Qazis: a feast of Indian/Mediterranean flavors in Fremont

Indian cuisine rubs shoulders with Mediterranean flavors at Qazis, a nice little spot in Fremont that offers a wide selection of great food.

Between the appetizer menu and the entree lineup, you can order a delectable meal that's tailored to your budget. Two people can dine tastily for $20 or less. Or feast for $50.

We chose the feast option.

The menu: Qazis has a generous choice of appetizers, soups, salads, curries, tandoori dishes, Mediterranean platters and breads (20 of the latter!). It also has a varied dessert menu that includes New York cheesecake, Indian ice creams and puddings, and Middle Eastern baklava and halvah.

What to write home about: We started with two sampler platters. "Qazi's Surprise" ($7), a vegetarian assortment, consisted of spinach pie (soufflé-delicate and tasty), dolmas (rice-and-spice-stuffed grape leaves) and a trio of vegetable-stuffed items. Of these, the sautéed "vegetable cutlets" were the biggest treat: patties of potato, carrot, onion and spices that were light and flavorful.

The "Combination Plate" ($7.50) on the Mediterranean menu included creamy-smooth hummus and baba ghannouj (both ambrosial) and some falafel, perhaps a little denser and heavier than it needed to be. Both samplers were served with crisp greens.

For entrees, we went with Kashmiri Chicken ($11), a mild curry garnished with almonds and raisins and flavored with spiced apple. Even better was the Lamb Pasanda ($11): succulent, boneless lamb morsels in a spicy sauce with a sour-tangy edge.

With 20 breads to choose from, we went for one that fused Indian and Mediterranean cuisine: the Pesto Naan ($3.50). It was heavenly.

Qazis also has the fluffiest, most delicately spiced and aromatic basmati rice I've run across in a while.

The setting: The restaurant is an open room with cheerful yellow walls adorned with green and russet silk banners: elegant without being stuffy. In the background, Indian sitar music plays.

Summing up: Our bill for two sampler platters, two entrees and bread came to $44 before tip. There's plenty more to try out on the Qazis menu. We'll be back.

Michael Upchurch: mupchurch@seattletimes.com