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I'm currently inside one of the biggest and busiest Indian Pakistani restaurants in America. And the kitchen is an unbelievable site. Oh, these are the different karahis and curries that we'll be trying today. People come from around the world to eat here. And on any weekend night, we serve over 4,000 people per night. But with huge crowds and non-stop cooking, how do they do it? We're going to get a full behindthescenes tour. And as we progress, I'll be showing you 17 of their best Indian Pakistani dishes. You have to try. I've never seen anything like this in the United States. Hey everyone, it's Mark Wis. We made it. Welcome to Houston, Texas, and I've just arrived at Agas. It's an Indian Pakistani restaurant known to be one of the busiest and the biggest Indian
Pakistani restaurants in North America. Oh, I can smell the food in the air. I'm very excited. Welcome to Agas inside and we met up with Zayn. So Zay, tell me about Agas, man. A is a 24 25 year old institution. Our family took over about 15 years ago and it's grown from the hard work of our team. Wow. So when we originally purchased the restaurant, it was just 6,000 ft at the beginning. Since then, we've expanded slowly over that way. Uh, so now it's 15,000 square feet. The most recent expansion was a banquet hall because we assumed we would use a banquet hall for parties, but it just made much more sense to just
have folks dine in there and big families come too. So you could have six, 10, 15 people. Food is about community and getting together and family. Exactly. Okay. Amazing. You go through this series and there's various uh dining areas, but then you come to the big one. The entire banquet hall where you can come here with your whole family. Hello. Thank you. How's the food here? Oh, lovely. Best you will enjoy.
Thank you. Nice to meet you. You can come here with a whole party, have a whole banquet. It's one of the largest Indo Park restaurant in North America with sitting capacity of close to 750 people. And on any weekend night, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we serve over 4,000 people per night. Amazing. We are eight chefs, four from Pakistan, three from India, one from Bangladesh with probably 3 400 years of combined experience in uh cuisine. Step into the kitchen. It is absolutely packed. The chefs are hard at work. There's a station for everything. The aromomas, the steam, the smoke. And right to the entrance of the kitchen is where all the dishes are ready. And
they're going out off from the line. They're going out to be served. But it is loud. It is action-packed. We're first starting at the Karahi station. Karahi is actually the metal steel rounded pan that all the curries are made in. Pakistani Indian curries. Oh man, there's like 50 karah going all at the same time. All the spices, the aromomas. And you got to stir them every now and then. Keep track of them with that raging hot fire. Flaming sizzling. And these are actually the curries we're going to be getting, right? Oh yeah. Okay. So we are having mihari palakon kai chicken.
Oh man. Okay. The most popular item here in Nagas. Okay. Cool. Okay. Well, these are the different karachis and curries that we'll be trying today. But this is unbelievable the situation. All the different burgers going all at the same time. You really feel like you are in India or Pakistan. And I'm so excited that this exists in Houston at AAS. This is as good as it gets. One of the more impressive kitchens that you'll ever see because everyone is busy and everything is organized. Pirani is just flying and the naan station is just non-stop.
They're flying, never taking a break. It's naan after naan. They slap them out, flap them out, then onto the like it's like a conveyor belt oven onto there and then there's a mixture of garlic with I think coriander. You get a whole handful every naan. A whole handful of the garlic coriander. Oh, that smells good. We used to make four to 5,000 na a day. 4 to 5,000 na per day. Yeah. They're flying non-stop. Nonstop. Then we go to the grill station where our famous goat chops. Sizzling goat chops are there.
