Anarkalee Restaurant, Pleasanton

Anarkalee Restaurant borrows its name from the doomed heroine Anarkali, a slave girl who fell in love with a prince and was loved by him in return. Their relationship infuriated the prince's father, the Mughal emperor Akbar, who responded by sentencing his own son to death. To save the prince’s life, Anarkali sacrificed herself: she was buried alive between two brick walls (though some say she actually escaped through a secret passageway).

Anarkalee Restaurant translates the fiery spirit of its namesake into the spicy flavors of regional Indian and Pakistani cuisines. Besides North Indian standards such as palak paneer and chicken tikka, chefs craft more exotic fare such as lamb-brain masala or Himalayan goat karahi for their daily specials. Morsels of grass-fed lamb also fill two types of gosht, or Pakistani meat stew. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrées are served in copious helpings, whether as separate dishes, a buffet, or a color-coded map of the Indian subcontinent.