Located off of Midlothian Turnpike, Saheb Indian Bistro brings the extraordinary flavors of India to life through mouthwatering food and a warm atmosphere.
The restaurant’s interior is draped in an array of colors making the establishment vivid and alive. With dim lighting, the restaurant gave a subtle welcome and homey feel to the experience of trying new foods. Sumiran Sharma, the daughter of owner Shyam Sharma, explains the meaning behind their family’s restaurant’s name.
“Saheb is actually my brother’s name, but it’s spelled Sahib with an ‘i’, not an ‘e’,” Sharma said. “Sahib in Punjabi means to kind of cater to people, and that people are god. It’s kind of like [how] in the food industry it’s said the customers are always right.”
For our appetizer, we tried the samosas. Samosas are a spicy cone-shaped Indian pastry with a savory filling on the inside, that can be compared to a dumpling. The filling can vary from restaurants, depending on the cuisine they specialize in, and at Saheb, each order came with two samosas, stuffed with cooked potato and peas. They were rubbed with garam masala, which is a flavorful blend of spices used in almost all North Indian dishes that is not spicy at all, just rich in flavor.
The first main dish we ordered was palak paneer, which is a delicious vegetarian dish with chunks of paneer mixed into a creamy pureed spinach sauce. Paneer is a firm Indian cheese that looks similar to tofu, but it tastes closer to ricotta and cottage cheese. The flavor-packed spinach gravy is by far the star of this dish because it is beautifully smooth and rich in spice. Although delicious, paneer is not for everyone due to its chewy texture, so Saheb gives the option of replacing it with another protein.
The next dish we got was their chicken makhani, more commonly known as butter chicken, which is an iconic chicken dish with a creamy tomato and butter base. Known for its thick creamy texture, mild spice, and hints of sweetness from the tomato, butter chicken is classic for many reasons. It is so versatile and can be enjoyed with basmati rice, naan and aloo paratha. This is also Saheb’s signature dish.
North India is abundant in its wheat production, so different breads are made and used as a vessel to subdue and enhance the flavors of the main courses. Naan is by far the most popular bread served with these dishes, and it is a soft nutty flatbread. Paratha are unleavened layers of thin flatbreads that are called aloo paratha when stuffed with potato. If going to Saheb with a group, be sure to order a bread basket to have a taste of butter naan, garlic naan and aloo paratha.
Indian food is traditionally shared by groups family style, and Saheb executes this perfectly. One main dish, a curry, is more than enough to satisfy at least two people, and a bread basket is plenty for at least three people. By family style, it is meant that everyone should get a little bit of what the whole group has ordered because of how large the portions are.
Saheb has many drinks and desserts to offer like their gulab jamun and iced tea. Not at all similar to classic southern-style sweet tea more commonly found in America, Saheb’s iced tea is an unsweetened herbal black tea, so keep that in mind when ordering. Next, we enjoyed gulab jamun, which is a dessert of fried dough balls, similar to doughnuts, that are left to soak in a sugar rose syrup. It is incredibly sweet, so if you do not have a sweet tooth, then this might not be for you.
If you are hesitating to step out of your comfort zone to immerse yourself in other cultures, Sharma says that the best way to do so is to talk to your waiter. From entrance to the exit, the customer service is phenomenal, and every waiter made an effort to show kindness and generosity at Saheb. As some of the menu items are foreign to many, the staff are understanding and helpful in the process of ordering food.
“Just be kind overall, and if you want to try [the food], there’s no harm in asking people and going out of your comfort zone to approach people,” Sharma said. “People are so happy to tell you about their foods and their culture.”
Expect to spend roughly $15-$25 on food per person at Saheb, but the money will be especially well spent. Every seemingly minor detail of this establishment was put together by the Sharmas, and they absolutely love everything about how it has turned out. Without a doubt, Saheb has one of the most authentic tastes of North India that Midlothian has to offer.
“This is like my dad’s baby, this is his first soul restaurant, so he wanted to do everything he could [to make it what he envisioned], so he made it from the ground up,” Sharma said. “We put it together piece by piece, and he’s still collecting things from India to amp it up.”
