India Post News Service

ARTESIA: Tucked away in a corner near Ambala Cash & Carry is Ambala Express, a unique pure vegetarian restaurant with authentic home style food and its all vegetarian.The restaurant also offers a wide choice of sweets (mithai). The flavor and the ambience is very pleasantly Punjabi.

The mithai section offers a choice of over thirty items to choose from. Hot favorites are ladoo boondi, kala kund, gulab jamun and of course the good old jalebi and gajrela. You can also choose from pink or white chamcham amongst other items.

The food menu has over fifty items. For a quick snack we certainly recommend aloo, gobi or mooli parantha if in the mood for a hearty lunch or dinner them check out the bhindi masala or the matar paneer with rotis (tandoori or tawa). My favorite is the mixed daal with a spicy tarka or a choice or butter or desi ghee. The daal is amazing.

I last had that kind of daal way back in 1995 at a truck dhaba on Rajpura Bye-pass. Adding to the flavor is the home made pickle and chutneys.There is also a thali special which includes rice, 3 veggies, roti or puri, salad, pickle or raita along with a free soda or lassi.The food is freshly cooked everyday. It is heart or stomach friendly and sensibly spiced.

The food is light, which means that you can eat your fill without being afraid of burping all day long.Owners Kamal and his wife Anita are natives of Jalandhar. The food is cooked primarily by Anita who is assisted by chef Baba Billoo Ram. Kamal is also on accomplished master chef, but his real expertise lies in mithai.Kamal has over 15 years experience as a master chef. He has worked in the kitchens of legendary eateries of Jalandhar like Vijay Dhaba, Manni Dhaba and of course the Kamal Palace Hotel.

He has also lent his expertise to train chefs at Lovely Sweets in Jalandhar. Prior to coming to America, Kamal ran his own truck dhaba, on the Jalandhar bye-pass, called Khandaani Dhaba.Anita, Kamal's lovely wife, is essentially a homemaker and a full time mom. She is a perfect example of 'Queen of the Kitchen."

A master of traditional recipes, Anita loves to experiment and churn out new goodies. Her cooking skills are based on what she learnt from her mother and grandmother, Punjabi women who have inherited the skills from their ancestors.Chef Baba Billoo Ram is originally from Jagraon and has over 35 years experience. With a team like Kamal, Anita and Baba Billoo Ram, Ambala Express cannot go wrong.The rates are very reasonable.

Two people can eat a hearty meal for about ten dollars. A family of four can eat within twenty to twenty five dollars. There is free unlimited packing and the restaurant is conveniently located next to Ambala Cash & Carry in the heart of Artesia. It is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11am to about 10 pm