Tara's Himalayan Cuisine...one of my top 3 this year!

10855 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310)836-9696
Lunch Mon-Sat 11AM-3PM
Dinner Mon-Sun 5PM-10PM

In LA you'll find that there are many different options when it comes to eating great food. We have some of the best cuisine in the world, at least when it comes to per capita. Rare is it though, that you feel you get to find exceptional standout food that you know the proprietor should probably be charging more for. I'm not talking fine dining really cause in my most humble of opinions, those owners are seeking to make an inflated buck. I liken it to how much it costs when you go to the doctor for anything. I do want good service but I don't want to go broke over it. When I go out for food I feel like I should feel like I paid for a good meal. Not going and having the opinion of "well...let the punishment fit the crime".

Recently I have made one such discovery. A small hole in the wall place called Tara's Himalayan Cuisine has become one of me and Celeste's favorite finds for this year. Not only is this a great find but in all honesty it's officially one of our favorite restaurants this year period.

Me and Celeste were on our way home from work trying to find this one spot on our list of "to go" places but they were closed on Mondays and so we kept looking. This was one of the few times you'll ever hear me saying "thank you for the traffic on Venice Blvd". The traffic made it easy to spot lots of places that we weren't as familiar with and Tara's happened to be one of them. I immediately made a U-turn once I saw they were open and parked right out front. We stepped into a charming little dining area with an exposed kitchen on the right. It was cold outside that night and coming into the warm sweet place made things get better instantly.

Let me preface this by saying that in my life on this planet I have made many attempts to enjoy tea. I have thought to myself "so many people love tea...what in the world do they see in it"? To me, it's lots of smell with very little payoff. Smells great but to me tastes like hot water. I've tried many teas in an attempt to be proven wrong, all to sad disappointment. It's a bummer for me cause I feel there's this profound group of intellectuals sipping tea that I will never be a part in conversation. Until now. We sat down and the lady (whom I can only assume is the owner and possibly named Tara as she pointed out small personal tidbits about the place) was quick to offer us some tea when we mentioned how cold it was outside. The tea comes out just as shown above, with milk already in it. She told us it was Nepalese tea which was made up of black tea and a mixture of Himalayan spices ( I believe cardamom and cloves were involved somewhere in the mixture). I can not tell you how much I liked it! I had 4 or 5 cups of it. I wanted to know if I could purchase the mix from her to always have it available (no such luck). It had lots of flavor and had a bouquet that drew you in to each sip. I pass by this place and think about just stopping in for the tea alone!

But let's not get carried away about the tea only, this place is still about the food and let's get to that. We started off with a couple of appetizers. Above shown is an order of Samosas. Their's consisted of mixed potatoes, peas, carrots in a perfect flaky crust and came with their own special tamarind chutney. They were smooth in flavor and texture and pretty darn big to boot.

Our other appetizer was their chicken Momos which came with their own special tomato achar. For those of you that don't know about momos, think Indian versions of dumplings. These were steamed to perfection and packed with tender chicken and floral spices. Their achar sauce was a pleasant departure from traditional achar in that it tasted of, what can only assumed, cashews which made a lovely complimentary to the abundance of flavor.

Their Saag Paneer may very well be my favorite version of this dish. Smooth spinach with chunks of paneer but the real secret in their saag is that it has cinnamon in it. Our's came with a full stick resting inside. This along with some other secret spices added a subtle sweetness that sneaks up on you and makes this very standard plate super memorable.

Their Chicken chili had chicken that was battered in chick pea flour, and sauteed in ginger, garlic, onion, tomato and bell peppers. As you'll notice their "chili" is very far from conventional American chili which makes us think of this pot of stew with beans that has enough heat to it to melt the fillings in your mouth. Not so with this dish, but more of an abundance of earthy flavors caressing the moist chicken with just a touch of after burn.

Their Lamb sekuwa is a sizzling platter of small strips of lamb that were tandoori oven baked with ginger, garlic and a special blend of Himalayan spices with a hint of soy sauce. This plate rocked and was gone in no time flat. The lamb was super tender and very moist despite having been tandoori cooked and may I add that the pepper popped in flavor all over this stuff but wasn't overkill. The onions were tasty enough to eat on there own and overall this plate is winner in every aspect.

