I received an email from an old high school crush a few weeks ago, not wondering how I’m doing or if I ever get lonely, but instead asking if I had reviewed Sheesh Mahal, 4621 N. May, yet. In her letter, she told me that it’s her favorite restaurant but it’s pretty much empty these days. She went on to say that she believes they’re getting by on a small contingency of “taxi drivers.”
Now I don’t know about all that, but I do know that since I’ve moved back to the city, the parking lot seems to stay quite barren, sadly. Being on my mind quite a bit since the letter, I decided to stop by this weekend, my loins quivering for a broad lunch of Sheesh Mahal’s renowned homemade Pakistani food.
True to form, the dining room was empty, save for one gentleman in the back corner, nervously shoveling what I believe to be rice and chicken down his gullet. Once the premier outlet of Pakistani cuisine in Oklahoma City, nowadays Sheesh Mahal almost seems to be an eatery that everybody talks about being their favorite, but you never really see them eating there, which is an absolute lying shame.
Ordering at the counter near the back, I put in for some of my absolute favorites: the Aloo Paratha bread, a plate of Spicy Rice and, because no one makes it like Sheesh Mahal does, a bowl of Goat Curry. As I took my number—20!—and was seated nearby, the waiter brought me a tall glass of water and their complimentary mint tea, a light outing that is a more than welcomed taste for this healing throat of mine.