Having just read Smita and Sanjeev Chandra's book,\r
Cuisines of India: The Art and Tradition of Regional Indian Cooking, I realize that many diners who reviewed their visit to Khyber on the basis of one set of assumptions or another about how Indian food SHOULD taste don't recognize the many completely different types of Indian food that can be legitimately offered. The food at Khyber, a North Indian Grill, reflects the selections of meats and spices of the North, not the lip-burning, ghee-immersed food of parts of the South. But even ""north"" and ""south"" WAY over simplify the situation. Centuries of invaders and colonizers from the Mughals to the Portuguese and British have left their marks on dining in different parts of the country, according to the Chandras. When I go to Khyber with my Indian friends, they find the dishes excellent, and saag paneer they consistently admire as superior. My own favorites are the Baingan Bharta (eggplant) and the Daal. I find the quirky humor of the staff (and the signs that taunt the competition) droll and amusing, and admit it––some customers are outrageous and worth a tongue-in-cheek reply. As for the claim that the owner ""doesn't like Indians,"" consider the ambiguity and irony of an owner from India making that statement as well as the way that we Houstonians make fun of other Texans (does Dallas come to mind?). The biggest mistake when going to Khyber is being too serious about anything but the FOOD, which is always made with the best ingredients and served in a spotlessly clean setting.
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