Lucky enough to come with six other people and ordered a variety of Pakistani specialities. First, Sonya and her husband Aldi (I hope I spelled their names correctly) are incredibly hospitable and gracious. My local friend, highly recommended this place so I had studied the menu prior to coming. I also asked for Sonya's recommendation and she was generous with her time and knowledge. So you are intimidated by Pakistani food and are in the inland Empire, drop in to Al-Karam for a wonderful meal and an education at the same time.
Sonya walked me through the menu so we are sure to order the right balance of variety of taste, texture, and flavors. We started with the Aloo Samosa because they are freshly made and beautifully crafted. What was unexpected was it was paired with yogurt chutney. The yogurt chutney was a revelation, because it was a light avocado green, mixed with yogurt, cilantro, serrano peppers, and garlic. The tangy and spicy with the samosa created nuance and enhanced the samosa, in most other places would have been pedestrian.
And since all the Tandoori dishes sounded fantastic and we didn't want to leave any out, we had the Mix Tandoori Grill (Tandoori Chicken, Chicken boti, Chicken Seekh Kabob and Beef Seekh Kabob). If you like tandoori and kebab, this a well-rounded grilled extravaganza. I was surprised by the tandoori chicken as it was not the typical "red" clay style grill, but more festooned with herbal fragrance and light on the tandoori smoke. We also all enjoyed Pakistani tea that is mixed with cardamom, other spices, and milk.
What followed were the curries, naan, and rice. Chicken Tikka Masala, Dal Gosht (lamb), Achar Gosht (lamb), Bhindi Masala (okra), Bhangan Bharta (egg plant), Aloo Matar (potato). The stand out dishes for me are the Dal Gosht, Achar Gosht, and Bhangan Bharta. Reducing lamb meat with dal is real contrast in flavor and how it reduces down the meat down differently than acid (Achar Gosht). It had a richness that is wholly different. The eggplant was smoky, fragrant, creamy. When you take a bit you taste the 24 hour it takes to makes that dish. The dish stays with you even after the meal because it's keep playing with your palette.
I can't recommend the mango lassi. I don't know why I ordered i since I and others in party had to be rolled out, but it's too sweet and watery for me. I prefer my lassi creamy tangy.