The legendary goat chops. They're marinated in a thick masala that smells incredible. Then they go onto the grill smoldering, smoking. It is an impressive sight to see. And that aroma, that smell coming off the grill is unbelievable. So, we're moving on to the next station in the kitchen, the deep frying station to see another one of the most famous dishes at Agas. So, we're going to start with our chicken lollipop. One of the most popular item here in Aaz. Look at that thickness of that masala plastered onto every piece of chicken for the chicken lollipops. I think they're the drum the drums, the wing drumstick. And then all that meat is pulled down onto the bone. So you got this lollipop like a lollipop
head. And then every chicken lollipop is actually nurtured like formed and shaped. The excess masala and batter goes off then into the fryer. And he has to like twirl it so that it keeps the correct shape like a lollipop. Oh, that care ensuring the shape and form is perfect for every lollipop. Okay, this batch is ready. Lollipop chicken. Fresh batch. Look how crispy they are. All that masala is plastered and crispified onto the chicken. The fresh batch that's ready to go. Okay. So, we're moving over now to the Tandur station and the kebabs. This our chicken kebab.
Yeah. Okay. Chicken kebab ready. All the meat kebabs. One of the long. Okay. There's so many things you have to eat here. Yeah. Which is this one? This is a cheska. Cheska boti. Oh, yeah. I think we got to try this one, too. Huh? A cheska boti goes on. Okay, now that we saw some of the kebabs being skewered, now these are the tandoors here. There's like five or six tandooras nonstop. Always full. And these are like Pakistani Texas kebabs. They are huge.
Beefy kebabs. Wow. Nice. Chicken kebab. Okay. These are chicken wings. Nice. That's a beef kebab. Yeah. Beef. This kebab chicken kebab. All right. Cool. Look at the amount of takeaway orders. How many takeout orders so far? 1,400. 1,400 takeaway orders. Oh, wow. That kitchen is one of the most impressive kitchens I've seen in the world. It is bustling and I am so hungry now. Moving to our table to start eating. I've never been so hungry in my entire life. Okay. and a lollipop. Chicken lollipop.
World famous. Yes, it is. Make some space. Okay. Chicken kebab. This is the chicken shini karai kadrai go karai. Wow. Yes. This is the palak paneer. All right. Must try nihari. That's the nihari. One of the greatest dishes on earth. Yes. The amount of action. I have never seen this scale, this busyiness in the United States. It is truly impressive. The organization. This is a restaurant that literally brings people together from the entire world serving incredibly
delicious food and it's still familyun. It is it's impressive. I cannot believe it. And the food, we have a feast. I am so overwhelmed and so excited. And everything smells incredible. I have no idea what to begin with. So, I think I'm just going to go straight for that lollipop chicken. You can see how crispy it is. All that masala just crispified. This is the first bite and we have a lot of different dishes to taste. That marinade, the spices, the masala batter, it's so crispy. And then somehow on the inside, the chicken remains so juicy as it's been pushed down to the end to the lollipop shape. So, the chicken on the inside is just it remains incredibly juicy while the outside is so
flavorful and still crispy. For my next bite, I'll add some of the sauce. Oh, yeah. And the sauce just elevates it with this a little bit of spice and then a sweet and a sourness to it that combined with all those spices. That's extremely tasty. something you have to start your meal with. Hey, I'll move on to the chicken cheska. And let me add on a little bit of lemon. Give it a little bit of lemon. There's a sauce. So, this is grilled or in the tandoor chicken. And then with a sauce on top. Oh, looks fantastic. And with the red onions. Got to get some red onions as well. the tenderness of the chicken, that smoky flavor.
Then it has that creamy kind of tangy sauce to it, that acidity of the lemon juice and the crunch of the red onions all together. the smokiness of the chicken marinated perfectly and the garlickiness of the sauce that is it's like the flavor just embeds all the way through the piece of chicken. That's phenomenal. Okay, next up for the dynamite shrimp. We're moving along like a big meaty shrimp. a little bit crispy around the edges and then it's completely lthered in a sauce that has a little bit of a sweetness, a sticky sweetness, a little bit of spice to it, a little bit of seasoning spices to it as well. It's just like an addictive flavor that you could keep on eating. And next up for the anari bi
kebab and this is chicken marinated in pomegranate. So you can see that really red, deep red pomegranate color. And you can see the marinade is again just clinging to the chicken and keeping it so moist on the inside and so hydrated on the inside and just all that flavor coated on the outside. Oh wow. Again, the smokiness comes through. It's moist and juicy. Has that acidity from the pomegranate. Oh, it's phenomenal. Dish after dish. That's why thousands of people eat here every day. And this is just the start. So, the New York Times ranked a goat chops the 26 read about that.
