by MARK SLUTSKY

It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that Pakistani cuisine isn't remarkably different than traditional Indian cookery, given the neighbouring countries' intertwined history and population. Of course there are some differences: you're not very likely to come across a pork vindaloo in a Pakistani restaurant, and you're far more likely to stumble across dishes made with beef, for the obvious religious reasons.

Tabaq is a Pakistani place up on that quiet stretch of Jean-Talon between du Parc and St-Laurent. It's technically Little Italy, but it doesn't really feel like it, thanks to all the industrial buildings in the area and the nearby railroad tracks. In my ignorance, I initially wondered why a restaurant would be named after tobacco products; I quickly learned that "tabaq" is Arabic for "plate."

The most striking thing about Tabaq, when you first enter, is the fact that the restaurant is located in what was once a diner, and it still has the old booths and counters intact. It's a different look than what you might be used to in a South Asian restaurant, although there is a more traditional dining room next door. Still, it's neat to eat Pakistani food in a diner booth.

Since the restaurant's menu is fairly extensive, we asked our friendly server for suggestions. The first thing she recommended wasn't food but a beverage, the mango lassi ($2.50), always a favourite of mine. "You will enjoy the mango lassi," she pronounced. And she was right. Tabaq's lassi might be my favourite in town - the yogurt drink is so rich and creamy it's practically a mini-meal unto itself. I had to stop myself from ordering two or three more and completely spoiling my dinner.

To start things off in the realm of solid food, our waitress suggested the garlic and cheese varieties of nan bread ($2.99). These were rich and oily - maybe a little too oily - but flavourful. The cheese nan in particular almost had a pizza-like quality. We also went in for a plate of chicken pakoras ($4.99), which were terrific. Unlike most pakoras, they were unbattered, simple tandoori-cooked chunks of deep-red chicken with a zesty, spicy citrus flavour.

That wouldn't be the last spicy dish we ate. One thing I really appreciated about Tabaq was its willingness to go hot when necessary, and not tone down the tastebud-searing spices. The goat karahi, for example, tinged with onion and ginger and with a rich, thick gravy, didn't skimp on the heat. Although it was a little boney, the curry itself was delicious.

The butter chicken ($5.99) was more creamy than spicy. It had a dark orange sauce with a strong coconut flavour that was really quite enticing. Though I didn't think it bested Malhi Sweets' butter chicken, it came pretty close. Have the nan on hand for this one - you're going to want to clean your plate. The chicken made for a beautiful visual combination with the beef biryani ($7.99). The biryani rice was a cascade of varying yellow-orangey colours - lovely to look at, not to mention eat. The cubes of beef were drier than the curries we had that night, but not dried-out, tender and not over-chewy either.

We've touched on chicken, beef and goat, but Tabaq doesn't skimp on the veggie dishes either. They offer a couple of dahls, so we went on the server's suggestion and ordered the Dall Makhni ($4.99), made with three different types of lentil. It was milder than the other dishes and thus suffered a little in comparison, although I had the sense that on its own it might've been something special. The Bhindi Okra ($4.99), on the other hand, stood its ground, despite being redundantly named ("bhindi" means "okra" in Hindi). The taste of the okra stood out even among its abundant and pleasing seasoning.

A friendly restaurant with delicious cooking in a cool little location, Tabaq warrants a trip to a largely untrafficked area of Jean-Talon.

Tabaq
ADDRESS: 149 Jean-Talon W. (near the corner of St-Urbain)
PHONE: 277-9339
HOURS: Every day except Monday, 11am-11pm
BEST FEATURES: Rich, very spicy Pakistani dishes with thick gravies
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: No
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $10–$20 per person before tax or tip
RATING: *** out of ****