We finished up our meal and at this point we were elated with everything including the wonderful service. She asked us would we like some dessert and that she had just made her carrot pudding? She could have told us anything and we would have bought it we were that happy. But oddly enough carrots wasn't what I was expecting for dessert. Her Carrot pudding was crushed carrots cooked in milk, raisins, and cream. We were pleasantly surprised at how much we liked this. If you were take a bite without anyone telling you what this was you might not guess that it was made with carrots except by the color. It had a mild sweetness with a thick wheat texture. It was gobbled up.

We weren't really paying attention to prices and we knew what to expect from previous Indian types of meals. Not so with Tara's! Super affordable be thy name!

This is by far one of those places that has tremendous quality and service all at "I'm stealing from your children prices". They have the incredible combination of not your completely standard fare (but familiar enough), great prices, they DELIVER, have wonderful service, take card, and to boot are hidden enough as to not have the place be packed all the time and yet positioned as to attract the many who sit in traffic. Serendipity has blessed me again!

PS. Here's the menu...remember they deliver! And on another side note, Tara's only uses fresh, locally grown produce and spices direct from Nepal. They really "do" authentic!

Free Refills: Yes...get the tea and fall in love!
Entree Price Ranges: Lunch is $5 to $7.50 and dinner $6 to $11.50 (but most are $9 or less)

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

India's Grill...hidden for 20 years (at least to me)

428 S. San Vicente
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310)659-3903
Mon-Fri 11AM-11PM
Sat-Sun 12PM-11PM

What a strenuous week this has been! My apologies for taking so long with this post but it was my 5 year anniversary on Friday and we just took off to the Santa Ynez for wine tasting and the whole "Sideways" experience. It was beautiful and we tasted a whole slew of wines. We got to collect a wonderful bunch of memories that a 5 year anniversary should be filled with. Once we got back we popped into a place by the name of India's Grill that my friend Hector recommended to us. He was taken there by a friend of his who absolutely loves Indian food and passed it on to us.

Located in an area that, unless you're waiting at a light, you would never see. It resides in the strip mall on the Northeast corner La Cienega/San Vicente "Bermuda Triangle" of traffic. It's a cool little spot with a... better than "community Indian" and just a little less than fine dining... comfort to it. Booths and tables and a smallish patio area make up the quaint location that surprisingly has been there for 20 years. I was so impressed when I found that out and instantly thought of Caffe Carrera, because they too have lasted an impressively long time on the Restaurant Row area of Los Angeles. Another great fact... India's Grill is under the same ownership as another great Indian food spot, Electric Lotus.

We popped in and got a booth seat by the window for privacy as well as good lighting for the pics. After perusing the menu we decided on doing things a little differently and had a good portion of vegetarian food included in our order (usually I'm a carnivore when it comes to Indian). We got the Mixed Tandoori Dinner as well as the Paneer Vindaloo Dinner. Both the dinners included sides of garbanzo and eggplant, a mound of naan, and your choice of Raita or salad (we decided on the raita cause Celeste liked the one over at Electric Lotus).

The naan was fluffy and had some serious substance to it. It was a real winner for us since we always feel like many other places are stingier with their naan. I mean come on...it's just bread.

The raita was great for both of our plates. It was just a little bit thinner than we're used to but it had plenty of onions and cucumber.

Both our plates, and I'm not exaggerating, were piled 2 and half to 3 inches high. Surely one dinner was good enough for two people, but we wanted to show you a what this place is all about. Shown above is the Paneer Vindaloo. This mound of goodness boasted their home made sauce as well as home made cheese. It was a balanced plate with flavors of the Paneer's savory sauce framing chunks of tomato and blending beautifully with the garbanzo beans and egg plant (which had touches of sweetness) changing the texture with each bite. Once again, let me reiterate, this was a ton of food and at $15 it's a really good deal.

Our second plate was the mixed Tandoori dinner. Piled high were the pieces of chicken tikka, lamb, tandoori chicken and jumbo shrimp. We doused the meat and shrimp with the lemon wedges provided and chowed...and chowed...and chowed. We had leftovers for the next day equivalent to a large lunch. Both types of chicken were the stars of this plate with the red char on the outside sealing in the juices beautifully. Overall this was a steal at $20 just for the fact that it was so tasty and abundant.

