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 Pastries: A Novel of Desserts and Discoveries, as well asThe Healthy Cuisine of India: Recipes from the Bengal Region
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. In the U.S. Hariyani held down a full time job, while her parents ran small businesses unconnected with the food industry.“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