Al-Habib Restaurant

I've been curious about this place for a while, it is tucked back behind Sammy's Red Hots and there always seem to be tons of cabs in front of it. The other day my boyfriend and I decided to bite the bullet and check it out. The building has obviously been repurposed, the layout is weird and vaguely institutional. There were about ten people there eating and they were all men, and they all stared like we were something the cat dragged in. Whatever.
The menu is written on a dry erase board and food is served from a cafeteria-style steam table with fresh naan from an oven in back. We ordered two different daal and some sort of potato dish (this involved a fair bit of pointing), and our tray came with a little relish plate of lettuce, limes and onions in a refreshing cilantro dressing. We were not given silverware, although we saw someone with some later so perhaps you need to ask? It was $12 for the three smallish dishes and (delicious) naan, which seemed a little steep for meat free dishes from a steam table. The potato dish and the thicker daal were very good, the thinner lentil daal was very bland.
They offer carry out, I would perhaps go that route if you are not of Indian/Pakistani descent. I felt damned awkward the whole time we were there. Oh, and there are bathrooms off to the left when you walk in, if you want to wash your hands before you eat.
I might be back again, I work in the neighborhood but I'm not loaded so my lunch choices are limited. Hm hm,