Akbar
Akbar was my favorite Indian restaurant in Pasadena and is now my favorite Indian restaurant in Santa Monica. It could also possibly be my favorite Indian restaurant in Hermosa Beach, except that my co-workers seem to have conflated it with some other Indian restaurant which had occupied the same space and had gone out of business because it was so awful, and so we're not allowed to go there for lunch despite my begging and pleading.
Anyway, Jonah over at LA Foodblogging has written a nice review of some of the non-spicy stuff.
As for us, we like to start with samosas, which are served with an array of fantastic mint, tamarind and coconut chutneys. Then we move on to a spicy lamb vindaloo (a 4 on Akbar's 1-5 hotness scale; we can't quite manage the Pepper Lamb, which is the only 5), tempered with the Akbari Kofta, which consists of potato balls in a wonderful creamy cashew and saffron sauce. This dish used to have little flakes of edible silver on it, ostensibly to aid digestion. They've given up on that tradition, but it's still my favorite thing on the menu. We usually skip the basmati rice in favor of an Assorted Bread Platter which includes the most wonderful cheese naan.
When more than the two of us are involved, we like to order the Gucchi Dhania (mushrooms in a cilantro tomato sauce), the Chicken Tikka Saag (chicken in spinach sauce), the Coco Lamb (lamb with whole spices in a coconut sauce), and the Chicken Chutneywala (chicken in spicy mint chutney). Plus, of course, another bread platter. You can never have too much cheese naan.
Although I have never been to one, Akbar advertises about one gourmet wine-tasting dinner a month, where you can feast on a special menu for about $100 a person. Get on their e-mail list and they will send you information about these occasions. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to get on the list from their website.
Akbar, five locations in Pasadena, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Hermosa Beach, and Los Angeles -- see link above for menu and maps.
Akbar was my favorite Indian restaurant in Pasadena and is now my favorite Indian restaurant in Santa Monica. It could also possibly be my favorite Indian restaurant in Hermosa Beach, except that my co-workers seem to have conflated it with some other Indian restaurant which had occupied the same space and had gone out of business because it was so awful, and so we're not allowed to go there for lunch despite my begging and pleading.
Anyway, Jonah over at LA Foodblogging has written a nice review of some of the non-spicy stuff.
As for us, we like to start with samosas, which are served with an array of fantastic mint, tamarind and coconut chutneys. Then we move on to a spicy lamb vindaloo (a 4 on Akbar's 1-5 hotness scale; we can't quite manage the Pepper Lamb, which is the only 5), tempered with the Akbari Kofta, which consists of potato balls in a wonderful creamy cashew and saffron sauce. This dish used to have little flakes of edible silver on it, ostensibly to aid digestion. They've given up on that tradition, but it's still my favorite thing on the menu. We usually skip the basmati rice in favor of an Assorted Bread Platter which includes the most wonderful cheese naan.
When more than the two of us are involved, we like to order the Gucchi Dhania (mushrooms in a cilantro tomato sauce), the Chicken Tikka Saag (chicken in spinach sauce), the Coco Lamb (lamb with whole spices in a coconut sauce), and the Chicken Chutneywala (chicken in spicy mint chutney). Plus, of course, another bread platter. You can never have too much cheese naan.
Although I have never been to one, Akbar advertises about one gourmet wine-tasting dinner a month, where you can feast on a special menu for about $100 a person. Get on their e-mail list and they will send you information about these occasions. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way to get on the list from their website.
Akbar, five locations in Pasadena, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, Hermosa Beach, and Los Angeles -- see link above for menu and maps.
posted by the Smart Bohemian at 6:33 PM
1 Comments:
I find Akbar sub-par. The one in Pasadena is innovative, but the place on Wilshire leaves much to be desired. I much prefer The Clay Pit in Brentwood, on Barrington at the fork with Barrington Place; west side of street. You won't regret it!
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