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Chicken Cholay

Pakwan

Good Food, Decent Atmosphere.

Located on the hip 16th Street corridor in the Mission District, Pakwan has lots of competition from local restaurants serving Japanese, Thai and Spanish foods. What will tempt you away from the other choices? This Pakistani/Indian joint offers a unique, yet down-home dining experience.

The overwhelming aroma of food, bustling noise of conversation and customers consisting of families with strollers, groups of young urban professional, friends out thrift store shopping and cheap-eat loving loners like the Picky Eater make the crowd eclectic and interesting.

The no-frills atmosphere is at best convenient, and at worst uncomfortable for those who prefer top-notch service. But what do you expect? The entrées cost between $5 and $6! The only complaint about the service is the guy who takes your money. He’s not the friendliest chap. “Grunt, grunt, here’s your number and change,” he will say.

Serve yourself a soda and grab utensils and plates. No more than 10 minutes later, your number is called over a very loud, inaudible intercom system. As you seat yourself with the piping hot food, a small group of French-speaking tourists may request to share the table with you, as the restaurant is scarce of eating space.

Daily specials are available for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. The chicken cholay is wonderful. The entree sits beautifully in the bowl. They do skimp on chicken, which comes in “bigger than bite-size” chunks. I think there were four un-boned chicken pieces floating around. The cholay had a warm, mustard-colored hue, and the sauce borders more on soupy than the expected thicker curry. Other than that, I thought it tasted great. I don’t think Indian food needs to kick you in the butt to taste good. There’s a lot to be said about subtlety.

The spices give the back of your throat an “afterburn.” It’s not a “red chile spicy” but a “cumin, turmeric and coriander spicy.” The side of rice and the chicken cholay is a decent portion for one person. Usually, Indian food at restaurants tend to make me feel tired and weighed down, but Pakwan was a lighter meal.

I think Pakwan is on to something. The place is busy. True, The S.F. Bay Guardian may have given this restaurant two stars out of four, but neither the food nor the “grunt” cashier has scared customers away. No one can complain about poor service either, since you basically serve yourself. One consolation? They do bus the tables after you’ve eaten. Overall, a nice attempt.

Pakwan
3180 16th St. (@ Guerrero)
415.255.2440

Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., 4:30 – 10:45 p.m., daily
On the Menu: Murgh pakwan (chicken specialties), chicken cholay (chicken with garbanzo beans in curry)
Price: $5.99 (cash only)