The Real Tastes of Home

Veering off the Mughlai path into regional delights

SANDIP ROY-CHOWDHURY, Feb 03, 2004

Food has always been the immigrant’s point of assimilation into America. Italians brought their pasta, the Filipinos had adobo and the Indians had their signature tandoori chicken. The irony was that most Indians never really ate tandoori at home. My mother’s kitchen in Kolkata conjured up delicacies like hilsa fish in mustard and yogurt sauce, steaming dal and rice khichri on a rainy monsoon afternoon with deep fried eggplant slices, and diced potatoes cooked in a nutty paste of poppy seeds. But no tandoori chicken.

For the Indian immigrant, nostalgic for a taste of home, the options have always been limited. Naan, tandoori chicken, saag paneer are the standards of the ubiquitous Indian lunch buffet. For most Americans that’s what Indian food is. But Indians know better. They know about ghugni and avial and dhokla.

“Regional cooking was preserved at homes while restaurants in India made Mughlai cooking the standard,” says Bharti Kirchner, author of novels like Pastries: A Novel of Desserts and Discoveries, as well as The Healthy Cuisine of India: Recipes from the Bengal Region. “When Indian food was introduced in the U.S., the entrepreneurs began with tandoori style of cooking. It caught on. It’s tasty and dazzling and showy. Now many years later, restaurant owners find it impossible to shake out of that mode.”

Perhaps it’s a sign of a generation setting down roots in America, that Indian restaurants are now taking a detour from the old Mughlai route and catering to Bengali and Gujarati and Tamil taste buds.

Or is it just a matter of one naan too many that broke the camel’s back? “I have been in the U.S. for over four years and have been to many Indian restaurants. And somehow they all taste the same, the same spices, the same menu,” says Nirmalya Modak.

Modak, whose surname in Bengali indicates a family business in sweets, decided he needed to do something about it. “I wanted to promote Bengali food from alur dum to sandesh to ilish fish,” says Modak, “because our food is unique.”

Modak pitched his idea to some investors. They found an empty Mexican restaurant in Sunnyvale. They registered the domain name charulata.com. By May 2003, they were in business. Charulata was serving up homegrown delights like lau chingri (bottle gourd with prawns) and sarse ilish (hilsa fish in pungent mustard sauce).

But as the first Bengali restaurant in California, Charulata had its work cut out. Modak has moved on from Charulata which itself is undergoing reorganization currently. Bharti Kirchner remembers another Bengali restaurant in Seattle. “The Bangladeshi owner told me diners came and asked for tandoori chicken and naan,” says Kirchner. “They left when they didn’t find it, even though he had mustard fish and chochchori, and ghonto. He revised his menu and start serving the same old.”

But finally the numbers might be adding up in favor of eateries like Charulata. Recent immigrants from South Asia have swelled the desi population to 2.18 million. California is one of the hubs for this burgeoning population. Many of the immigrants who came to work in the hi-tech industry in the ’90s were single men. Never known for cooking skills, they became a niche market for some enterprising entrepreneurs.

When A.N. Narayanswami started Komala Vilas in Sunnyvale in 1999 he catered directly to these recent college grads. His restaurant harked back to his IIT-Madras roots. “We set it up like a college mess where you can shout and yell and talk,” says Narayanswami. Komala Vilas even has a college-style message board. You can find announcements about a carom competition and a chess tournament as well as meetings for groups like Asha.

The other thing in Narayanswami’s favor was that he knew many of these new immigrants were strict vegetarians. “I had to face the choice of starvation or had to figure out how to eat at home,” says Narayanswami who came to the U.S. in 1971 to do his MBA. “There were only so many peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches I could eat.” Now he boasts proudly that the 48 items in his buffet, from the kootu to the sambar to the rasam are fresh and 100 percent vegetarian, and taste like they could have been made in a kitchen in Chennai. “After all, my consultant is my mother who stays with me nine months of the year,” says Narayanswami.

It’s the memory of mother’s home cooking that is the hallmark and selling point of regional food. Daksha and Suketu Desai stumbled onto the formula by accident. After moving to the Bay Area in 1993-94 from Mumbai and Ahmedabad, they were like many immigrants struggling to make ends meet by working at a shop. To supplement their income they decided to take in a paying guest. One day after a trip to San Francisco they all came home late. Nearby restaurants had all closed down. Daksha Desai rustled up some khichri. Their guest loved it so much, they hit upon the idea of supplying bachelors with roti and sabzi.

