Al Watan Halal Tandoori Restaurant — Restaurant in Hawthorne

If you're looking for authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine, look no further than Al-Watan in Hawthorne, California. Located on S Inglewood Avenue, this restaurant offers a wide range of dishes that are sure to satisfy any craving.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the vibrant and inviting atmosphere. The décor is inspired by the culture of the region, with colorful fabrics and intricate designs adorning the walls. The friendly staff welcomed me with a smile and showed me to my table, where I perused the menu, trying to decide what to order.

One dish that caught my eye was the biryani, a classic Indian and Pakistani dish that features basmati rice cooked with aromatic spices and served with your choice of meat or vegetables. I opted for the chicken biryani, and it did not disappoint. The rice was perfectly cooked and the spices were well-balanced, creating a delicious and complex flavor profile. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the dish was served with a side of raita, a refreshing yogurt-based sauce that complemented the flavors of the biryani perfectly.

Another standout dish at Al-Watan is the tandoori chicken, a popular North Indian and Pakistani dish that features chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. The chicken at Al-Watan is cooked to perfection, with a crispy skin and moist, tender meat that practically melts in your mouth. The spices used in the marinade give the chicken a flavorful kick without being too spicy, making it a great option for those who are sensitive to heat.

In addition to their meat dishes, Al-Watan also offers a variety of vegetarian options, including the paneer tikka masala. Paneer is a type of Indian cheese that is similar in texture to tofu, and it is marinated in spices and grilled before being added to a creamy tomato-based sauce. The dish was rich and flavorful, with a satisfyingly creamy texture that paired perfectly with the fluffy naan bread that came with it.

Speaking of naan bread, Al-Watan's naan is truly a standout dish on its own. The bread is baked fresh in a tandoor oven and served piping hot, with a crispy exterior and a soft, pillowy interior. The garlic naan is especially delicious, with fragrant garlic and butter baked into the bread and creating a savory flavor that is hard to resist.

To finish off my meal, I decided to try the gulab jamun, a classic Indian dessert that consists of fried dough balls soaked in a sweet syrup. The dessert at Al-Watan was perfectly sweet and satisfying, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that was the perfect end to a fantastic meal.

In addition to the food, the service at Al-Watan is exceptional. The staff are friendly and attentive, always willing to make recommendations and answer any questions you may have about the menu. They truly go above and beyond to ensure that their customers have an enjoyable dining experience.

Overall, I would highly recommend Al-Watan to anyone looking for authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine in the Hawthorne area. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is inviting, and the service is top-notch. Whether you're a meat lover or a vegetarian, there is something for everyone on the menu at Al-Watan. So next time you're in the area, be sure to stop by and try it out for yourself – you won't be...

Al Watan Halal Tandoori was requested by my girlfriend for her birthday because she was craving Indian food. Fortunately there was this Indian / Pakistani / S. Asian fusion option. We invited her siblings and parents, finding ourselves requesting a table for the dinner service. The restaurant was fairly empty upon our arrival (7:00pm on a Saturday), but business picked up as the night went on. There were some things left to be desired but my group left satiated and with leftovers to spare.

The food tasted fantastic. Everything that was ordered by my party was served hot and steaming, fresh from the kitchen. We ordered a large variety of dishes including the mixed tandoori, chicken tikka masala, chicken kabab, lamb korma, aloo palak, naan bread, and several mango lassi. The food was served in large portion sizes, enough for everyone to take a bit from each dish and create a full plate of options. All of the food was sufficiently seasoned and fully cooked through. The mango lassi was a bit on the bland side, wanting for perhaps some coconut milk or honey to offset the taste of unripe mango.

The service was unremarkable. The waitstaff and host merely looked up from their phones when we entered and we were greeted with, "How many? Sit anywhere," before they returned to whatever they were doing before. It looked like a lot of standing around, but I suppose that it was the slow hour for them before their dinner rush. Once seated, the staff was service-level friendly; smiling and committing our orders to memory. However, there was a lack of order and coordination between the waiters - often stopping each other to ask if a table had received something, trying to figure out which dishes went to which table, constant redirecting and trading off of tasks to each other, and left a sense that we were a mere element that happened to be sitting at one of their tables as they figured themselves out. We were forgotten for a while after ordering. I had to ask several different waiters about a single order of sesame naan bread to meet one of our diner's dietary restrictions. She received garlic naan - which, while well intentioned, happened to be what we avoiding. It was maybe an hour in total before she received what was requested. Again, it was likely due to chaos and lack of coordinated communication between staff.

The restaurant is located off a busy, public street and can be easy to miss as signage is weathered and not eye-catching. The interior is sparsely decorated with moveable tables (for easy rearrangement), wall-to-wall mirrors, and well-worn carpet. The area around the front desk was cluttered and felt like it was part receiving area and part storage area. There is a private backroom for larger parties, but we were able to fit our party of seven with some adjustment and sacrificed elbow room. Fortunately, everyone in our group was family and the siblings were used to being in close-quarters with each other.

Overall I give it a 3/5 rating. The quality and flavor of the food saved the experience and room for...

This little, nice restaurant in the city of Hawthorne provides a wonderful experience for Halal foodies of the Indian subcontinent backgrounds. The outer look of the place doesn't do justice to its inside roomy capacity. Its atmosphere and delicious food makes you feel at home. The staff is very welcoming, friendly and gives honest opinions in the selection of food. The chef is really great, authentic and in most of the dishes accommodates the level of hotness (as much as possible) according to the clients' taste. Lunch hour during weekdays is highly recommended. For large parties they have a private dining hall and catering service is also available at the location of ones choice. Highly recommended foods are the selection of naans, Haleem, Nihari, and grilled items. Vegetarian dishes are also delicious and so are the desserts like Kheer (rice pudding), Gajar ka Halawa (carrot dessert), Rus Malai ( flattened balls of dairy in sweet milk) and Gulab Jamun (fried balls dipped in syrup). All desserts are fantastic and are mentioned in the order of low to high sweetness. Among drinks their specialty is the milk tea (Chai), and sweet or salty Lassi ( a yogurt drink from the subcontinent). Water and soft drinks are also available. Prices and serving sizes are good. A main attraction for kids is the Gumball machine by the exit door and adults love the Mukhwas (breath freshener) after the food that comprises dry roasted Fennel seeds, coriander seeds, etc. that gives a nice refreshing taste and helps in the digestion of spicy food. It is also usually found displayed on a big platter to be picked up when exiting or asked to be brought on the table in a small plate after finishing the food and while waiting or paying the bill. There is also a restroom available and a praying area for Muslim customers to offer...