India's Clay Oven...romance is in the air...maybe it's the spices

7233 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323)936-1000
Sun-Thur 10:30AM-10:30PM
Fri-Sat 10:30AM-11PM

I miss seeing people. I miss meeting people. At heart many people say that they could never label me as "not outgoing," but they forget about the time when they first met me and I was quiet. Observant. Wanting to impress, so I chose my words more carefully. Then as time went on I became quite the animated outspoken person that they know me as now, but that only came with spending time with them. My wife Celeste can vouch on everything I just said. I think this mentality is what keeps me the way I am when I visit restaurants. I'm never one to start talking to people I don't know right off the bat. I'll go, and try and be as inconspicuous as possible. I almost desire to be forgettable. Maybe inwardly I want people to work hard to get to know me. Who knows? I try and recall when Celeste (my wife) met me. Was I this hard to get to know? Oh that's right...she pretty much blew me off the night I met her...so at least you can conclude that I was not assertive (it was with persistence that I gained victory) . Anyways, these were things I pondered last time we went out to India's Clay Oven. I still love the fact that I go out on dates with her.

India's Clay Oven isn't a romantic spot per se but I've found that romance is what you make it and where you bring it. Dare I say it can be at a bus stop if you make it right. The place is nice and cozy though and rocking LA's Indian food scene for about 17 years now. They gotten raves from LA Times, LA Weekly, LA Magazine and Elmer Dills from channel 7 and they bring their A game to each customer that comes in, so much so that customers keep coming back. While dining there you may notice them welcoming people by name cause people return, and return with friends. The best type of viral marketing.

One of their items they're especially known for are their samosas. They are without a doubt something special. Lots of samosas suffer from blandness and too hard or thick of a shell. This is not the case with these. They have a knack for being super consistent with how light the outside is and how smooth the potato is with the peas enhancing the subtle spices. If you go in, these are a must try. Not to mention they're pretty hearty sized and a good price.

This time around, we also grabbed an order of Lamb Boti kabab, the Paneer Korma Curry and a plate of Murg (Chicken) Buryani. The Lamb Boti had pretty massive chunks of lamb that came out sizzling on a platter with sweet onions. We drizzled some lemon on it and the explosive flavor on each bite was a knockout. The lamb was moist bearing some sweetness from the onions and the spices were pungent in all those wonderful clay oven ways.

The Paneer Korma curry is without a doubt one of my faves there. It's not completely smooth which is great for the flavors of this dish. Sometimes Korma has the tendency to be a little too creamy where it weights you down early on in your meal. Their's is rich but not heavy and laced throughout with cashews and onion. It's lightly spiced and quite memorable when you have it. The paneer itself is firm and it's mild flavor complemented. I could eat at this plate once or twice a month and be totally happy.

The last words on India's Oven is that the surrounding area is street parking, and after 6 they have valet (if you know the area you know why) . To complete a night of makeshift romance, after you've grabbed your dinner you can head over a couple of doors to LA's best and I think only dedicated movie revival house to catch a double feature.

In the end, I think that this site is my form of getting people to know about me without me having to deal with my shyness. Thanks for partaking in my conversation.

Free Refills: Yes but they also have rocking India's Special beer (as well as other assorted Indian beer)
Entree Price Range: $9 to $15 (one item being $19) and combination plates run $16 to $19