The wait staff were totally sweet, and though in a small strip mall, you completely forget that you're there once inside. I was floored when I found out they'd been doing business there for 20 years. But, seeing how good everything was and what solid service they provided, I quickly understood. And if that wasn't enough, to add to all this, they offer take-out, delivery and catering. Their lunch menu is a bargain with combination plates going from $6 to $9. Next time you find yourself waiting at the infamous La Cienega/San Vicente light you should hop on in and be sure to bring an appetite.

PS. You can only enter by being on San Vicente heading north. How's that for hidden?

Free Drink Refills: Nope (darn you cans of soda)
Entree Price Range: lunch plates are $6 to $9 and dinner ala carte plates range from $9 to $16 most of those being on the lower end of the spectrum. Dinner plates range $15 and up.

Electric Lotus (brain still fuzzy)

4656 Franklin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323)953-0040
Sun-Thurs 12PM-12AM
Fri-Sat 12PM-1AM

I'm finally recovering from last weekend at Coachella. Had a chance to pop into Electric Lotus with a buddy and forgot that with just the two of us I need to order accordingly. Many leftovers were had.

When you walk in here you're in a dark den that kind of reminds me of a Moroccan movie spy hangout. We pop a seat and order up. This shot was with my flash on...gives you an idea of the darkness in there.

We got the Lamb Biryani and the Lamb Coco Curry and to drink a Taj Mahal Beer and a Yeti beer. We also grab the garlic naan which is kind of addicting. We talked about life and issues facing us and the world today. The food shows up and my eyes are reminded that when you come here you order for everyone cause the portions are massive. We laugh then proceed to stuff ourselves. The lamb in both plates was super tender and the rice in mine was flavorful as well as balanced while the curry was not too heavy, but was flavored oh so delicately with the coconut. Good eatins. I had enough leftovers with my lamb biryani to share two plates with my wife later on! The price is balanced to how much you get about hence why you should order according to who you're with so that you can share plates. I'd say 3 plates of food is good for 5 people about.


It's a rock and roll hideout that serves up good Indian food. Kind of like Toi's is for Thai food on Sunset. My brain still hasn't fully recovered. Such an amazing time was had. I'm exhausted and have a headache. Have a wonderful weekend and if you are so inclined next week come to the Mint on Thursday at 8 PM if you care to meet me and have some tasty burgers. I'll share with you if you'd like. I'll be the one onstage with the upright...

Free Drink Refills: Yes (word of caution while the beer is a good size it's $6 to$8 a bottle...but man does it go nicely with the meal)
Entree Price Range: $9 to $17 (remember you get a lot and that the steeper end of that range is mostly seafood)

Anarkali

7013 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 934-6488
Everyday 11AM-11PM

Last night I returned to a favorite spot of mine called Anarkali for some Indian food. This traditonal restaurant has FANTASTIC Chicken Tikka Masala (thanks Jax for sharing) and mouth watering lamb biryani. Anarkali is not on the cheap side but more on the average price for a plate in LA.

This place has the hominess I've come to associate with Indian dining. Slightly dim place with hanging fabric that separates the booths, good waiters who smile when you don't pronounce the plate correctly, a flicker from the chandelier, and just loads of flavor in the air. When I show up here I just feel like "Yeah...this is right".

Like I said, the place is not 100% cheap like I normally post but here are two plusses. One, is that if you get the entertainment book (with all the restaurant coupons in it) Anarkali is in there and has a great discount that is reusable! Two, is that on there website (which you can link to up above) they have a coupon that you can print out to get $10 off your meal total which is yet another great hookup.

I also love this area cause it's right at the end of the shopping area of Melrose. So go shopping on Saturday and when you've spent yourself shopping, go spend some more on some darn good Indian food. Another great thing is they have really great deals on lunch specials.

Free Drink Refills: No (but I would recommend the Yeti or the King beer) Entree Price Range: $10 to $13 (but I would recommend the dinner plates to get more bang for your buck)