Unusual Mix at Krazi Kebob

Since fusion food came to the nation’s attention in the '70s, adventurous chefs have been trying to find that next big thing. Chinese-French restaurants have popped up all around the country, Thai-Vietnamese joints have become old news.  Well, now Towson has its own forward thinking eatery in Krazi Kebob, the Indian-Mexican fusion restaurant on East Chesapeake Avenue.

Opened in early February, it's quickly become a favorite of workers in the Towson Library across the street. If you’re like me, you think Indian and Mexican and a few big red flags go up. But in the interest of breaking some ground, I decided to give it a try.

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter Krazi Kebob is its sheer lack of space.  With seating available for just a handful of guests and standing room for maybe a few more, it is very clear that the philosophy at Krazi Kebob is to keep the line moving out the door.

While I suppose the “move along” layout has its benefits, it feels almost counter-productive at Krazi Kebob, as the service and hospitality was actually top-notch. From the moment I walked in until the moment I left, I had not one but three extremely helpful and patient employees guiding me through the unusual options and all but holding my hand as I scratched my head over the menu. To be fair, I’m sure the hospitality did have something to do with the fact that I was the only customer in the house at peak lunch hours, but nonetheless the service was great.

As for the menu itself, I was eager to take a peek.  As I prepared for Krazi Kebob I spent a week making jokes about Naan Quesadillas and Masala Burritos and when I finally took a look at my lunch options I found that my jokes were right on the money.

The menu at Krazi Kebob keeps things simple (if you can call it that) with only a handful of options, including a Krazi Naan Wrap, Krazi Grande Nachos and yes, the Krazi Naan Quesadilla. All options are served assembly line style allowing you to move down the counter and chose which of the 20 or so toppings you would like. Of course this being a Mughlai-Mex experience, your toppings range from curried chick peas and masala sauce all the way to pico de gallo salsa and guacamole.

Now, while I’ve spent a lot of time here pointing out the glaring contrasts of these two cuisines, I have to admit there is a part of me that gets it. I mean, both of these cuisines have rich histories using local products to create sauces that are rich in flavor and depth. Both rely heavily on the use of chiles, herbs, and rice, and let’s not forget that the staple Mughlai cheese known as paneer is nearly identical in taste and texture to the Mexican queso fresco. I dare say that on paper, Muhglai-Mex might even be a good idea. Of course, I don’t usually eat paper, and when it comes to the real thing, this good idea didn’t exactly pan out for me.

Let me start by saying, I absolutely love Indian food in almost all its forms, and I spent many years working in a kitchen with a chef who hails from Guajaca Mexico. Needless to say, I’ve been around the block with both of these cuisines. Still, I always say that if you want the most authentic sample of a restaurant’s offerings you should let the chef chose your meal whenever you can and this seemed the perfect opportunity to do so. 

What I was handed a few minutes later was a Naan Wrap topped with masala chicken, rice, pico de gallo, mint cilantro and tamarind chutney, Tex-Mex cheese, and assorted vegetables. Individually these are all ingredients that I could eat a bucket of, but somehow when combined they formed a mutant conglomeration of food that had me utterly confused.

With every bite I kept trying to convince my brain that I was enjoying it but the flavors just simply wouldn’t meld. The sweetness of the masala was offset by the bitterness of the cilantro. The tang of the pico was overwhelmed by the fragrance of the mint chutney. Perhaps the greatest sin of all was that the beautiful piece of Naan bread that I watched being baked in the clay oven in front of me was drowned out by all the conflicting flavors.

Anyone who knows food can attest that contrast is usually a very good thing in the culinary world. Hot vs. sour, salty vs. sweet, these are proven formulas. When you take things overboard however is when you run into a wall. At Krazi Kebob it seems that the formula is hot vs. hot. vs. sweet vs. sweet. vs. etc. vs. etc. Both Muhglai and Mexican cuisine have rich histories of flavors that have survived for years so maybe this is one of those times where fusion just isn’t the best idea.

The truth is, pretty much all American food is a fusion concept if you go back far enough, so 20 or 50, or 100d years from now, if we are all chowing down on a McNaan del Grande from our favorite fast food joint I’ll go ahead and eat some crow but for now I say give Krazi Kebob a try and I bet you’ll be a little let down.