Authentic Indian cuisine and tasty karaoke at Zaika

By Sue Sawyer

Shoreline has a new specialty restaurant and karaoke lounge! Zaika, meaning “The Taste,” which serves authentic clay oven Tandoori dishes, varieties of Naan, an array of kabobs, curries and Tikka, brings you karaoke in the lounge Wednesday night with KJ Ira; Thursday night with yours truly, Carla; Friday night with Fehrone; and Saturday night with Julia. The fun starts at 9:00pm and ends approximately 1:30am. Food is now served until closing.

Akbar Quadri, the owner, already has a fine reputation and caters to a large Indian and Pakistani eat-out crowd. He wants the American pallate to appreciate what the Indian culture has to offer through its many spices and style of food preparation. Sometimes Akbar surprises his lounge guests with trays of tasty samples of what’s on his large menu.

The barstaff, Rick, Tonia, Dee and Tazz, are there to serve but will also take the time to answer questions about menu items and explain how they are prepared.

The bar is fully stocked with just about anything you can think of. Wednesday night is “Ladies Night” featuring cheap specials. Most items on the daily luncheon menu are $6.99 and under. The dinner menu has many choices of high-quality food at popular prices.

Carla, the Goddess, and her crew run the karaoke show. Carla has a lengthy involvement with karaoke dating back to 1992. Her vivacious personality is infectious. She puts showmanship quality to her singing, choosing numbers such as “Mambo Italiano” and “Pink Cadillac.” Seasoned singers joined the rotation which moved quickly. Carla’s song books were well-crafted, with a balance of old tunes and new music as a result of careful collecting over the years. Not standard stock. “Singers are welcome to bring their own discs”, Carla reminds everyone.

Randy, who likes to make the rounds of karaoke bars, says, “Karaoke is the perfect social event. Everybody knows your name and has something in common to talk about.”

Randy had no trouble belting out “Mustang Sally” and crooning “What’s Going On.” Mike followed with “Live Like You Were Dying” and “XXL.” Julie was emotional while singing, “Nothing Compares To You”, and Kelly did a bang-up job with “She’s No Lady.” Ira made all the Sinatra moves with “That’s Life”, and his wide vocal range allowed him to head upscale to tribute The Temptations’ “My Girl.”

Yolanda changed the pace, singing, “Could I Have This Dance,” Kim wailed, “One Less Bell To Answer” and Diane enjoyed playing coy while performing, “Mama’s Good To You.” CJ and Ron had fun with “Time Of My Life.” The biggest surprise of the night was the awesome duet from Mike and Julia, offering a tribute to Luis Prima and Kellie Smith by belting out “Old Black Magic.” They had just met that night, but they sure made a wonderful pair!

Smokers don’t have far to walk to do their thing. No need to crave French fries. Instead, order a buttery or garlic Naan, a staple, cheap and filling. Its aroma and taste…yum! And for a real cool treat, try Mango ice-cream.

The lounge is modern, the restaurant saffron-soft and traditional, including flowers on the tables. There’s plenty of parking in front or around the building on the street. Zaika is a treat for all your senses. Find them at 14622 15 Ave, NE Seattle (206) 306-0880.

Akbar	Carla	Carla 2	Ira
Mike		Randy