“We put it on the Internet and between 1995-1998 we were supplying to many company boys who would phone their orders in the morning and pick it up between 11:30 and 12:30,” remembers Suketu Desai. Soon business was booming and the Desais needed a real commercial kitchen. “We had 50-60 boys coming to lunch every day. It could be a health code problem,” says Desai.

They moved operations to a storefront in a strip mall in Mountain View. DeeDee’s is part restaurant and part grocery store. The tables with their yellow tablecloths are not fancy. The freezer with the srikhand and ice-cream tends to stick. But in keeping with its down home style, the Desais wander among the tables greeting old and new customers and exhorting them to eat.

Now, with a real kitchen the Desais are able to expand their menu. DeeDee’s offers not just Marathi and Gujarati specialties but on some days has a Rajasthani meal or even Kathiawadi food. But though Gujarati-style food served in restaurants like DeeDee’s in Mountain View and Jay Bharat in Artesia is increasingly popular, the front-runners in regional food are still chaats of Viks Chaat House in Berkeley and Dana Bazar in Fremont and the dosas and idlis from places like Komala Vilas and Udupi Palace in Sunnyvale or Woodlands in Artesia.

But a new twist on an old familiar is Indian-style Chinese. During the Second World War, as Japan invaded China, hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals fled to India. While Chinese immigrants can be found in most major cities in India, and are often known in professions as diverse as dentistry, running shoe shops and beauty parlors, it is the Chinese restaurant that is most well recognized symbol of this influx.

While many restaurants have thrown in a chili chicken or gobi Manchurian in their menu, Tangra Bistro Asian Cuisine in Cerritos claims its culinary roots in the bylanes of Kolkata’s Chinatown—Tangra. Michael Liu was born and raised in Calcutta and opened Tangra Bistro in Cerritos in January 2003. His chef, WeDeng Wu is also a Kolkata native. Wu’s family owned and ran a restaurant in Tangra. Liu immigrated to the U.S. 20 years ago and always dreamed of building a restaurant that would serve the special blend of spicy food that he grew up with.

Liu gets few Chinese customers. The most popular items on his menu are the chili chicken and the “Manchurian.” Also well-liked by his Indian customers are many of the vegetarian dishes and paneer pakora as a snack. On weekends the place is packed with Indians from all over the Southland who hear about the place by word of mouth.

Three-hundred-and-seventy miles to the north, the Krishna Chaat Cafe, tucked next to a tattoo parlor, has no Manchurian but diners can choose between four kinds of thalis. There is the no-onion/garlic Jain thali and a Gaon ki Pasand which comes with a bajra roti, buttermilk, vegetables, beans, kadhi, khichdi, and just to be really authentic, chopped onion, green chili, and a lump of jaggery.

But for Ami Hariyani, Krishna Chaat Cafe is more than a business filling a niche. Her family’s restaurant in Mumbai had long lines of customers waiting for their pav bhaji. But in the U.S. life was different. Hariyani had to give up her course in business management to hold down a full time job. Her mother was getting migraines from the stress of running a driving school. Her dad did odd jobs. “I was sitting in an ISKCON temple when I thought, why not do something together,” recollects Hariyani. Now even her fiancée pitches in when he can.

Krishna Chaat Cafe wears its mission on its sleeve, or at least on the menu. “We do not treat our customers just as a simple customer who orders food, eats it, pays for it and leaves,” announces the menu. “We deeply believe in welcoming, greeting, and serving you as a family guest.”

To live up to that motto, the Hariyanis make everything fresh, even their atta. So they tell their customers used to steam table buffets and quickie chaats that their orders will take a while. “My favorite memory is of a table of 25 who stayed put for three-and-a-half to four hours waiting for each order patiently,” says Hariyani.

Not everyone is so patient. Non-Indians still have a hard time coming to terms with Indian restaurants that serve “different” food. “Even today some people wanted naans,” laughs Suketu Desai at DeeDee’s. “I said I have homemade, homestyle rotis instead.” At Charulata, Modak saw people from China and Vietnam, not to mention Maharashtrians and Hyderabadis. But he says the bulk of the clients were still Bengalis. “During Durga Puja it was very crowded,” he remembers. “People would say, let’s go out to the pujas and not eat at home. We can get luchi and kasha meat curry at Charulata. It will be just like the pujas in Kolkata.”

