Last weekend, I was picking up food at a Hawthorne restaurant and the owner told me that she is unable to process online orders. She was busy and stressed out and rather than argue with her, I opted to find another restaurant and see about obtaining a refund. Fortunately, I knew the area and I selected a solid standby, Al Watan.
Al Watan serves Indian and Pakistani food. While I’ve driven by their restaurant a couple of hundred times, I was extremely surprised to learn that they have been in business for over 40 years. I dined there with a co-worker, but that was over 10 years ago. I do remember that the food was quite remarkable.
Due to the pandemic, indoor dining wasn’t an option. They set up a table by the entrance with menus to peruse. Everyone had masks donned and I felt they were doing their part at providing a safe dining destination. I placed my order and waited on the sidewalk in front of their restaurant.
Chicken Biryani ($13.20) is a natural dish to select. It is an Indian / Pakistani flavorful dish that is extremely popular. Biryani is an aromatic rice dish made with bold spices such as turmeric, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, cinnamon, and bay leaves. If you haven’t had biryani before, it is unlike any rice dish you have experienced.
Nihari ($12.00) is an Indian stew consisting of slow-cooked meat. Al Watan’s offering is based on beef and is made using a beef shank that is slowly cooked. The beef broth was quite fragrant and had cinnamon, star anise, and ginger flavor tones
Garlic Naan ($3.00) Their leavened, oven-baked flatbread contained a good amount of fresh garlic. Because the Nihrani included a lot of sauce, it was natural to mix the delicious sauce with the biryani or mop it up with the naan.
I was pleased with the attention paid to the fact that this meal was packed with the customer in mind. The nihari contained a lot of liquid and it was placed in a sealed plastic container that was surrounded by plastic wrap. This prevented the juice from leaking from the bag and possibly into my car.
Al Watan, 13619 S Inglewood Ave, Hawthorne, CA 90250; 310.644.6395
alwatanrestaurant.com
Similar experiences at several occasions during last 10 years. I’ll must add the highest level of service especially Mr Waheed and Mr Sohail, so humble and courteous.
Thank you for taking the time to comment on Al Watan. I was happy to reintroduce myself to their food and it won’t take me 10 years to return. I agree that they were very courteous and exhibited great customer service.