Clay Oven Cuisine Of India

11/08/09

AMAZING!!!!!

by rkonijeti at Citysearch

This restaurant is, hands down, my favorite Indian restaurant in ALL of Southern California. Of course, I haven't eaten at EVERY Indian restaurant in the region, but I've eaten at quite a few.

As an Indian person myself, I have grown up with Indian food. Indian restaurant food is very hit and miss. Praveen and his staff, however, HIT it right on every single time.

Recommendations: Habanero Lamb Vindaloo, Swordfish Tandoori, Chicken Tikka Masala (always solid), Rosemary Naan, etc.

What is unique about this restaurant is that Praveen takes a very creative angle to each dish, without compromising its quality.

Praveen was trained in both India and France as a chef.

You really can't go wrong regardless of what you order.

My wife and I liked the food so much, we hired them to cater our wedding recently.

I heard nothing but incredible compliments from every single one of our 400+ guests.

Extremely professional, very attentive to details (including presentation), always available, and an overall incredible experience.

FYI: We live in Santa Monica and are ALWAYS willing to make the drive when possible to eat here... just something to think about...

• Pros: Unique and Creative Dishes, Personable and Friendly Service

08/06/09

Catering Event

by artj09 at Citysearch

I happened to be working the event mentioned above (daughter’s wedding) as a server and had a chance to meet the gentleman catering the Indian food that night. The facts are these: this gentleman was very gracious and everyone I served at the event enjoyed the food very much. I know for a fact that he was cooking the bread in a barrel oven which we unloaded from his van and many of us watched a demonstration of how the bread was made. At the end of the night, everyone working at the ranch for the event (like 15 of us) had a chance to try whatever food was leftover, which was amazing, and even take some home. I was really surprised to see the father of the bride seem so angry over nothing when all the other guests there had a really good time. I haven’t been to the restaurant (yet!) but from what I tried there that night this place gets my 5 stars.

• Pros: Great Service

03/08/09

Indian food reinvented

by kamalc at Citysearch

I am Indian and a good cook. Very rarely do I find an Indian restaurant I like because most places overload their dishes wiht heavy cream or oil.

My husband, my two small children , went to eat at this restaurant last week. The place was pretty full for midweek. We ordered a mango corm soup, dal makhani, shahi chicken, balti lamb, a variety of naans and paraths and a creme brulee trio.

The mango corn soup was fruity and smooth with a very light hint of sweetness and a little spice kick. The flavor of the mango wasn?t overpowered by the sweetness of the corn, neither was it lost in the spiciness. They offer unusual flavors of naans and paranthas: olives, rosemary etc...Each ingredient could be tasted, same with the shahi chicken and the balti lamb. The meat dishes weren?t as spicy as expected (we had asked for moderately spiced) but it is difficult to indicate one person?s limit. In various places with the same request: moderately spicy I have been served very spicy food or very bland food per my standards. The dal makhani tasted exactly as it should: slightly nutty flavor, without a hint of cream. The consistency of the dal was right too: not mushy but little crunchy. I would have liked to have a small cup of ghee to the side so each person could add butter and make it more rich. The trio of creme brulee had chocolate (a mixture of dark and milk chocolate with a hint of cardamom), mango and orange .

Mr. Praveen told us that the flavors for the trio change weekly: next week he was having a jasmine , quince and pomegranate. We learned that he uses mostly seasonal products and a lot of the ingredients are grown in his backyard.

The food took a little long to arrive. Compared to other Indian restaurants this place is pricier but it offers you a culinary journey. I wished they offered sampling menu: bites size of all the items on the menu. I am still wondering about the beet and nut salad, the Pondicherry salmon. Maybe next time if I visit south California again.

• Pros: Each dish has its flavor
• Cons: food took a little long to arrive