SLIDESHOW: More photos of Kabob Grille

As soon as I think I've been lucky enough to try a good deal of what Richmond has to offer from a culinary perspective, I get an e mail from a far more astute reader letting me in on something I wish I'd been wise to much earlier.

Such is the case with Kabab Grille, an almost two-year-old Pakistani restaurant near Chesterfield Towne Center. I had no clue of its greatness until a now-favorite reader told me to check it out.

Tucked among the likes of Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods, Kabab Grille is by no means the typical chain one would expect of such neighbors.

Kabab Grille serves meat slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. Also in accordance to Islamic law, no alcohol or pork is served.

And when the food is this good, you won't want anything impairing your taste buds from experiencing Kabab Grille's mesmerizing myriad robust spices and potent herbs.

For those unfamiliar with Pakistani cuisine, it's best described as a fusion of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Dishes are often spicy, more rich and earthy than fiery. Traditional tandoorinaan is a usual accompaniment.

Kabab Grille's menu includes gyro sandwiches, kababs, curries, biryanis and karahi specials (an iconic Pakistani dish where meat is cooked in a seasoned tomato-yogurt sauce). If you can't decide on just one entree, Kabab Grille offers a daily lunch buffet to hone your tastes.

We stopped in for dinner to find a full house. While the restaurant itself is understated -- white walls, simple laminate-topped tables, TV flickering high in the corner -- the long table of diners taking up the center of the room were clad in a sea of vivid jewel tones, swirling fabrics and subtle gold accents.

Excited conversation filled the air as many generations of family -- from small children to grandparents -- enjoyed a dizzying array of intricately seasoned dishes.

At the recommendation of our server -- a young man who kindly answered our questions and described menu items -- we ordered Pakola ($1.79), a bright green Pakistani ice cream soda tinged with rose and floral notes, and freshly brewed, deliciously spiced Chai tea ($1.99).

We started off with chicken pakora ($6.49), chicken fritters deep-fried in mildly spiced garam flour batter, and the samosa platter ($4.99), veggie turnovers topped with chickpeas, onions, tomatoes and yogurt.

Served with raita (a cooling yogurt sauce), the pakora was plentiful but not as spirited flavor-wise as we had hoped. The samosas, on the other hand, were action-packed. A sweet sauce joined the yogurt in producing a cohesive accent to the vividly fresh veggies and crispy pastries beneath.

For one of our entrees, we tried beef seekh kabab ($8.99), ground sirloin, grated onion and an insane amount of herbs and spices formed around a skewer and grilled. I have never tasted so many glorious flavors in one bite. Even though it was served with chickpeas, raita, naan and a small salad, I wanted more of that wonderful kabab.

From the curry dishes, we tried butter chicken ($11.99), a vibrant, bright red heart attack of butter, heavy cream and tamarind. It was more decadent than any chicken tikka masala I've ever had.

The combination of flavors in the sauce reminded me of maple syrup at first, slowly fading into a mellow shudder of heat. Served with perfectly tender basmati rice, it was a deft balance of flavor, texture, sweet and spicy.

Haleem ($8.99), a slow-cooked mash of ground beef, rice, lentils and garam masala topped with ghee (clarified butter), was the least spicy of our dishes, yet encompassed a certain brawniness that made it distinct.

Too full for dessert, we ordered kheer ($2.99), homemade rice pudding, to go. This combo of rice, milk, sugar and cardamom was a just-sweet-enough treat to end such a highly seasoned meal.

If you often indulge in Richmond's growing ethnic food scene, Kabab Grille should be added to your list. Its exotic fare and very reasonable prices have earned a spot of my list of favorites. dcraig@timesdispatch.com.

Kabab Grille

1/2

Where: 1580-B W. Koger Center Drive
Web site: www.kababgrille.com
Vegetarian options: many
Hours: lunch buffet 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; dinner 4-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday
Check for two: $34 (including two appetizers, two entrees, shared dessert and tax)
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