Sheesh Mahal

You’ve probably passed by Sheesh Mahal a number of times without noticing, but if you’ve never had a chance to stop in for a meal, I highly suggest you put doing so on your to-do list. Tucked quietly off of May Avenue, this has become one of our favorite spots over the years for a cozy, warming meal. There’s nothing fancy about the place itself, but what keeps us coming back is the hospitality. Sheesh Mahal has a very homestyle feel, and the dishes are hearty and full of flavor. The owners are always happy to describe their offerings and help you order if you’re not familiar with Pakistani cuisine. A complimentary cup of spiced tea is served for you to sip as you wait.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the butter chicken. When we first started regularly popping in, this was our go-to dish and remains a great pick if you’re not sure where to start. It is a simple dish of chicken cooked in a perfectly spiced tomato cream sauce that begs for you to sop it up with your garlic or onion naan. When ordering your rice, you have the choice of plain white basmati or masala rice, which is a green spiced rice. Although we still love the butter chicken, we have explored the menu a bit more over the years and developed a few of our own favorites from that we rarely stray from.

I remember walking in one day and noticing a naan special written on the board: cheese and raisin naan. Before then, we usually ordered the garlic, but thought this sounded interesting enough to give a try, just once. We have never gone back, and it has become the one item on the menu that we always recommend to friends who ask (and sometimes to those who don’t). It’s often met with skepticism, as it is a rather unfamiliar combination, but I’ve rarely met someone who hasn’t loved it. The raisins just add little pops of sweetness that are the perfect contrast to the salty cheesy bread. If you order it, I promise, you’ll be glad you did.

In a similar spiced tomato cream sauce as the butter chicken, the Malai Kafta has become another item we never fail to order. In place of the chicken, you’ll find soft little dumplings of fresh cheese that are making my mouth water as I write this. The rest of our order tends to be a rotation of Aloo Gobi (soft cooked potatoes and cauliflower), green butter chicken (better than the original!), or bindi masala (sauteed okra and onions with a touch of spice). No matter what you order, your food always arrives with a side of a fragrant green cilantro sauce. Whenever I’ve asked my server what exactly I was supposed to add it to, the reply has always been, “everything.” That advice has never steered me wrong.

There is something especially fitting and comforting about this type of food once the weather turns cooler. Like that cup of hot tea, offered with each meal without question, Sheesh Mahal is the perfect spot for a cozy, satisfying meal to linger over any time of year, but especially now.

4621 North May Avenue, Oklahoma City