Today some coworkers and I had lunch at Chaat Cafe, on 3rd St. and Folsom in San Francisco. Right by the Moscone Center. I believe I've eaten at the Berkeley Chaat Cafe before, and it was good. This was one is larger, and has a selection of about 8 or so chaat's (vegetarian Indian snacks), with about that many wraps and a small selection of curries. I tried the Papri Chaat and a Lamb Wrap. The Papri Chaat was delicious, kind of crunchy, milky, and with a healthy dose of a strong chutney. The wrap was also good, but not as good as the one in Vic's Chaat House in Berkeley. I found the naan used in the wrap was a bit chewy for my tastes, as if it had been sitting around for too long. But on the whole, it was quite tasty, and I would recommend it for anyone who is in the area and wants a fairly quicky bite to eat. Prices are reasonable, about $3.50 per Chaat (two is probably enough for lunch), and around $6 for the wraps.
Posted by ahyatt at August 27, 2003 03:46 PMStores in Fremont, Berkeley and San Francisco. Great Indian food, always fresh. Not to oily like Shalimar and Naan n'curry, Yuck!
Posted by: on September 12, 2003 04:25 PMI am a North Indian-Pakistani-Frontier food aficianado. The Chaat Cafe is within a short walking distance.
The writer of this post has it right. The 'wrap' needs a crunchier bread. A chewy naan is not the right bread. Nowhere in the India, is the wrap, an option.
Yes, there are versions of it, but not with naan as in a "wrap..."
It works with a 'rumali roti' in India. A transclucent, incredibly thin and larger version of a flour tortilla, folded over with a lamb or chicken concoction:, with red onions, cilantro and a tahinii type dressing called 'raita, enrolled'
Delicious everytime.
In the Bay Area, the best adaptation I have seen is at Vik's in Berkeley. They use another traditional Indian bread called the 'paratha.'Parathas have developed a reputation of being greasy around the Galaxy. Hence, and wisely so, they make no mention that it is a greasy paratha. At Vik's that is not the case.
Ethnic cuisine evolves. It must adapt, or die. Indo-Paki cuisine here has gone back to its roots. Which is great.
Ah, but getting back to the wraps, which is a concept sure to be aped by restaurants back there. After all, the Chicken Tikka Masala, known worldwide as CTM, was invented in Southhampton, England.
Here is my simple solution: Use Pita bread. Disect it, toast it and stuff it. Now we have fusion cuisine that works.
Posted by: Topp on November 13, 2004 09:36 PM