Food & Dining: Flavors of India’s Neighboring Cuisines
In the mood for the familiar spice and heat of Indian food but tired of the same old chicken tikka masala and paneer makhani? We point you to just the right spots in town to satisfy the craving for “familiar but different”—restaurants specializing in cuisines from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.
When one contemplates cuisine from in and around India, it’s interesting to notice the intersecting flavors of South Asia. From Gujarat to Bengal and from Kashmir to Kerala—it’s not only the states but also smaller regions within the states that have their unique signature dishes. And yet, there is an underlying common thread—perhaps it’s the spice-infused bold flavors—that remains consistent not only throughout India but also across its borders into neighboring countries. All this culminates in an exciting combination of similar and yet very diverse flavors and styles of cooking.
Those familiar with the diversity of Indian cuisine know that as we move north, grilled meats and varieties of flatbreads dominate. In the east, near the borders of China and Tibet, wok-fried meats and noodles harmoniously blend with the local area’s ingredients and spices. In southern India, you’ll find an overlap of spicy seafood curries and dosas all the way into the island country of Sri Lanka.
Food has no boundaries, and neither do our palates. So why not take a tour around South Asia with some of my favorite restaurants that are not Indian?
Pakistan: Classics like nihari, haleem, paya, and more in halal meat
Pakistani cuisine draws influences from Persia, India, and Arabia, so you will find spicier, meat-heavy halal dishes and a lack of alcohol at casual- style restaurants.
Mughals—situated on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross—is one of the longest-standing Pakistani restaurants in Atlanta where you can find authentic food at uncompromising spice levels. This is where you can see families and friends gathered together on weekends, adorned in bright saris, hijabs, salwar, and shawls, enjoying plates of mutton biryani, nihari, haleem, and paya along with fresh grilled chicken seekh kebab, served out of Styrofoam plates. In my opinion, their crisp, buttery, warm naan and creamy ras malai are the best in town!
[Right] The Mughals—situated on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross—is one of the longest-standing Pakistani restaurants in Atlanta, where you can find authentic food at uncompromising spice levels.
If you can’t decide and want to sample many items, go on a Friday night for their dinner buffet. Also, Mughals is the only place that offers iftar dinners in their banquet room during the holy month of Ramadan.
Fun fact: Mughals was started as the first Pakistani restaurant in the Atlanta area in 1994 by the immigrant couple, Azhar and Farah Mehmood, who now run Dil Bahar Café in Norcross. Members of the Pakistan cricket team dined here during the 1996 Olympics.
Tibet: steamy dumplings, pan-fried noodles, and heartwarming noodle soups
If you have traveled along the hill stations of northeast India, you may have encountered roadside vendors selling made-to-order steamy dumplings, pan-fried noodles, and heartwarming noodle soups. Located in a residential area in Smyrna, Himalayan Kitchen is the only Tibetan restaurant in metro Atlanta that has stood the test of time, even surviving the pandemic. Owners Kalsang Lama (Kelly) and Sonam Dhong Dhong welcome you like a guest at their own home with friendly smiles and genuine service. They are former Tibetan refugees who lived in Mussoorie and Dehradun—so they speak many languages, including Hindi.
[Right] Butter curry momos at the Himalayan Kitchen.
[Left] Thukpa: a hearty, spicy soup with egg noodles, along with a choice of protein, and lots of vegetables.
The place is intimate but quaint, decorated with colorful Tibetan tapestry, prayer flags, and traditional musical instruments. Still casual, though offering full service, here you can sip on a glass of beer or wine and find solace in the peaceful imagery of Dzongs and sounds of Green Tara Mantra while dining on healthy and delicious vegetable, potato, beef, or chicken momos, hearty thukpa, chowmein, fried rice, chili tofu and more. There are plenty of options for vegetarian and vegan diners as most items from the menu are customizable.
Bangladesh: Mughlai influence with the heat of Naga chili pepper
The father-son duo, Sylhet Shajon Miah and Amit Shapta, opened Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine in 2017 in the Chamblee-Brookhaven corridor. Don’t judge Ruchi by its bland interior—the food is actually rich in aroma, flavors, and heat, using a native Bangladeshi chili pepper, known as Naga, in many of their preparations. Make sure to ask for it on the side for some extra kick.
[Right] Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi at Ruchi Bangladeshi Cuisine: Piping hot grilled pieces of chicken breast in onions and bell peppers.
