A guide to South Asian food in Fremont
Fremont is one of the most diverse cities in the Bay Area. Indian, Pakistani and Afghan families have shaped its food for decades, and it has one of the densest concentrations of South Asian restaurants in Northern California. Unlike neighbouring cities, where Indian restaurants are mostly North Indian sit-down rooms, Fremont covers a lot of ground: Hyderabadi biryani trucks, Lahori street food, South Indian tiffin cafes, Indo-Chinese chaat houses and Nepali momo spots, often within a few blocks of each other.
The main streets
- Fremont Boulevard is the long spine of the city and carries the most Indian and Pakistani restaurants in our listings, from Centerville down through Irvington. Naga's Kitchen, Kabob Fusion and Lahori Food Street are all on it. So is the part of Centerville long known as "Little Kabul" for its Afghan community, bakeries and kabob houses.
- Mowry Avenue, near the Fremont Hub and Newpark Mall, is the next biggest cluster. It includes Dakshin Cafe, one of the highest-rated South Indian spots in the city; Charminar Indian Restaurant, named after Hyderabad's landmark; and My Indian Pizza.
- Washington Boulevard in Irvington has CarKhaana and, in the same parking lot, Zafraan, a food truck serving Hyderabadi dum biryani.
- Thornton Avenue has Himalayan Bite, which serves Indo-Chinese dishes and chaat.
What to eat in Fremont
Hyderabadi biryani. Fremont takes biryani seriously. Proper dum biryani is layered and sealed so the meat and rice cook together in their own steam. Many Hyderabadi places here also serve haleem during Ramadan, a slow-cooked wheat and meat dish worth seeking out.
Pakistani and Lahori food. Look for nihari (a slow-cooked beef stew traditionally eaten for breakfast), karahi cooked to order in a wok-like pan, seekh kebabs and fresh tandoori naan. Lahori Food Street takes its name from Lahore's famous food streets.
South Indian tiffin. Dosa, idli, vada, pongal and filter coffee. Dakshin Cafe and several other Mowry Avenue restaurants run these through the day.
Chaat. Fremont has around nine chaat specialists in our listings. Pani puri, dahi puri, sev puri and pav bhaji are the staples. Indian Street Food and Bay Area Chowpatti are both built around them.
Indo-Chinese. Hakka noodles, chilli chicken, gobi manchurian and Schezwan fried rice, the Indian take on Chinese food, show up on many Fremont menus.