Mystic Royal is worth your time and patience

September 08, 2021 12:00 am • Last Updated: September 09, 2021 6:57 pm

Grilled Eggplant (Ann Baldelli)

I’ve eaten at a restaurant that I intended to review and ended up scratching the plan because I couldn’t say much that was good and I didn’t want to further damage an already struggling business.

My late father was in the restaurant business so I know firsthand how difficult it is operating an eatery. And he was in the trade before COVID, before the restaurant help shortage, and when there were no supply chain disruptions.

So when we dined at Mystic Royal recently, and the food was very good but the service horrible, I considered holding off on the review, waiting a few months, and then going back again. But before we left, chef Sheuli Solaiman stopped by our table to ask how the food was.

There were three of us, and we murmured things like “very good,” “delicious” and “flavorful,” and as we did, the chef said, “Give me good reviews, please, I need it.”

She was talking about social media or Yelp and had no idea that I was there from the newspaper to review Mystic Royal. But she recognized that we were put off by the slow service, and she wanted to offer an explanation before we left.

“I’m sorry we can’t take care of you nicely. We are just two people,” she said, motioning towards her husband, Abir Solaiman, who was clearing our table.

She explained that they have struggled to hire help and added that every single dish is made to order. That explains why our entrees arrived six or seven minutes apart.

When dining out, we are accustomed to getting our food at the same time, so we can eat together. But here, the three entrees were delivered over 17 minutes. We had every intention of being polite, and waiting for everyone to be served, but one by one, we broke down and dug in. Well, at least the two of us who got our dinners first did.

The Mint Lamb Curry ($21.99) was the first entrée out.

After placing our order, we had watched Abir Solaiman pick the fresh mint leaves from a potted plant on the patio where we were seated. It’s an interesting spot, in the small parking lot just off Williams Avenue, across the street from the popular Sea Swirl.

Mystic Royal’s outdoor dining is sectioned off with a fence made from wooden pallets. There are bright red pots filled with flowers, herbs, and vegetables, like peppers, potatoes, and even eggplant, growing beside the tables.

Hearing the chef’s appeal and her suggestion that next time we pre-order two hours before we come into the restaurant to dine, I decided to write the review. Honestly. The food at Mystic Royal is good. It is different. The chef hails from Bangledesh and makes ethnic dishes with an Asian flair. She uses a lot of spices, some heat, and clearly wants to please her customers.

The lamb was very tasty. I’m not sure what the cut was, but there were some small bones in it. But the meat had been marinated with all kinds of herbs and spices — the menu said more than 16 — and the mint was added later. The dish arrived steaming hot with a large side of kalijira rice.

We also sampled Daddy’s Favorite Beef with Dal Curry ($19.99). The beef was also marinated with multiple herbs, spices, yogurt, and garam masala powder, and then cooked for several hours. The meat was tender, and the dish packed with flavor. It arrived with rice and a flat bread that was good for soaking up all the sauce.

Our least favorite entrée was the Wedding Chicken Roast Dinner ($16.99). It was two whole chicken legs with the thighs attached prepared with all the spices, fried onion, garam marsala, raisins, saffron milk, and ghee. It was presented with a hard-boiled egg resting between the two chicken legs, in some of the gravy from the dish. It was tasty enough, but not as interesting or a flavorful as the lamb or the beef.

What we’d highly recommend is the Kabob Roll ($7.49), which we tried as a starter. There were two chicken kabobs wrapped in the handmade parata, or flat bread, and every bite was sinfully good. There is a whole section of kabobs on the menu including Tandoori Shrimp ($19.99) Green Chicken ($15.99), and a Royal Fusion Chicken Satay ($15.99.)

Also very tasty was the Grilled Eggplant, which may be ordered as a lunch ($12.99) or dinner portion ($14.99) and is served with Basmati rice. The spices gave it just the right kick, and it was perfectly grilled and warm.

There are also soups, salads, or combination bowls, with interesting names like Shahi Bowl (rice, chicken korma, chicken kabob, and salad), Shrimp Bibimbap (rice, grilled shrimp, mixed vegetable curry, sunny side egg, and salad), and Vegetable Bowl (fried rice, grilled eggplant, vegetable curry, and salad), which are all $15 or $16. And there are vegetarian and vegan options — things like Cabbage & Carrots with Chili and Lemon Sauteed Spinach with Garlic.

The owners told us their hope is to expand their business from eight to 45 seats and to obtain a liquor permit. They opened in the midst of a pandemic, and chef Sheuli Solaiman prepared her food at open-air events like vineyards to showcase her skills.

The chef and her husband are hard workers, and they want to please customers. If you visit their website, they share their story of their passion for food and their desire to succeed and share the ethnic dishes and flavors they grew up enjoying.

I say give them a try. Call ahead for take-out, or pre-order and ask what time you should arrive. It’s been a tough time for everyone, especially service-dependent businesses like restaurants. Mystic Royal is worth your time and your patience.

Daddy's Favorite Beef (Ann Baldelli)