But Hariyani has noticed her Jain thali is attracting the attention of more than Jains. “A lot of vegan Americans come here as well. A vegetarian newsletter published a story about us and now this couple comes regularly from as far away as Santa Cruz,” says Hariyani.

But the bulk of the business still comes from Indian immigrants. For restaurants founded on the stomachs of 20-something bachelor engineers craving the taste of home, the downturn in the economy has been hard. “When the boys went home, market was very bad,” says Desai. DeeDee’s started experimenting with new ideas like a Sunday brunch and more regional spreads. It stays open seven days a week now to get whatever business it can rustle up.

Another restaurant, Coromandel Curries in Newark wasn’t so lucky. After trying to serve up the non-vegetarian specialties of South India from Chicken Chettinad to coconut-sauced curries, it’s now been replaced by yet another Thai restaurant.

“Volume is down,” admits Narayanswami at Komala Vilas. To add to his problems, in typical copycat fashion, now he can count some 30 other restaurants in the area who also call themselves South Indian. “The market is getting saturated,” he says. “Marginal food is showing up. Illegal labor is appearing claiming to be cooks.” He still keeps things pure. His cook is still a friend’s wife with a Ph.D from MIT in molecular biology. His sambar powder is still made from scratch, as is his ghee.

Challenges are not just with the economy. The first generation of Indian immigrants had to figure out where to get turmeric and cumin powder. They learned to substitute ricotta cheese for sandesh and what vegetable was closest to lau. But while paneer and garam masala are easily available now, regional specialties can be a little trickier. Modak remembers he had no trouble getting young jackfruit or hilsa fish and “the mustard oil may not have quite as sharp a smell, but it works.”

Narayanswami had to be more enterprising. He had to devise an idli-making contraption out of the American cooking implements that were available. “I don’t know if it’s patentable,” he laughs. “But I certainly used more of my IIT engineering background at Komala Vilas than at my job at Johnson and Johnson.” There were other hurdles as well. He had to persuade a rather shocked city of Sunnyvale that eating food with hands and sinks outside the bathroom wasn’t breaking health codes.

Many of these restaurateurs came from other worlds. Modak came to San Jose to work in hi-tech in business development. Narayanswami worked in the medical products divisions of giants like Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer for 15 years and even started his own company. Ami Hariyani still works full time as a procurement analyst.

But for all of them, their restaurants are part business and part labor of love. The food they serve has special meaning for them. “A reader told me he made one of my potato dishes daily for his office lunch box. Another served my spinach dish to her difficult mother-in-law, and settled a quarrel. These stories are inspiring,” says Bharti Kirchner.

At the end of a busy day Ami Hariyani sits down at the table and says, “Food can be prepared anywhere. What we give is real satisfaction. Now I have at least eight to nine customers whose orders I don’t have to take anymore, they are so regular.”

Liu at Tangra Bistro also just hopes to build his business and has no plans to open any branches yet.

It’s almost closing time at DeeDee’s. Suketu Desai gently hurries along the last laggardly customers trailing in the aisles of the grocery store. The cook wonders if she should turn off the stove or if anyone wants more parathas. She wanders out of the kitchen and starts rummaging through a pile of videocassettes. Daksha Desai keeps shaping sweets in a tray. That’s for tomorrow. “Come back tomorrow,” says Suketu Desai. “We’ll have Kathiawadi style food tomorrow.”

But despite his brave plans for tomorrow, Indian regional cooking still has miles to go in really reaching American palates the way tandoori has. “Americans have taken to South Indian dosa and idli. In California you find chaat places and Gujarati food. Other regional cooking is still largely to make a dent,” says Kirchner. But then she adds, “Look how long it took the Chinese to get out of the chop suey-chow mein mode and introduce Hunan, Hakka, and Sichuan food. There’s hope.”

Sandip Roy-Chowdhury is a member of the India Currents editorial board and host of UpFront, a newsmagazine show on KALW. Gunjan Bagla writes from Cerritos.

