Lawndale’s Inglewood Ave is beginning to look like Little Pakistan. Three excellent Pakistani restaurants are located within a mile of each other and each one appears to be thriving despite the pandemic. I recently visited Al Noor, one of the three Pakistani restaurants on Inglewood Ave.
In addition to Pakistani cuisine, Al Noor also offers Indian food. What’s the difference between the two? At one time the area known today as Pakistan was part of India. It is considered to be a subset of Indian food with meat forward focus versus Indian food that has numerous vegetarian dishes.
Al Noor is located in a narrow strip mall and parking is limited. As a result, they are unable to set up outdoor seating and they solely rely on takeout. Consistent with many LA County restaurants set up for take-out, their front door is propped open and a table is placed in front which blocks customers from entering.
Samosas are a popular Indian snack. Their samosas are tear-drop savory pastries filled with chopped potatoes, peas, and flavorful Indian spices such as garam masala. Because it is deep-fried, the exterior is brown and flaky.
Nehari is a brown stew made with beef shank and is listed under their specialty dishes. It also happens to be the Pakistani national dish. It is sometimes spelled nihari. Nehari is an intense, complex mahogany-colored sauce with notes of star anise. I recommend ordering this dish with a side of rice.
After tasting their Chicken Tikka Marsala, I quickly understood why this dish is their most popular. The sauce is creamy and complex and filled with a myriad of spices. Due to its thickness, it was probably simmering for hours. This dish pairs quite nicely with their saffron seasoned basmati rice.
The use of fresh spinach in their Palak Paneer removed the soupy nature exhibited in some other paneers. Spices such as turmeric boost the flavor profile as gives the dish its yellow color. This dish is also named Saag Paneer.
I believe Al Noor has remained successful by focusing on quality instead of featuring inexpensive all-you-can-eat buffet meals as many Indian restaurants did in the past. Their strategy seems to have paid off.
Al Noor, 15112 S Inglewood Ave, Lawndale, CA 90260; 310.675.4700
alnoor-restaurant.net