Yeah. 26 best dishes of America. It was on the list of the 26 best dishes in America, right? Yes. How cool is that? I wanted to try it. And we saw the entire process in the kitchen. They're marinated in a really thick masala, right? Yes. Then they get grilled. They're marinated for over 24 hours. What are some of the main ingredients in the masala? I wouldn't know. You wouldn't know. Okay. If I won't be able to tell you. Okay. But you can see it's probably like a yogurt. There's definitely a mix of spices. There 22 different types of uh spices in there.
Okay. It's one of the signature dishes. And then the presentation is also impressive because they put it onto a flaming hot iron skillet. Onions go on. Oh, that just immediately hisses and smolders. And then the goat chops go on directly from the grill. Oh, and just kiss and steam. Oh, what a portion size, too. That's like five or six goat chops. And they hiss and sizzle. Nice. Oh, wow. Those goat chops are unbelievable. They are hissing. That steam, that aroma. Oh, no wonder everyone orders them. That aroma is irresistible. Your mouth will water.
These are going straight out to the tables. Yeah, man. What a process. They come to your table sizzling, steaming, and yeah, your nose will awaken with the aroma. So, these are hot off the fire. One of the dishes I was most looking forward to. The thickness of the masala and the marinade just caked onto it. I'm going to try with more. Yeah, you should have one. You should I'm going to grab one more. Yes. Here we go. the legendary. Oh wow. I can eat this every day, seven days a week. Me too. Yeah. That is the truth. That is phenomenal.
Oh my god. That yogurty mix of spices and the masala just it's it's literally just caked and then it goes all the way through the chop like all the way. all the way to the bone. Mhm. Even the bone would be tasty if you could eat it. But it's like a perfect ratio. The goat has a fattiness to it as well, keeping it juicy and hydrated and moist. And as that grills, the fat also seeps into the meat, keeping it just like releasing the layers of flavor. Keep talking. I'll keep eating. Okay, I got to stop talking. Oh, this is one of the best goat chops you can eat anywhere in the world. It is absolutely Oh, wow. Okay. So, next up, we'll try the Is that the beef kebab?
Beef kebab. Okay. Kebab. And they are big hearty. I'll join the party. Yes, sure. All right. Here we go. Beef kebab. Meaty. I can immediately taste the coriander seed, that bright citrusy flavor, and the cumin. moist, very crumbly, delicate. Yeah, it has this really fine kind of texture, but then it crumbles in your mouth. And yeah, it's easy to dry something out like this. But it's so impressive that it's so moist and so juicy. Even when they are so busy in the kitchen, they've maintained the quality. And as you keep on eating that, more flavors come out and you get like this
almost like a herbal green chili or is the green chili in there maybe. Yes. Yeah. and amount of people we serve. You've seen it. But quality is never going to be compromised here. It's always our top priority for us. Consistency and consistency. Keeping the quality. Yes. Very special. It has some heat to it, too. It does. It's properly spicy. Yeah. Yes. It is hitting all my taste buds all at the same time. Oh, I love it. Okay, what should we try next? Okay, this chicken tandoori masala is one of my favorite dishes at AAS. The chicken is marinated overnight with spices. Then it's cooked in the curry
sauce. Yes. Oh my god, it's so good. The sauce is so thick. And I'm going to grab in with a piece of naan for this. Grab in with a piece of naan. Oh, scoop right in. Huge pieces of chicken. Get some of the chicken. And then I'm going to scoop into swimming in a pool of gravy. Oh wow, that creaminess. It's so rich. It's so creamy. The gravy is so thick and so flavorful. You taste the flavor of the coriander. The chicken just melts in your mouth because it's been cooked in the tandoori, then recooked in the sauce, so it absorbs that flavor. Layer upon layer of flavor. Insanely flavorful. Have you ever tried any anything like this anywhere?