INDIAN RESTAURANTS in the San Jose- San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area

NORTH & SOUTH INDIAN

Ajanta
1888 Solano Ave
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 526-4373
www.ajantarestaurant.com

Banjara Indian Cuisine
407 Town & Country Village
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 737-9151
www.banjarainc.com

Breads Of India
2448 Sacramento St
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 848-7684

Marigold
448 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 327-4355
www.marigoldcuisine.com

Masala Indian Fusion
499 San Ramon Valley Blvd
Danville, CA 94526
(925) 362-4900

Mayuri Indian Cuisine
2232 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
(408) 248-9747
www.mayuricuisine.com

Pasand Indian Cuisine
3701 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 241-5150
www.pasand.com

Pasand Indian Cuisine
2286 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94074
(510) 549-2559
www.pasand.com

Sarovar Indian Cuisine
544 N Lawrence Expwy
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 245-6800
www.sarovar.com

Sarovar Indian Cuisine
301 S. Abbott Ave
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 942-1116
www.sarovar.com

Sitara Indian Cuisine
3590 Homestead Rd
Santa Clara, CA 95052
(408) 247-2753

Sneha
1214 Apollo Way, Ste 404
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 736-2720

Sue’s Indian Cuisine
895 Willow St
San Jose, CA 95125
(408) 993-8730

Sujatha’s
21 Chaddack Sq
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510)-549-1814

Suraj Indian Cuisine
2550 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 369-8899
www.surajrestaurant.com

Swagat
2700 W. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 948-7727
www.swagatmountainview.com

Swagat
68 S. Abel St
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 262-1128

Swagat
613 Great Mall Dr
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 262-2536

Swagat
1901 Salvio St
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 685-2777

Swarna Indian Cuisine
1690 Locust St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 933-1110

NORTH INDIAN

Amber India Restaurant
2290 W El Camino Real Ste 9
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 968-7511
www.amber-india.com

Bombay Curry ’n’ Grill
400 Valley Way
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 263-5700

Bombay Garden
172 E Third Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 548-9966

Bombay India Restaurant
2217 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 861-6655

Bombay Oven
20803 Stevens Creek Blvd
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 252-0520

Café Bombay
4546 El Camino Real, #5
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 948-9463

Café India
1521 N. Main St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 944-5403

Chutneys Indian Cuisine
9000 Crow Canyon Rd #J
Danville, CA 94506
(925) 736-5448

Clay Oven
78 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 342-9194

Darbar Indian Cuisine
129 Lytton Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 321-6688

Gaylord India Restaurant
1 Embarcadero Ctr
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-7775
www.gaylords1.com

Gaylord India Restaurant
900 North Point St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 771-8822
www.gaylords.com

Gaylord India Restaurant
1706 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 326-8761
www.gaylords.com

Great India Restaurant
6127 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 751-4433

Curry in Hurry
2011 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 841-1704

India Clay Oven
2435 Clement St
San Francisco, CA, 94121
(415) 751-0505

India Garden Restaurant
1261 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 626-2798

Indian Café
1810 University Ave
Berkeley
(510) 548-4110

Indian Oven
233 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 626-1628

India Palace Restaurant
2160 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 848-7252
www.berkeleyindiapalace.com

Indian Palace Restaurant
5733 Stevenson Blvd
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 623-9099

Janta Indian Cuisine
369 Lytton Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 462-5903

Jewel of India
2634 Alum Rock Ave
San Jose, CA 95116
(408) 929-3894

The Jewel of India
1576 Branham Ln
San Jose, CA 95118
(408) 979-0900

Kabana Restaurant
1106 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 845-3355

Kamal Palace
2175 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 848-9907

Khana Peena
1889 Solano Ave
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 528-2519

Maghal Restaurant
560 El Camino Real
San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 592-0133

Maharaja
236 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 961-2858

Maharani Restaurant
1122 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-1988
www.maharanirestaurant.com

Maharani Cuisine of India
1025 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 848-7777

Mela Tandoori Kitchen
417 O’Farrell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 447-4041
www.melatandoori.com

Masala Grill
39158 Gateway Plaza
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 797-7700

Masala Indian Cuisine
1220 Ninth Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-6979

Naan Curry
2366 Telegraph Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 841-6226

Namaste Indian Cuisine
1671 Willow Pass Rd
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 687-7874

Natraj Indian Restaurant
5217 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 831-7898

New Delhi Restaurant
160 Ellis St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 397-8470

North India Restaurant
3131 Webster St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 931-1556

New Taste of India
47986 Warm Springs Blvd
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 252-1111
www.newtasteofindia.com

Nusrat Sweets
146 George St
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 293-8832

Pakwan
3182 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 776-0160

Passage to India
1991 W. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 969-9990
www.passagetoindia.net

Punjab Kebab House
101 Eddy St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 447-7499

