily.
Situated down 22nd Street South and 9th Avenue, it’s off the beaten path and rewards all those who look far and wide greatly. Naan Boti is also an Indian All-You-Can-Eat buffet with an extensive collection of delicious dishes. This fantastic luncheonette, voted best Indian food in town by many, surpassed my high expectations by miles.
The restaurant captured my interest soon after I parked, as a scent of well-seasoned curry wafted out the door. The smell became quite lovely as I entered and saw the wide array of heated dishes along the walls.
On the right were the meat courses, all made with chicken. Most of the dishes surprisingly, were vegan, and adjacent to the meat. Sides, like naan, spring rolls and samosas, as well as an abundance of add-ons were to the left.
Wanting to try everything, I put as many things as I could on my plate at once. Having little experience with Indian cuisine, only having the privilege of my mother’s homemade butter chicken, or tikka masala at restaurants, the expanse of traditional dishes steaming in front of my eyes was magnificent.
I gathered a plate and sat down in a booth and picked up my fork. I had my premonitions about multiple things: I would not greatly enjoy the vegan foods and the buffet-style dining would leave the food lukewarm and insipid. I did not think I would dislike the food by any means, but with previous experience with buffets and American vegan food being generally inferior to meat-based dishes, I weighed the pros and cons.
The first bite erased any hesitation instantly.
This restaurant gave me a taste of some of the best Indian food, in buffet form. No fancy presentation, nothing in between the customer and their food, and it still far surpassed multiple Indian eateries I’ve been to. None of the food appeared or tasted like it came off a hot plate, and tasted fresh out of the kitchen.
While all amazing, some of my favorite dishes were actually vegan. The Saag Paneer, a creamy, cheesy spinach dish was absolutely phenomenal. The Channa Masala was fantastic, using chickpeas as a vegan alternative to chicken with delicious success. Even their basmati rice, a base meant to elevate its surroundings, stood tall on its own. Striking flavor was common with each dish, and each dish was surprisingly very unique from each other.
I noticed, as my plate rested on the table, the dishes flowed into each other, complimenting each other and meeting into an outstanding piquancy. The overwhelming flavor emanating from this food felt like a tempest of excitement and joy, unlike most of any food I’ve consumed before.
It was almost a mistake to try everything in one sitting, because so much flavor at once couldn’t be fully enjoyed in conjunction with the next flavor, or the next. It was very enjoyable, to say the least.
Glumly, Naan Boti is criminally underrated, viewed as a hidden gem in the eyes of local food writers and customers. To that, I agree, as such culinary prowess and excellent presentation with such little recognition is near scandalous. This restaurant deserves the highest rating possible, as it exceeds all expectations and has proven itself to proficiently represent Arabic and Indian culture in an American setting.
The mastermind behind the cuisine is Chef Mehreen, a cook and food-lover since childhood who has endeavored to make traditional Pakistani and Indian dishes as authentically as possible. She acquired her dexterity in culinary arts from her mother, Shams-Un-Misa, a famous herbalist and her grandmother. In addition, she has nearly perfected the art of food that both pleasures the senses and nourishes the body through organic cooking methods and delicious Pakistani and Indian spices.
She is truly talented for her excellence in this restaurant and has brought authentic, traditional and absolutely fantastic Indian and Pakistani food to St. Petersburg. Naan Boti Chai Shai comes highly rated and recommended from myself and many in the local community, for good reason.