Had a great lunch today with Alan and Bruce at Taste of India in Woodland Hills, and it reminded me how much I love that food. Growing up on home-cooked Indian food tends to make me rather picky about Indian restaurants, as you might imagine. Most seem somewhat Americanized (either too bland, or with a more Western taste than the dish really should have), while others are just bizarre (like the thankfully-now-defunct hybrid Indian-Greek place in Sherman Oaks). So if you’re looking for good Indian food in the Greater Los Angeles area, I highly recommend the two Taste of India restaurants, in Woodland Hills and Sherman Oaks, with one odd caveat…   I think Indian food is an acquired taste, and even after eating it most of my life, I still think some of it is too exotic, with an aftertaste of spices that don’t seem right— the culinary equivalent of minor notes on a piano whereas most American food lives in the Key of C Major, that sort of thing. Also, this place is North Indian fare, which I much prefer even though my family is South Indian.   So, long story short, this place may or may not be "good," but at least it’s authentic and also well-recommended by a former CEO I worked with (who had great taste in local restaurants), so it’s worth trying at least once. If nothing else, the taste of real Indian food can help you decide if you in fact prefer a milder, Americanized interpretation instead. Nothing wrong with that, if that’s your thing.

This reminds me, btw, that Brian and I went to an incredibly bad Indian restaurant right off of Trafalgar Square in London in December. We ordered several dishes — chicken vindaloo, alu gobhi, rogan josh, etc. — and when the food arrived, everything looked pretty much… identical. I had to ask what the dishes were. Seems like they started with a vegetable curry base (which also doubled for the "alu gobhi" dish) and then added chicken ("chicken vindaloo") or lamb ("rogan josh") before serving. Bizarre. Brian said it tasted like a Filipino dish he’d had, which might explain why it tasted nothing like Indian food. Not recommended.

At Taste of India, their naan and parothas are great, and I prefer the plain parothas. The alu parothas (with potato inside) are also good; I haven’t tried the garlic naan that I saw on the menu today. The chicken biryani there is very good if medium spicy, somewhat bland if mild. Be forewarned— their version of "hot" is way too hot for me, and like most Indian food, spices don’t always blend perfectly when added just before serving, so usually sticking to medium spicy is a good upper limit. My friends enjoyed the chicken curry lunch special, and we started with their delicious samosas (pastries filled with either potato, or with minced lamb and mint). I like their lamb vindaloo medium spicy, and Brian liked that last time as well. They’ve got lots of items on the menu and good English descriptions too, so it should be relatively easy to order what you might at other Indian restaurants if only to taste the difference.

Know of any other good Indian restaurants in Southern California? By all means, drop me an email. I’m always up for trying some place new. Mmmm, getting hungry now…