Raj Mahal
6830 Village Pkwy
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 829-7944

Raj Palace
2860 Quimby Rd, Ste 120
San Jose, CA 95148
(408) 238-2790

Raja Sweets
31853 Alvarado Blvd
Union City, CA 94587
(510) 489-9100

Rajjot Sweets & Snacks
1234 Wolfe Rd
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 730-5510

Rangoli
1584 Halford Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 244-1160

Rangoli Indian Cuisine
34751 Ardenwood Pl
Fremont, CA 94556

Rasoi
1037 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 695-0599
http://rasoisf.com

Royal Taj Indian Cuisine
1350 Camden Ave
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 559-6801

Saajan Cuisine of India
873 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 694-4733

Sabina India Cuisine
1628 Webster St
Oakland, CA 94612

Samrat
2956 Homestead Rd #H
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-8198

Sangam Indian Cuisine
7467 Village Pkwy
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 556-0880
www.sangamfood.com

Sangam Indian Cuisine
2565 N First St
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 435-7300

Sanraj Sweets & Snacks
3660 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 247-9597

Saroor Indian Cuisine
2580 N Main St
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 937-2031

Sargam Indian Cuisine
140 N. Civic Dr
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 937-2790

Scenic India Restaurant
532 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 621-7226

Shaikh’s India Foods
393 S California Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 327-6555

Shalimar
532 Jones St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 928-033

Shalimar
32118 Alvarado Blvd
Union City, CA 94587
(510) 487-7752

Shalimar Restaurant
3325 Walnut Ave
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 793-7551

Silk Road Café
151 California Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 325-9900

Star India
2127 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 292-6699

Star India
3721 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 668-4466

Sukhraj Indian Restaurant
1260 Newell St #G
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 935-9278

Taj India Cuisine
889 E. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 720-8396

Taj Mahal
398 Eddy St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 922-9055

Tandoor-E-Taj
381 S Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 864-4116

Tandoori Mahal
941 Kearny St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 951-0505

Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine
185 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 968-8008

Taj Palace
484 Blossom Hill Rd
San Jose, CA 95123
(408) 972-9095

Tandoor
445 Blossom Hill Rd
San Jose, CA 95123
(408) 229-1717

Taste of India
5144 Mowry Ave
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 791-1316

Turmerik
141 S. Murphy Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 617-9100
www.turmerik.com

Vanci Café
360 Peninsula Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 685-8041

Viceroy
21 Shattuck Sq
Berkeley, CA 94704

Wazwan Indian Cuisine
101 Spear St, #A23
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 974-1111

Zaika
1700 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 97409
(510) 849-2452

Zante Pizza & Indian Cuisine
3489 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 821-3949

GUJARATI VEGETARIAN

Bhavika’s Food to Go
1053 E El Camino Real Ste 2
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 243-2118

Kokila’s Kitchen
20956 Homestead Rd, #H
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 777-8198

Krishna Restaurant
40645 Fremont Blvd, Ste 1
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 656-2336

Milan Sweet Center
296 S. Abel St
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 946-2525

SOUTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN

Madras Café
1177 W El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 737-2323

Madras Chettynadu Cuisine
288 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 968-8956

Madras Sri Krishna Bhavan
39134 Fremont Blvd, #202
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 793-3353
www.srikrishnabhavan.com

Panchavati
461 Persian Dr, Ste 1
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
(408) 734-9335

Saravana Bhavan
600 W El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040

Udipi Palace
976 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 830-9600

Udipi Restaurant
1903 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704

Woodlands
39203 Cedar Blvd
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 494-9727

INDIAN VEGETARIAN

Ananda Fuara
1298 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 621 1994

Bombay Cuisine
2006 9th St
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 843-9601

Chaat Paradise
165 E. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 965-1111
www.chaatparadise.com

DeeDee’s Indian Fast Food
2551 W Middlefield Rd
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 967-0568
www.mydeedees.com

Ganges
775 Frederick St
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 661-7290

Krishna Chaat Café
962 W El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 738-5791

CHAAT

Bombay Chaat & Café
6185 Santa Teresa Blvd
San Jose, CA 95123
(408) 281-8320

Chaat Café
1902 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 845-1431

Chaat House
893 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 733-9000

Real Ice Cream
3077 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 984-6601

Vik’s Chaat Café
726 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 644-4412

