Khyber Pass

When restaurants from the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, arrived in the United States, restaurateurs used a model devised in New Delhi in the late 1940s. That was basically north Indian, more specifically from the Punjab and the mountain regions of modern northwest Pakistan: the Khyber Pass. The cuisine features lentils, greens, yogurts, basmati rice and the tandoor oven. So popular did this kind of fare become that tandoori chicken can be found everywhere in India and in Indian-Pakistani restaurants in America.

Because new-style Indian restaurants were opened in the new capital city of New Delhi, they catered to people from all the country’s regions and there may be no more diverse culinary culture than India. Foods native to Goa in the mid south mixed with those of Bengali (Calcutta), Gujarat, Mumbai, Kerala, among others, each different and each delicious. To Americans who do not know these regions, going to a restaurant with such an eclectic menu is like taking a tour of India, especially the northern areas.

Khyber Pass in Oak Park is such a place and has provided that service since 1995. Owner Mohammed Jawid hails from this important region, the city of Lahore in the Punjab, the legendary home of what most Indians consider to be haute cuisine. The menu is basically North Indian with Pakistani touches, including tandoor-cooked dishes and a smattering of pan-Indian fare.

Lamb and goat are featured in the north, here in both tandoori (dry) and in sauces. Lamb Tikka Masala and Rogan Josh (ideally cooked in a creamy sauce with chiles, cilantro, saffron, black pepper, asafetida, black cumin, cumin and cardamon) are signature dishes. And with good reason.

Perhaps the most popular items on the menu are related to these, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Bhuna Ghost, along with Frontier Chicken and Lamb (marinated in yogurt). Biryanis of several kinds are also northern, made with aromatic basmati rice, kabobs and desserts such as kheer (milk-based with sugar, raisins and nuts). Diners can also sample regional dishes from Bengal (fish curry), Goa (shrimp and chicken vindaloos) and more.

A good portion of the menu is given over to vegetarian and more strictly vegan dishes. Thali, served on a metal platter, is a good example, described as a selection of the chef's special vegetables with dal, raita, salad and badami kheer. Saag (spinach), Gobi (cauliflower), Aloo (potato) dishes are also popular, as are Paneers (cheese cubes).

Affordable, with a fare now familiar to many Americans, Khyber Pass in Oak Park is reason enough not to have to trek to Devon Avenue for an Indian restaurant.