"Another favourite with foodies is the chain of Akbar restaurants. Co-owned by Meenakshi Malhotra, it is part of a well regarded Manhattan establishment. It also remains associated with its sister offshoot in Queens." The Edison establishment is cenred around a long rectangular fountain. Its prices are reasonable and the management stresses on impeccable service. The menu includes north Indian starters like vegetable pakoras, papdi chaat, garlic shrimp or paneer pakora. Its entrees include the very popular tandoor mixed grill, Kashmiri rogan josh and, of course, the assortment of breads. The mughlai fare, as Malhotra puts it, is authentic and developed from the original recipes. "The art of northern Indian style cooking is in its preparation using a delicate balance of herbs and spices. One ingredient should never dominate the dish," she says, pointing out that none of this was possible without the able assistance of her retinue of chefs. Whether it be a la carte or the tandoori, she has a specialist in the kitchen to ensure standards do not drop. The kitchen kings include Harpal Singh, Karan Singh, Rehman, Sambaji, Kulkarni, Pushkar and Lamba, some of whom are graduates of Culinary College and therefore bring with them the highest professional credentials. "Certain dishes like chicken malai kabab, prawn kabab masala were introduced by Akbar for the first time in New York. Only we can claim 20 years of pleasing both Indian and American palates," Malhotra adds."