With three locations scattered around the Bay Area, Zareen’s is regarded as one of the best South Asian restaurants in California by the SF Chronicle. Their contemporary Pakistani-Indian cuisine is delicious and the atmosphere is lovely, with lots of quaint spots on the patio to sit and enjoy your meal. If eating outside isn’t your preference, they also have a large indoor seating area. Their Redwood City location is right in the middle of the city’s bustling downtown, so, when you’re done with your meal, you can explore the various shops that line Main Street, making it perfect for afternoon outings.
Owner Zareen Khan opened the first Zareen’s in Mountain View in 2014 and opened the Palo Alto and Redwood City locations over the next couple of years.
Zareen’s boasted a multitude of mouthwatering options, so we had to choose wisely. Ellen opted to try the naan wrap ($11) and vegetarian potato samosas ($5.75), while Damian ordered the chicken tikka masala ($16.25). We each ordered a mango lassi ($5 each) and split a crispy garlic naan ($4.25). Mango lassi is a traditional Indian yogurt-based drink from the Punjab region and has a silky consistency similar to that of a smoothie. It’s perfect for hot summer days and was a fruity, cooling contrast to the spiciness of the main entrees.
The potato samosas were delicate and flaky, with a spiced potato filling that paired wonderfully with the green curry dipping sauce. The small salad that came on the side added just the right amount of freshness to complement the samosas. The naan wrap was large both in size and in flavor—while not a traditional menu item by any means, it had a wonderful combination of melt-in-your-mouth flavors. It featured crushed veggie samosas—similar to samosa chaat—and grilled onions mixed with sauteed veggies and was wrapped in a crispy naan that hit all the spots.
The tikka masala was rich and creamy, but it really stood out thanks to the excellent spicing—a blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, fenugreek seeds, and paprika among others. The chicken was fall-apart tender and perfectly complemented both the consistency and flavor of the sauce. Though the tikka masala was truly delicious on its own, eating it with naan improved it even further.
Zareen’s offered generous portions, so you get quite the bang for your buck. We ended up with leftovers that were just as delicious after being refrigerated. It’s a restaurant we will no doubt return to, as one of the joys of Zareen’s is that you can try a different dish every time you visit, and with such reasonable prices, you know your meal will be worth it.