INDIAN RESTAURANTS in the Southland

NORTH & SOUTH INDIAN

All India Café
12113 Santa Monica Blvd, #205
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 442-5250
www.allindiacafe.com

All India Café
39 S. Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 440-0309
www.allindiacafe.com

Anarkali Indian Restaurant
7013 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 934-6488

Bollywood Café
11101 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 508-8400
www.bollywoodcafela.com

Bombay
3975 Fifth Ave, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-3155
www.bombayrestaurant.com

Bombay Bite
1051 Gayley Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 824-1046
www.bombaybite.com

Bombay Palace
8690 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 659-9944

Mezbaan Indian Cuisine
80 N Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 405-9060

Shan Hyderabadi Specialties
18621 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 865-3838

Tandoori Nights
8165 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 848-8626
www.tandoorinights.net

NORTH INDIAN

Addi’s Tandoor & Grill
10200 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 826-3667

Akbar
1101 Aviation Blvd
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 937-3800

Akbar: Cuisine of India
44 N. Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 577-9916
www.akbarcuisineofindia.com

Akbar: Cuisine of India
3115 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Ray, CA 90292
(310) 574-0666
www.akbarcuisineofindia.com

Akbar: Cuisine of India
2627 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 586-7469
www.akbarcuisineofindia.com

Al-Watan Halal Restaurant
13619 Inglewood Ave
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 644-6395

Ali Baba’s Kitchen
14282 Bookhurst St, Ste 1
Garden Grove, CA 92643
(714) 531-2000

Ambala Dhaba
18413 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 402-7990

Anarbagh Indian Cuisine
22721 Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 224-3929
www.anarbaghindiancuisine.com

Ashoka
18614 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 809-4229

Bismillah Halal Tandoori
Restaurant
8901 Knott Ave, #D
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 827-7201

Bombay Café
12021 W. Pico Blvd
West Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 473-3388

Bombay Grill
7306 ¼ Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 874-3366

Bombay Palace
8690 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 659-9944
www.bombaypalace.com

Bombay Restaurant
405 N. Vineyard Ave
Ontario, CA 91764
(909) 937-1282
www.bombaycuisine.com

Bukhara Cuisine of India
7594 Edinger Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 842-3171

Café India
3760-5 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 224-7500

Chameli
8752 Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 280-1947

Chutney’s
2406 Barrington Ave
West Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 477-6263

The Clay Pit
145 S. Barrington Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 476-4700

Curry Palace
7617 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 876-2799

Dhaba Cuisine of India
2104 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-9452

East India Grill
345 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 936-8844
www.eastindiagrill.com

Ganga Din
326 S. Beverly Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 553-0995
www.gangadin.com

Ganga Din
12067 Ventura Pl
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 509-0722
www.gangadin.com

Gate of India
7300 Sunset Blvd, #D & #E
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 874-6673
www.bollywoodcafela.com

Gate of India
115 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 8656-1664

Gaylord India Restaurant
50 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-3838
www.gaylordla.com

Gill’s Cuisine of India
838 S. Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 623-1050
www.gillsindiancuisine.com

Great India Café
12321 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 761-8140
www.greatindiacafe.net

Guru Palace
17292 McFadden Ave, #A
Tustin, CA 92680
(714) 832-9988

Guru Palace
4850 W Rosecrans Ave
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 675-5533
www.gurupalace.com

Hurry Curry
12825 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 398-2948

India Cook House
14130 Culver Dr, #M
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 857-4858

India Garden
2632 W. La Palma Ave
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 229-8501

India House Restaurant
7775 Beach Blvd
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 670-2114
www.newindiahouse.com

India House Restaurant
1671 W. Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 535-2299

India Palace
7231 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818) 348-4454

India Restaurant
17824 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 860-5621

India’s Grill
428 S. San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 659-3903

India’s Tandoori
19006 Ventura Blvd
Tarzana, CA 91356
(818) 342-9100

India’s Tandoori Restaurant
11819 Wilshire Blvd, #206
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 268-9100

Jaipur Cuisine of India
10916 Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 470-4994
www.jaipurcuisineofindia.com

Kabab Curry
25332 Crenshaw Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 539-0171

Kamal Palace
6374 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, #A
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 493-0255

L.A. Express Chicken
2180 Westwood Blvd #1G
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 474-5828

Little India Grill
18383 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 924-7569

Maharaja Palace
421 N. Tustin Ave
Orange, CA 92867
(714) 744-9446

Monsoon Indian Restaurant
49 S Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 983-6300

