Seems like old times: Original Shalimar Owner Reclaims Landmark Restaurant

Qasim Bhatti just opened Lazeez on November 1, but already, he feels at home. Not surprising, since Bhatti owned and operated Shalimar out of this building for years before deciding to take a break from the restaurant business in 2000. He turned the business over to his brother-in-law, Leo Ashiq, who went on to open two additional locations in Bethelehem and Clifton Park.

This fall, when Ashiq announced plans to close the original Albany Shalimar to focus on his suburban locations, a collective groan went up across the city. Thankfully, the restaurant's original owner swiftly stepped in and filled the gap. In fact, there seemed to be almost no interruption in service, and the only outward sign of the shift was the new restaurant sign on the building.

Bhatti's restaurant Lazeez offers a menu almost identical to Shalimar's, and the dishes are cooked by the same chef and served by many of the same staff members. Customers who have grown accustomed to the comfortable ambience, complete with lantern lights and colorful artwork will be happy to find that the restaurant's interior is exactly the same. Even the buffet is the same--in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the chafing dishes were in the same order.

"The perception is that it's a new restaurant because of the name, but they come in and they see it's the same or an even better operation," Bhatti says.

In the future, Bhatti would like to update the menu with some new vegetarian options and to offer some new appetizers, but all cooked in the same northern Indian style that his customers have come to so appreciate, he says.

After a nine-year hiatus from the restaurant business, Bhatti says it's a pleasure to be back on Central Avenue. He and his wife started the restaurant in 1992, during a real turning point in the area, and they became intimately involved in the neighborhood and its residents. Bhatti has been gratified to see many of those same customers still coming in. "The local community has supported me over so many years," he says. He hopes that same level of support will continue.

Lazeez is located at 35 Central Avenue, Albany. They offer delivery service. For more information, please call 435-0333 or visit their website at http://www.eatlazeez.com/.