Friday, December 5, 2008

Eeny, meeny, Spicy Mina, moe...

I have a theory which I like too much to investigate or debunk:

The pakora was invented by Jews who settled in India and were adopting their own potato latkes to the tastes of the subcontinent.

What is my evidence for this theory?

Well, my pakora last night at Spicy Mina, (a Bangladeshi restaurant in Woodside), was shockingly similar to a latke.

Not much of a defense, I know. But you'll just have to go to Spicy Mina to get what I'm talking about. Not only was the pakora like a latke -- it was better than 90 percent of the latkes I've ever eaten. (It's also much different than 90 percent of the pakoras I've had).

These pakora felt as if it had been shredded together (like shoestring fries) and deep fried with just the smallest touch of spice. (And the tremendous plate they bring out is enough for an enitre meal.)

It is a truly fabulous dish.

And I would advise my foodie readers to check it (and other dishes) out as soon as they can.

The place is very small (my dining companion and I were two of three customers in the joint) and it is slightly gritty. (Which in my pre-bedbug days was something I liked -- now I'm slightly more nervous about.) But it is definitely a worthy experience.

Aside from the pakora we had the aloo gobi (so so) and the lamb vindiallo (a spicy brown curry). The lamb I went sort of berserk over -- I liked it almost as much as the pakora. And even though the room is a little sketchy, the service is attentive and extremely friendly. Go!