Serving Pakistani street food, Nina’s Desi Kitchen in Southington is excellent.
Everything you get here isn’t just cooked fresh.
The flavors are so pronounced, so intense, even the spices are ground fresh before added to each dish.
Since it is stylized as a ‘street food’ restaurant, we decided to try a selection of items off their street food section of the menu.
Peshwari Beef Chapli Kabab
Ignore the way this looks.
it is a heavily spiced ground beef patty.
The flavor is very good.
Heavy on coriander seed and something else, most likely cumin seed.
The only downside is it can be a little dry.
That is where their sauced some in (more on those later).
The Rating: Peshwari Beef Chapli Kabab
7/10
Nina’s Chicken Leg ‘N Thigh
Just that, a leg and thigh.
Skin scored, spice crusted, and cooked.
The spice crust on the outside is on the milder side, and the meat inside remains juicy.
It has a nice flavor, and if it was the only thing you try you might not realize the flavors are really muted compared to the rest of what is offered here.
After trying other foods, you want this to be a little bolder, a little more powerfully spiced.
But it is nice overall.
The Rating: Nina’s Chicken Leg ‘N Thigh
7/10
Chicken Dum Kabab
So good.
So, so good.
I’m going to be coming from all over the state just to get this.
This ground chicken is mixed with a blend of herbs and spices.
Decently spicy, these hit you in the face first with a hard burst of coriander seed.
Then the spiciness shows up, and you feel like you are on an adventure.
The chicken is perfectly cooked.
These are just wonderful.
The Rating: Chicken Dum Kabab
8.5/10
Overall
I’m incredibly excited to come back here.
They have a range of sauces and chutneys you can try. From tamarind to herb chutneys to hot sauces.
Even their insane fire sauce is made to order however hot you want it.
The fun is trying each dish with each sauce, seeing what you like best.
The Chicken Dum Kabab’s don’t need anything. Don’t skip them at any cost.
The flavors at Nina’s Desi Kitchen are top-notch, and this tiny restaurant deserves to be taken seriously as one of the most exciting flavor trips you can take in Connecticut.
Address: 26 N Main St, Southington, CT 06489
Hours: Monday & Tuesday 11am–8:30pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 11am–8:30pm
Friday & Saturday 11am-900pm