RESTAURANT REVISITED: ROCKY II RESTAURATEUR COMES OUT SWINGING AT HIS NEWEST INDIAN-PAKISTANI CAFE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

Devinder Singh Mac, a rotund, jolly fellow who prefers to be known simply as Rocky, had a restaurant in Harrow, England, prior to his settling in the United States and opening an Indian restaurant in Chatsworth in the early '80s.

But Rocky wasn't content owning only the second Indian restaurant in the entire San Fernando Valley, the first being Salomi in North Hollywood.

He felt he needed a hook, something that would draw attention to his restaurant. So he called his restaurant Rocky's Pizzas and Tandoori, making his pizzas from Indian-style naan bread dough spread with curry sauce instead of tomato sauce. Incidentally he presented the first Indian buffet meals.

But after his restaurant was vandalized twice, he sold it and concentrated on giving cooking classes and doing some occasional catering out of his home.

Yet today, more than two decades after his debut, Rocky, in his new cafe, still sells three variations of his tandoori pizza.

Name: Rocky's Tandoori.

Address: 18108 Parthenia St., Northridge.

Phone: [phone].

When we last reviewed: Feb. 26, 1982.

How long in business: Since October 1981.

Menu/cuisine changes: At his original Chatsworth restaurant his pizzas were more elaborate. His full-service menu was a lot more complex than his current bill of fare. But Rocky, always at the forefront, describes his restaurant as the ``Original Indo-Pak Grill'' and has a number of interesting and unusual Pakistani, Indian and his own original recipes.

For instance, he makes a Hyderabadi-style biryani dish where the ingredients are layered with basmati rice and baked. His ``high rollers'' or roti kebabs are creative wraps using naan or paratha roomali (handkerchief-thin) pancakes cooked on the griddle and stuffed with meat, chicken or vegetables and flavored with a masala (curry) sauce.

His ``patties'' or puff pastry rolls filled with lamb, chicken or vegetables, are part of his extensive finger-food offerings.

So are his Nargisi cutlets, a Pakistani specialty made with minced chicken.

On the more substantial side, kahari dishes, usually goat and lamb, are cooked in a metal pot after being marinated in a mixture of onion, tomato, garlic and ginger plus Indian herbs and spices.

Decor/physical changes: The new Rocky's, which actually opened in August 2000, departs from the original. The Chatsworth restaurant that closed in late 1983 was a full-service, tablecloth-type eating place, whereas the new Northridge Rocky's has counter ordering, with faster, less-complex food delivered on disposable ware. Plastic cutlery is used here. The cafe seats 32 at eight tables.

Personnel changes: An occasional cook in the original restaurant, Bishambar Das, familiar with the chef-owner's style of cooking and special recipes, is in charge of the kitchen at the present Rocky's.

Recommendable dishes: Kebabs (lamb, chicken, shami), lamb soup, Nagasi cutlets, puff pastry rolls, high rollers, goat or lamb kahari dishes, cumin pepper potatoes.

Service quality: Original restaurant had good all-around service. Current cafe is quasi self-service with a pleasant staff headed by personable owner Rocky, who is always ready to talk about his favorite subject: food.

Pricing: Everything is under $8 here. Interesting to see that Rocky's original pizzas ($6.50) were slightly larger 20 years ago, and today they're listed at $5.95 each.

Wine list/service: There is no alcohol served in this quick-food cafe. The refreshing nonalcoholic yogurt drink called lassi comes plain or sweetened with mango.

Policies worth mentioning: At the beginning of this month, Rocky's initiated an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet Tuesday through Friday of 13 items for $5.95 and a similar brunch buffet of 17 items for $7.95 every Saturday and Sunday. The brunch features a typically Indo-Pak Halwa puri breakfast item of deep-fried bread and garbanzo beans.

Numerous finger foods are obtainable for house and office parties. In addition to those already mentioned there are paneer pakoras (cheese fritters), Nargisi kebabs (like Scotch eggs, made with hard-boiled eggs coated in ground, marinated lamb then breaded and deep fried) and chicken 65, which has white chicken breasts dipped in a three-batter mixture, flavored with ginger, garlic, onion and chile, deep-fried quickly, then sauteed gently with chile and the house green mint-cilantro chutney.

Our latest ratings: food: Three and one half stars. value: Three and one half stars.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- 3) ``Rocky'' Devinder Singh Mac displays a Nargisi cutlet at his Northridge restaurant; other dishes include Hyderabadi biryani rice and the ``High Roller,'' a paper-thin wrapped kebab.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News