Like I mean like some are similar but still different flavors. Yes. This is a family of chicken tikka masala. Okay. It is similar to chicken tikka masala. Yeah. Yes. Should we try nihari? Okay. So nihari tastes incredible by itself but adding a little bit of the um the flavor to it. I got coriander. The coriander, julian of ginger is a must. And then a little bit of green chili. Little green chili. Yes.
Yeah. And then lemon. Oh, brings the flavor out. Got to get a little bit of acidity to that meatiness. Yeah. You can see the tenderness of it. It's just stringing apart. Oh, look at that. Is that cool or what? Yeah, that's that will make your mouth water. Again, let me just grab a piece so you can see the Oh, when your fingers seep into the sauce just a little bit. That's one of the most satisfying feelings, sinking your fingers in. It feels soft like a pillow. Oh, again, it's just melting the tenderness. And then you do want to before you take it to your mouth, you want to try to scoop up as much of that nihari gravy, the thickness of it as possible. Nihari
is another one of the celebrated dishes in India and Pakistan and it's it's one of the kings of dishes actually. People go crazy for nihari and often it's actually a breakfast dish in Pakistan. I always eat it for breakfast. Yeah. I was going to tell you that nihari is so popular they eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between 24 hours a day. Yes. Oh wow. Mr. Nothing like nihari in the world, man. No. Nihari is a special dish. It's it's incredibly special. Mhm.
Just the balance of the spices, the black peppery cardamomy aroma to it, but the meatiness. It's all about the meatiness of Nihari. Mhm. A huge thank you to Shaka. He's part of the family and he manages the floor. So, he's extremely busy. He had to go take care of some stuff. Uh, but just him taking the time to explain and to take some bites with me was very special. Before we can proceed, I need another bite of nihari before we can go on. Let me give that a little squeeze of lemon. Add some ginger. That bite of nihari literally takes me back to the streets of Pakistan. That's the power of food. It can transport you
to another world, to another place, to happiness and memories. Oh yeah. Okay, let me take some of the garlic naan. And this one is the white chicken karah. So it's a white like a creamy sauce. Huge pieces. Oh, it's chicken kebab. And that sauce is so thick and so creamy. it is never ending dish after dish. That sauce, it has this nutty creaminess to it. You taste like a nutty. Yeah, like a nuttiness. You taste the garlic in there, the herbaleness, all just completely saturated onto these tender, juicy chicken kebabs. And I read that this is also one of their signature dishes, the white karah. It is so much flavor. Like it will leave you smiling and completely happy and you'll
you'll never want to stop eating it. It will blow away your taste buds. Okay, we're moving on. This one is the shinawari karah. And I think it's with chicken. Oh, you see the chilies in here. You see the amount of ginger. This looks spicy. Look at the thickness of the sauce. The tartness of the tomatoes in there, the ginger, the green chilies. Oh yeah. You taste the chilies in there. Oh, it's so good. And that is a completely different flavor from the white karah. So this one is the Hunza Karahi which is in the northern part of Pakistan. It's in the Kakuram mountains. It is one of
the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life. And the food is has quite a bit of difference too because it's more high elevation. The spices are not quite as strong but the meat is just as good. Oh, that one tastes more like mutton instead of goat. It tastes like mutton. It has a stronger meaty flavor to it. The spices are not quite as strong, but the meat just stands out. The flavor of ginger. Just a little bit of acidity. The meat just melts in your mouth. Is this one with lamb or mutton? Okay. You taste the difference from the goat. Yeah, it is mutton.
Hey, knew it was mutton because you immediately taste that flavor. And because the spices are not as strong, you just really taste the full force of the meatiness of it. Okay, next up for the hyabati karah. And this one is with goat. I think you see the bone marrow, the pieces. You can see that this one is just caramelized on the edges. All the meaty juices if you scoop down. Oh, the oiliness. It just falls off the bone. Look at the tenderness. Fully saturated. It's like shredded. Oh, that is so rich. That's like meat candy almost. It's been caramelized in its fat. But I think it's all about like that edge that creates that flavor just simmerred in the fat on that high fire,
flanking and stirring and accumulating those the caramelized meat. Oh, that's good. All the karah are unbelievable. And all four of them taste so different. Completely different makeup and spice blend and ingredients. But if I had to order one, I think probably that shinari karah was my favorite. But the white karah is unmissable as well. Okay. Still have a few more dishes to try. Oh, I think I forgot about the palak paneer there at the front. Let me grab a bite. Palak paneer. So paneer cheese and like a creamy spinach sauce.
