If your DVD player has been overheating lately with intense rounds of Bollywood movie viewing, like me, then you will be thrilled to know you can satisfy your hunger for all things Indian by paying a visit to Lal Mirch, the best new Indian restaurant in the valley. After discovering this unexpected gem, you can then take your new found lust for Indian culture out on a date to the 6th annual Los Angeles Indian Film Festival
Not bad when you want to immerse yourself in some culture and come up smelling like a hot earth mama, ready to watch some hot singing Indian men on the big screen. If you don’t yet have an obsession with hot Indian men (or women) consider yourself schooled.
Now, as for the food. I always thought the Valley’s had some really great Indian restaurants but it wasn’t until I ate at Bollywood Cafe that I realized how much better it could be. Then it wasn’t until they were total A-holes every time I ate there that I tried Lal Mirch and realized that I had found an even better Indian restaurant for miles and miles around. I guess there are some perks to lousy customer service - send them somewhere better! Thanks guys.
Has anyone seen Once Upon A Time In Mexico? Remember how Johnny Depp goes around sampling the pork and rice at all the restaurants he goes to, trying to find the best one? That’s me and peshwari naan. Except I didn’t kill the chef at Lal Mirch when I found out his was the best, stuffed fresh and softly warm with shredded coconut, raisins and almonds. I just stare at it and gently coo until it purrs into my mouth.
Nestled at the bottom of a little hill in Studio City, Lal Mirch reminds me of the Indian version of a classic Italian restaurant. The dining room is dimly lit, draped with dark curtains and anchored down with tuck and roll leather booths that keep it cozy, elegant and informal. Everyone smiles when we come in and jokes with us like family, but all of that turns to pleasant background noise when it comes to the food. A quick look at their website gives a glimpse as to why they are so profoundly tasty - spices are imported directly from India. Cor Fwor! (That’s British slang for “F Ya Damn that’s hot!”)
The prices are standard for most Indian food, about $8 - $12 for main dishes, with a great dinner special that offers a superbly satisfying muligatawney soup, rice, dessert and lightly spiced Indian tea all for just $4 extra on any entree. (Incidentally the Gulab Jamon dessert, strange as it sounds, is a treasure. Don’t be scared. It’s a chilled, faintly spiced cheese ball that resembles something closer to a freshly made donut hole soaked in thin, sweet syrup. That’s right, cheese balls. Cheeeeeese baaaaaaalls!).
Vegetarians will drool over the veggie curries, as they are fresher than anywhere else I’ve tried. Aloo Ghobi - a dense, sweet cauliflower and crumbling soft potato curry - gets the golden god award for that category. If it’s meat you love, they are all so tenderly infused with spice that you may stop eating for just a moment to try and catch a breath of comprehension. That especially goes for the Tandoori Chicken Tikka. And if you are one of those people who buys Sagh Paneer just to see see how well the restaurant will make the infamous “home made cheese”, my god, you will not be disappointed.
With a menu so well versed in authenticity, Lal Mirch is gaining rave reviews from The Zagat Guide as well as some devout Valley locals who wish they had more money so they could eat there every night. Ahem.
As for the Indian Film Festival, mark April 22nd - 227th on your calender and head to the Arclight in Hollywood, because after you try Lal Mirch, you’ll really be in the mood to learn more about the country that graces us with such heavenly food
(And hot singing men).
Lal Mirch
$$
11138 Ventura Boulevard,
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 980-2273
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
1 response so far ↓
1 Louis // Apr 18, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Wow. I gotta try this place!
And thanks for the heads-up on the Bollywood fest!
Leave a Comment