At new Shamiana, curries, samosas and soups are second to naan

As the Eastside population continues to grow, "Westside" restaurateurs have cast their eyes across the Big Lake. Witness the Eastward-ho! of such notable dining destinations as Seattle's Shanghai Garden (with siblings in Issaquah and Factoria), Szmania's in Magnolia (cloned in Kirkland as Szmania's Lake Street), Malay Satay Hut (recently opened in Redmond) and Madison Park's Cactus (due to give birth to a Kirkland twin this month).

Meanwhile, brother-and-sister team Eric and Tracy Larson have given new meaning to the expression "sibling restaurant" by heading in the opposite direction. Early this year they recreated their Eastside success story by opening a second Shamiana in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood.

In 1991, the Larsons pooled their talent and taste-memories from their youth in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kenya to bring us the original Shamiana in Kirkland's Houghton Village. There they magically transformed a sterile strip-mall spot into a colorful and inviting cafe, bringing their interpretation of "cuisine from India and beyond" to a neighborhood hungry for ethnic intrigue.

In the years since, they've seen a steady stream of patrons drawn by Eric's seductive sauces and Tracy's managerial expertise: attributes effectively cloned in Ravenna.

Though the Larsons had toyed with the idea of duplicating Shamiana, it wasn't something they'd seriously considered — until Eric got a call from his friend and former employer Greg Gibbons, owner of Santa Fe Cafe. Gibbons had shuttered his 20-year-old Ravenna cafe to downscale and focus on its Phinney Ridge sibling, and he was intent on finding someone with enough energy and ambition to give new life to the old space.

Enter the Larsons, who spruced up the small storefront, painted the walls a soothing sage green and the ceiling a warm brick red. They hung colorful textiles and folk art and put together a group of caring servers and a kitchen staff capable of replicating their menu.

Today, Eric keeps doubly busy in his (much larger) Kirkland kitchen preparing the soups and many of the sauces that flavor his curries, masala and vegetarian specialties. Tracy manages the Kirkland store by day and the Seattle shop at night — acting as "curry courier" as she travels from Eastside to West.

I could happily make a meal of any of the soups or appetizers served at the new Shamiana, when coupled with a warm swath of naan: pillows of yeasted bread pulled from the tandoor oven ($3.25/$3.50). Perfumed with cumin and mustard seeds, eggplant-lentil soup is an aromatherapeutic bowl of bliss. Ditto for the mulligatawny, a sauce-like blend of chicken broth, Indian curry spices, chicken and rice (soups: $4.50/$6.95).

Samosas, those prettily presented savory pastries ($5.95), offer a crisp, oil-free exterior and ground beef, lamb and spices (in the meat version) or spicy potatoes and peas (the vegetarian version) along with a sassy green chutney composed of cilantro, chilies and coconut. "Vegetable cutlets" ($5.95) are entirely too pedestrian a label for this classy quartet of plump croquettes breaded with a fine crumb, stuffed with potatoes, peas and carrots and fried to a creamy-crunchy crisp.

Seafood is treated with great respect and the turmeric-tinged halibut moli ($16.95) — fresh fish bathing in a sunny sauce infused with coconut milk and ginger — certainly got mine. As did Malay fire prawns ($15.95), succulent prawns under the influence of coconut milk, lemon, basil and chilies, a buttery marriage of sweet and heat that begged for a second order of naan. Served with fluffy pulao (rice), and cooling raita (yogurt dip), flame-broiled coriander ginger chicken, wearing a light char, was impressive for its bright, straightforward flavors ($14.95).

"Starred" dishes may be ordered mild, medium or hot, but gauging heat is the kitchen's biggest shortcoming. (That and the fact that they managed to overcook the most expensive dish on the menu: lean chunks of yogurt-marinated lamb tikka barbecued Pakistani-style, $18.95). Texturally interesting Kabuli chicken curry ($12.95) — sliced breast in a tomato-based sauce blended with yogurt, cream, black pepper and finely ground almonds and ordered "medium" — promised tongue titillation but failed to live up to that promise. Saag ($10.50), a delicious spinach purée enhanced by aromatic spices and cubes of paneer (mild homemade cheese) was ordered "hot." It was not.

As the Larsons find their East-West rhythm — a practice they've been perfecting since their childhood on the subcontinent — Seattle has every reason to embrace this Eastside export. Perfect for a casual date night, family-friendly and eminently comfortable, Shamiana is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and well worth a drive from yours.

Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.