Gourmet Garden, under new ownership since November, has put a new twist on traditional Chinese food.
In the moniker’s longtime location on Monroe St. in Sylvania (near Tony Packo’s Cafe), new owner Nasir Tausif said it is the only restaurant in the Toledo area offering halal Chinese food—halal meaning that the meat has been prepared in a way that meets Islamic standards.
The restaurant’s décor has been transformed into a delightful escape, with dim lighting, sparkling stemware, and burgundy-and-gold embellishments that create a warm and welcoming upscale dining atmosphere with a casual ambience.
Nasir, a native of Pakistan who immigrated to California in 1974 and moved to Toledo in 1992, said non-Muslim patrons will still benefit from the halal standards because of the superior quality of halal meats.
Gourmet Garden’s Pakistani/Chinese fusion includes dishes such as Nihari Curry, beef shanks smothered in a rich curry sauce, a highlight of the menu. “They slow-cook for at least four hours,” Tausif said, which makes them tender enough to eat with a fork. The restaurant even features some Pakistani dishes that are displayed on the chef’s board, and not the menu. Either way expect spicy bursts of tender flavor.
The most impressive dish on a recent visit was the lamb pot, with thinly sliced lamb, water chestnuts and mushrooms blended in a unique tea sauce, poured, tableside, into a piping hot stone bowl.
The restaurant will soon have a huge tandoor oven that will provide Gourmet Garden with the means to accomplish additional intermingling of ethnic flavors. For the not-so-adventurous, there are familiar Chinese entrees such as sweet and sour chicken, General Tso’s chicken, and several variations of lo mein. All dishes are accompanied by either crispy naan bread or brown or white rice.
Everything is made fresh in house including the Kulfi, a pistachio ice cream seasoned with cardamom and other spices, passionately created using a secret family recipe of Tausif’s wife.
Yogurt, made daily, is used for creamy and tangy lassis—traditional Pakistani drinks served over ice and accompanied by spices or sweet fruit.
The restaurant does not serve alcohol, Tausif said, in adherence to Muslim teachings.
The large selection of both Chinese and Pakistani entrees range from $7 to $14. Open 11:30am-9pm Sunday through Thursday and 11:30am-10pm Friday through Saturday, Gourmet Garden also offers delivery service seven days a week.
5817 Monroe St., Sylvania. 419-885-0151
gourmetgardenchinese.com