Bangladeshi food has been largely influenced by Mughlai cuisine, so you will find the standard kebab, biryani, korma, and naan. But the restaurant prides itself on its lamb preparations that are served as curry, korma, bhuna, rogan josh, dhansak, pathia, shaak wala, garlic chili, do pyazaa, vindaloo, salan, and even achaar—a whole lot of lamb options! Even though they have an extensive menu, they are able to meet any dietary requirements and modify the preparations to your liking.
[Left] Rupchanda, a whole bone-in silver pomfret fish pan-fried and topped with a homestyle curry of onion, cauliflower, and potatoes.
My go-to dishes at Ruchi are crispy kopi (cauliflower) pakora for appetizer, and rupchanda—a pomfret fish curry with lots of onion, cauliflower, and potatoes—which goes perfectly with steamed rice. Other Bangladeshi fish specials are worth trying too. The lunch thali is an affordable way to sample a few different items and have a well-rounded meal.
Afghanistan: Kabuli palau and flavors of nuts and dry fruits
Depending on the ethnic and geographic region of Afghanistan, you may find rustic meat-heavy dishes or nutty, fragrant palau (rice dishes) across the country. Ariana Kabob House in Duluth does the national dish, Kabuli Palau, just right! Cooked with layers of raisins, carrots, nuts, and meat or eggplant, this Basmati rice entree is more fragrant and delicate than a traditional Indian biryani. Pair it with a glass of refreshing drink called googh, or Afghani lassi, made with yogurt, salt, cucumber, and dried mint.
[Right] Kabuli Palau: Cooked with layers of raisins, carrots, nuts, and meat or eggplant, this Basmati rice entree is more fragrant and delicate than a traditional Indian biryani. (Photo: By Jost Wagner, wikicommons)
Additionally, you will find tandoori specialties, kebabs, naans, and curries made in the Afghan style that uses mellow spices and more herbs. Some of my favorite dishes at Ariana are the delicious Bolani—the Afghan-style naan stuffed with potatoes, squash, or chives— served with spicy Afghan green chutney and homemade Ashak, the chive dumplings, with yogurt for dipping. Menus are designed for sharing, so go with a group and enjoy an assorted kebab platter with rice and salad. The casual spot has plenty of seating and offers table service.
Nepal: Egg-roasted dosa and eight versions of momos
The cuisine of Nepal shares a lot in common with that of its regional neighbor, Sikkim. While traveling in Nepal, a staple meal was a simple daal, bhaat, and sabji or tarkari, though traditional Indian fare was often available at Nepali restaurants.
I recently discovered Turmeric Indian Restaurant, a hidden gem in Marietta, under Nepali ownership. While it offers a wide variety of choices, including north and south Indian dishes, it is perhaps the only place in metro Atlanta where you will get Nepali and Indo- Chinese options as well. To begin with, there are eight versions of momos—the homemade soft, steamed dumplings filled with your choice of assorted vegetables or minced chicken and tossed in butter masala, coconut curry, vindaloo, Indo-Chinese chili or Manchurian sauce, to name a few. Some Indo-Chinese preparations include chili paneer, mushroom Manchurian, chili fish, and chicken fried rice. Turmeric also offers some interesting combinations of dosas such as egg roasted dosa, a variety of lamb and goat curries in rich gravy, and egg sagwala with boiled egg.
Myanmar: Complex sour, salty, sweet, and pungent flavors
Clarkston is home to a large refugee and immigrant population, so you can find many mom-and-pop international, mostly Burmese, restaurants here. This includes the newly-opened Two Fish Myanmar. Run by husband-and-wife duo, Yapar Shel and Roi San, the idea of Two Fish started as a home-based business and expanded into a small, casual yet modern, brick-and-mortar restaurant in April 2024.
[Left] Fried balachaung at the Two Fish Myanmar.
If you have not tried Burmese food before, the menu may be challenging to navigate as names of the dishes are in Burmese that draws from the Sino-Tibetan language. The food has complex sour, salty, sweet, and pungent flavors; and some dishes may remind you of Shan and Mon cooking from Thailand. Try the fermented tea leaf salad with crunchy cabbage and roasted peanuts; dry chili-rubbed spicy fried beef; Shan noodles with chicken gravy and pickled mustard leaves; and mohinga—a fragrant fish soup with rice noodles— which is also known as the unofficial national dish of Myanmar.
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer who has traveled to over 100 countries across seven continents, experiencing the world through her palate. She has been named one of the most influential cultural bloggers in the world for her blog Go Eat Give. Find her on social @SuchetaRawal.
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