Currying favor with their customers

When 250 customers showed up at the grand opening of Stillwater’s only Indian restaurant, Shalimar, owners Rennie and Finney Abraham couldn’t believe it.

By 9 p.m., all the food was gone and they were forced to close early.

And things haven’t slowed down much since that night.

The restaurant, 2617 W. 6th Ave., prepares traditional Indian dishes. Rennie Abraham, who previously worked for Sprint in Oklahoma City, said he decided to open his restaurant in Stillwater based on customer feedback.

“We decided to open an Indian restaurant here because there was no Indian restaurant in Stillwater,” he said.

Indian students at OSU are excited to see a restaurant open in Stillwater that serves familiar dishes.

Dallal Alfaddagh, a public relations senior, said the excellent food at Shalimar and the friendly customer service will keep her coming back.

“The people were really nice,” Alfaddagh said. “They welcomed you and asked you if you liked the food.”

Shalimar’s buffet offers a variety of entrées every day, including standard Indian dishes such as rice, Tandoori chicken and Naan bread.

Rennie and Finney Abraham prepare food for about 400 to 500 customers each day.

The front buffet is vegetarian and consists of lentil fritters, zucchini masala, palak (spinach) panner and vegetable korma. The back buffet features meat dishes like chicken kadai, Tandoori chicken and chicken tikki masala, a customer favorite.

In the future, Shalimar’s owners said they will introduce special entrées on the weekends. These dishes will include lamb and shish kabobs made with goat meat. Biriyani, a dish made of layers of rice and meat, will be served as a special meal, as well.

The owners said these last few weeks have been “trial weeks.” The restaurant’s set up is a buffet style but a menu is being created.

Rohit Kadam, president of the Indian Student Association, said he is grateful to see the tastes and smells of India in Stillwater. He even celebrated his latest birthday at Shalimar.

“I am really glad that we finally have an Indian restaurant here in Stillwater,” Kadam said.

“The food was really tasty and spicy.”

2 comments

Ro Shukla

Fri Nov 6 2009 18:47

They stole my idea.

Ben Burnsed

Wed Nov 4 2009 15:31

My wife and I ate at the lunch buffet last week. The food was delicious and the service was commendable. I have been complaining of Stillwater's lack of Indian cuisine for several years. I can't wait for the expanded menu, we are always craving some mutter paneer! God bless the Abraham family and their vision.

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