Mother India
688 Baker St, Suite 8
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 668-9661

Mother India
10110 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 407-8898

Nawab Kabana
1561 S. Hawthorne Blvd, #G & #H
Lawndale, CA 90260
(310) 675-1100

Nawab of India
1621 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 829-1106

New Delhi Palace
950 E Colorado Blvd, Ste 205
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 405-0666
www.newdelhipalace.com

Nizam of India
10871 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 470-1441

Noorani Halal Tandoori Restaurant
14178 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92643
(714) 636-1000

Peacock Garden
23341 Golden Springs Dr
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
(909) 860-2606

Punjab Cuisine of India
18687 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 963-6777

Punjab Indian Cuisine
4111 Pacific Coast Hwy
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 373-0331

Punjab Sweets & Snacks
7257 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818) 340-7500

Radhika’s
140 Shopper’s Ln
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 744-0994
www.radhikas.com

Rocky’s Tandoori
18108 Parthenia St
Northridge, CA 91325
(818) 709-8692

Salomi Indian & Bangladeshi Restaurant
17209 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91316
(818) 995-4989
www.salomiindian.com

Salomi Indian & Bangladeshi Restaurant
5225 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 506-0130
www.salomiindian.com

Shahnawaz Restaurant
12225 E. Centralia St
Lakewood, CA 90715
(562) 402-7443

Shalimar Cuisine of India
23011 Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 225-7794

Shehnai Cuisine of India
705 E Birch St, Ste
P, Brea, CA 92821
(714) 990-8989

Shehnai Cuisine of India
5701 Santa Ana Canyon Rd
Anaheim Hills, CA 92807
(714) 283-0060

Shehnai Cuisine of India
1125 N. Magnolia Ave
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 226-0188

Sitar Indian Cuisine
618 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 449-5954

Taj Mahal Cuisine of India
17815 Ventura Blvd Ste 201
Encino, CA 91316
(818) 345-2244

Taj Restaurant
1904 N. Tustin Ave
Orange, CA 92865
(714) 279-9454

Tandoor Cuisine
1132 E Katella Ave, #A3
Orange, CA 92667
(714) 538-2234

Taste of India
2805 Abbot Kinny Blvd #D
Marina Del Rey, CA 90291
(310) 306-1500

Taste of India
8890 Warner Ave
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 841-6868

Taste of India
2620 Long Beach Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 595-7525
www.atasteofindialb.com

Tuffan
4523 Sepulveda Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(818) 986-8555

SOUTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN

Diamond Palace
1241 S. Grand Ave
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
(909) 860-2625

Madhu’s Dasaprakash
11321 E. 183rd St
Cerritos, CA 90703
(310) 924-0879

Madras Tiffin Café
11321 183rd St
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 924-0879

Paru’s Indian Restaurant
5140 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90027
(323) 661-7600
www.parusrestaurant.com

Udipi Palace
18635 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 860-1950

Woodlands
11833 Artesia Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 860-6500
www.woodlandsartesia.com

Woodlands
9840 Topanga Canyon Blvd, #A
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 998-3031
www.woodlandschatsworth.com

GUJARATI VEGETARIAN

Bombay Sweets & Snacks
18526 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 402-7179
www.bombaysweets&snacks.com

Surati Farsan Mart
11814 E. 186th St
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 860-2310
www.suratifarsan.com

INDIAN VEGETARIAN

Chandni Vegetarian Restaurant
1909 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 828-7060

Galoka Gallery
5662 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 551-8610

Govinda’s
3764 Watseka Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 836-1269
www.harekrishnala.com

India Food & Spices
1390 W 6th St, Ste 112
Corona, CA 92882
(909) 340-9431

India Sweets & Snacks
23371 E. Golden Springs Dr
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
(909) 396-9039

Jay Bharat Restaurant
18701 S. Pioneer Blvd
Artesia, CA 90701
(562) 924-3310

Rasthal Vegetarian Cuisine
2751 W Lincoln Ave
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 527-3800

Yogiraj Vegetarian Cuisine
3107 W. Lincoln Ave
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714) 995-5900

INDIAN CHINESE

Tangy Tomato
11454 South St
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 468-0123

Tangra Bistro Asian Cuisine
11305 183rd St
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 865-6109

BANGLADESHI

Mumtaz Cuisine of India
7166 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 933-2945
www.mumtazla.com

Jafran Royal Kitchen
4153 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 386-7799

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