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| - Wow, wowowowow. Pittsburgh finally has an amazing Indian restaurant that I could definitely see myself going to every day for the rest of my life! Best part is, it's a great place to grab something quick without having to deal with the hassle of a proper sit down restaurant!
Once I caught word that an Indian BBQ restaurant was opening in East Liberty, I immediately cleared my evening for opening day a month in advance...T minus 30 days till opening. After a long, painful 30 days of having to drive past the unopened establishment at least 3 times a week, and stopping to peer in through the windows (more times than I'm willing to admit) desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the kitchen testing out the menu...Choolaah has finally opened!!
Stepping in, you're greeted by a very modern, soothing, well lit interior that is very well decorated; I kind of want to know who the interior designer was for this place so I can hire them to redesign my apartment. What stands out the most in the interior is the giant glass walls that encase the 4 huge tandoor ovens. As much as I wanted to break through that glass and fish out a giant skewer of tandoori chicken, I didn't want to cause any delays for the staff...or get myself on their "no feed" list.
I stopped by with a couple friends on opening day and it was absolutely packed wall to wall. Surprisingly, the kitchen and employees were absolutely incredibly efficient in managing foot-traffic and sending out hot, delicious, consistent food extremely quickly - it was kind of mind-blowing to observe. Despite the lines going up to the top of the stairs, we made it to the order counter in no time (observing the kitchen hard at work really helps pass the time). We all ordered a bunch of things, such as the Chicken wrap, Choolaah Lamb Salad Bowl, Samosas, Tikki Masala, and perhaps the best Chicken Biryani I've ever had outside of my own home.
Despite ordering almost $90 worth of food, we had our order in hand in around 10 minutes (absolutely unreal given how busy this establishment was on opening day). The drinks were amazing as expected (love their Mango Lemonade and Mint Ginger Lemonade), and the Mango Lassi was refreshing and perfectly smooth with a punch of tartness).
The Chicken Kati Roll was wrapped in naan and loaded with sauces, perhaps a bit too much sauce for some people's tastes, but it is surely packed with some amazing flavors. I especially recommend adding some heat from their sauce bar to the rolls as they can be a a tad bit on the sweeter side. I definitely want to get around to trying their other Kati rolls too. The Choolaah Lamb Salad Bowl was a hit as well - packed with a bunch of different Indian chaat-like toppings, leafy greens, a protein of your choice, and 3 crispy naan tortilla chips. Typically salads don't fill me up, but this one had me struggling to see the bottom of the bowl, in a good way. Lastly, the legendary Chicken Biryani comes in a giant bowl baked with a roti lid to allow the contents to be cooked to perfection - presentation is a solid 10/10 on this one. Nothing beats the excitement of cracking open the top and peeling away baked bread to reveal the stunning colors and aromas of the Chicken Biryani. Kind of makes you feel like a pirate opening up a treasure chest you've been searching all your life for...but I'd take this biryani over a treasure chest any day. Once you have a taste, you'll never want to stop eating this. It's hands down the best chicken biryani I've had from a restaurant, and the pricing is fantastic for the quality and amount of food you're given.
It's very apparent that Choolaah puts great care and attention into the quality of every aspect of their food. The employees are incredible and are more than happy to explain the menu to you and ensure you have an incredible meal. It's safe to say that Choolaah has won me over and has a committed lifelong patron.
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