There's a lot of palak paneer or sagg paneer where you it's like pureeed so you barely even taste the flavor of the spinach. That one you immediately taste the flavor of the spinach followed by this creaminess and the crumbliness of the paneer. Okay, I'm going to try some of the biryani next. I think we got the chicken biryani. And look at that rice. You can really smell the saffron and the rose water and the crispy onions. Okay. All right. Get some of that chicken. the essence, the aromatics, the cardamom in there, the clove, the crispy onions. The rice is so fluffy, perfectly oiled. The rice just kind of melts in your mouth.
I love it. Everything so far, this entire meal, like if I didn't know I was in the middle of the heart of Houston, Texas, I would think that I'm in India or Pakistan. From the flavors, the variety, the diversity, this is truly one of the great restaurant experiences in the United States. Okay. Wow. You will roll out of this restaurant because you won't be able to stop eating. But dessert. We're having dessert now. We have a kulfi with noodles. We have This is something really interesting like something I've never even heard of before. A carrot halwa with gulab jamun with all sorts of things within it. And then two types of faluda. Let's start with that kulfi while it's frozen. Kulfi is like a an Indian Pakistani ice cream noodles rose syrup.
That is sweet but really good. Tastes like the creaminess like the creaminess of the milk. It tastes like the richness of that. And then we have some of the carrot halwa. It's like a Pakistani carrot cake almost. That is a unique creation. Something I've only seen at a flavor of the carrot, the halwa, like gulab jamun syrup is saturated. It is sweet, but it is really good. And that's unlike anything else I've had. Yeah. The mango feluda. Oh, with ice cream on the top, pistachios, jellies.
It's the full works. And the fuda noodles. You have to finish with something sweet when you come here. And it is a party of sweets. This restaurant, this entire restaurant is a celebration. Oh yeah, the mango. I love the nuts in there, the melting ice cream, and the texture of the noodles. Yeah, very good. And one more. The next fuda. Rose feluda. Okay. Milk curds on top, the pistachios, the nuts, rose syrup, rose flavored, and you can eat and drink at the same time. It's like a an ultimate milkshake with so many different textures and so many different like things going on in your mouth, the jellies, the noodles, the creaminess, the ice cream melting, the rose aroma, and the nuts all bringing it together.
But yeah, it has been an ultimate meal. So happy. so full and truly one of the great Indian Pakistani restaurants not only in the United States but in the world and the thousands of people that come here that line up that eat here every day is just a testament to the quality of the food, the authentic flavors and the incredible family that runs this unbelievable restaurant in Houston. You got to come to Houston. And this restaurant, Agas, is worth coming to Houston for. Thank you so much for having us. Thank you so much. It's an honor to be here. Thank you. And we will be back. Every time we're in Houston, I'll be back to Agas.
Thank you. I learned so much from this guy. Incredible experience. Likewise. Can't wait to see you again. Thank you. Thank you guys. Wow. And now we step outside. There's got to be a few hundred people waiting in line to get in. This is a restaurant like you will never see anywhere else. It is unbelievable. Agas, you have to come to Houston. Thank you. Jawed has even walked us to the car. Thank you for the hospitality. Anytime. Mark, you're the best. You are the best. Thank you for Thank you so much. See you next time. Of course.
See you next time. Bye-bye. God bless you, mother. Bye-bye. Thank you. And I need to go straight to sleep after that gigantic meal. Uh, but I want to say a huge thank you to you for watching this video. I'll also link the next video here. We're uh going to be around Houston making some more eating some more delicious food and making more videos. So, be sure to check out the next video here. Thanks for watching. Good night from Houston, Texas. See you on the next video.
