The moment you walk into Hamid Chaudhry’s restaurant, the homey scents of baked goods are overwhelmingly tantalizing. On the counter are Cadillac-sized loaves of gorgeous, browned traditional challah bread (made daily), and warm donuts are being pulled from the oven on large trays. Breakfast time remains a special draw for hundreds of devoted Berks County patrons, as the omelets and sausage, creamed beef on home fries or toast, blueberry pancakes and fat French toast made with that delicious challah continue to please with substantial, affordable, mouth-watering fare. Lunch and dinner offerings are a strong magnet as well, as the Wyomissing Family Restaurant on Penn Avenue is known for paying consistently fine attention to the details of American homestyle dishes.
Chaudry, ever the congenial host, loves to assert his overarching motto: “We do basics right!” In fact, he adds, smiling, “We do it right or we don’t want to do it!” He points to an example taken from the buffet, saying, “The fried chicken always has to be fresh,” and then refers to his “no-frills restaurant,” which essentially means that the everything-from-scratch kitchen creates the best quality and style of the very kind of meals you’d get at home, the sort of foods that you remember most fondly from childhood.
Soups to Start
When the server announces the daily soup list, make up your mind early to order a bowl or even just a cup. On a recent visit, the Chicken Noodle Soup was a perfect beginning. The broth was A+ delish, deeply flavorful, and the soup itself was imbued with careful ingredients, including plenty of bite-sized pieces of chicken next to flat, hearty egg noodles (medium-width fatness, not the super-skinny kind).
The Broccoli Cheese Soup can easily be a whole meal if you choose. Even just a cup to whet the appetite for your entrée, though, is worth every spoonful. Its creaminess comes from local Way-Har Farm Market cream up in Bernville, north of Reading, and small-ish broccoli bits push their familiar joy into this utterly tasty soup, along with a smattering of teeny carrot pieces for sweetness. It’s slightly peppery and ever-so-gently herbal, with a perfect consistency and such a well-rounded mouth-feel that you just can’t stop scooping it up until it’s all gone. (Honestly, it’s a good thing mom and dad taught good manners and to never to lick the bowl. Just do your best with the soup spoon!)
Naturally, if the Cream of Asparagus Soup is on tap when you go out for lunch or dinner, there’s no question: it’s a clear order to obey and order. Try that and any of these soups with a side of challah bread, plain or with butter, to experience that thick, fabulous texture of chewy and bready, imparting sweet, wholesome goodness.
Tom Turkey Beckons
Are you the sort of person who would celebrate Thanksgiving every day if you had the chance? If traditional home-roasted turkey breast with yellow dressing, luscious filling and lightly tart cranberry sauce always grabs your heart when looking at a menu, rest assured that craving can be easily satisfied any day of the week here with no time-consuming effort on your part. Served with a side of veggies such as steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower — three of the healthiest foods — this entrée meets the mark. Never bland nor overspiced, it simply hits your appetite like an arrow meeting the target’s center ring.
Another classic specialty is Fried Chicken, made North Carolina Southern-style, where the chicken flavor bursts through juicily, thanks to a crazy-good batter and a frying style that delivers a honey-amber skin loaded with rich taste.
Beef-Lovers’ Delight: Hamid’s Pot Roast
Ever-present on the menu due to constant demand is Hamid’s own Pot Roast — the most popular dish on the menu. Tender, wet heaps of slow-cooked beef come served with “rustic” mashed potatoes and gravy, of course, if you desire. Those mashed spuds are fresh-made,
real potatoes every time, smoothed and creamed, with bits of potato skin mixed in and seasoned with what seems to be a hint of garlic, a classic complement for this type of roast. As you can fork up a bit of beef (no knife necessary), then slide over the top-hills of white potatoes, and lift up for a savory mouthful, you might think back
to Sunday dinners with the whole family.
Come to think of it — why not bring the whole family for this treat? The restaurant prides itself on being a welcoming, happy place. Takeout is also an option, for family members who are homebound or who prefer to gather in their own house or back yard.
