Bhabi’s Kitchen, half a block south of Devon and a block east of Western, serves up a blend of Pakistani and Indian cuisines that reflects the backgrounds of the restaurant’s proprietors: chef Qaisera “Bhabi” Qureshi is from the Pakistani side of the Punjab, and her husband, Qudratullah Syed, is from Hyderabad, in southern India. The menu features more than a dozen flatbreads–made from sorghum, millet, corn, chickpea, wheat, and white flours–as well as flavorful dishes like biryani mutton (with goat meat) and an aromatic chana daal. There’s a range of possible wine matches, both white and red–though reds are more difficult to pair with spicy food since heat brings out the tannins commonly found in full-bodied red wine. The consulting sommelier on this trip was Yamandu Perez of Gabriel’s Restaurant in Highwood.
773-764-7007
Chicken boti (marinated chicken breast cubes cooked in a tandoori oven) 1, 2, 5
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Chana daal (chickpeas cooked with herbs and spices) 4
$5
- 2003 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand), $15. The sauvignon blanc grape, indigenous to the Loire Valley, found a new home in New Zealand’s Marlborough region in the 70s. This vintage exudes an array of fruit flavors, from the traditional gooseberry of most Loire Valley wines to vibrant grapefruit, with a hint of cut grass. Its crisp acidity works well with the chicken boti and, unexpectedly, with the spicy eggplant with crushed nuts. Eggplant’s bitterness can make it difficult to match, but this citrusy wine cuts through the oiliness of the sauce and eradicates any bitter flavor. (Wine Discount Center)
