Flavor of India - Studio City — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Gold Seal Standards LLC Independent Audit Report: Flavor of India

Gold Seal Standards LLC recently conducted an independent on-site audit of Flavor of India to evaluate its accessibility, service efficiency, food quality, facility conditions, and overall customer experience. The findings below reflect our auditors’ objective observations during the evening visit.

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Accessibility & Parking

The establishment offers paid street parking, which is limited and may pose difficulties during peak dining hours. The restaurant’s location is accessible, but guests should expect to seek parking nearby or walk a short distance to the entrance.

While operational permits were visibly posted near the restroom, no food grade rating was displayed, a mandatory requirement under California law. This omission must be corrected promptly to ensure transparency and compliance.

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Service Experience

Auditors were seated at 6:50 p.m. and found three seated parties ahead of their group. Despite this, no staff member acknowledged or greeted them for approximately 10 minutes. It was only after an auditor waved to get attention that an employee advised that “a lady would come” to take the order. Service was eventually initiated five minutes later.

Only two employees appeared to be working during the visit—one server and one staff member assisting with orders—creating noticeable delays and service inconsistency. No employee wore a name tag, nor were names introduced verbally at any point, which limits accountability and professionalism.

Drink and meal orders were placed at 7:05 p.m., with food arriving promptly at 7:22 p.m. This reflects efficient kitchen timing, despite front-of-house service delays.

Auditors also noted that familiar customers appeared to receive preferential treatment, being seated and served immediately— with one of the waiters rushing to the back to serve them papadum and sauces —while multiple other parties, including the auditors’ table, continued waiting for attention.

Additionally, a nearby party requiring clarification on a menu item was met with visible impatience and frustration from the server, suggesting stress, understaffing, or lack of customer service training. Another table remained unacknowledged for approximately 15–20 minutes, further supporting these observations.

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Food Quality & Presentation

Despite operational shortcomings, the food quality was described as exceptional. The flavors were rich, and the presentation was visually appealing, demonstrating strong kitchen standards and culinary skill. This area was the clear highlight of the experience, showing potential for excellence if matched with stronger service execution.

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Facility Conditions

The restroom appeared clean and organized upon first inspection, with stocked supplies including seat covers, soap, and paper towels. However, toilet paper was absent, which is a significant oversight. Additionally, no running hot water was available—an issue that affects both sanitation and customer comfort.

Flavor of India showcases high-quality cuisine and a skilled kitchen team, but the service structure and guest experience fall short of professional standards. The lack of visible management presence, staff accountability, and compliance with display requirements undermines an otherwise promising restaurant.

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Gold Seal Standards LLC will conduct follow-up inspections to evaluate compliance and progress in these areas. Excellence in hospitality extends beyond the plate—it begins with respect, consistency, and professionalism in every guest interaction.

Gold Seal Standards LLC (G.S.S) “Where every...

I must start by mentioning my bias that Indian food is my favorite and the spicier the better. That said, my buddy and I couldn’t decide between here and another place equidistant, but knew we wanted Indian and by luck, chose here. Can’t speak for the other place, but I’m glad we chose here as our hostess was beyond polite & personable and the atmosphere inside was cool, quaint, and decorative despite us eating outside, adjacent a great people watching sidewalk on a relatively warm late afternoon.

Happy Hour prices on draft beer was $4 which I honestly cannot say I’ve seen such a price for a beer since being at home in a small town a decade ago (and that was basic domestic bottles)… draught selection was decent, not overwhelming or excellent, but fair, especially for $4.

We ordered an appetizer, 2 orders of naan(garlic & cheese), 2 orders of rice (basmati & veggie), 3 beers, and 3 main dishes (Palak Paneer, Paneer Vindaloo, & Chicken Tikka Masala).

all came out in perfect timing, all were solid portions where we took home 2 boxes of leftovers, and all were exactly what we were looking for, taste and flavor-wise. Tikka Masala tends to be my favorite in general, but we both agreed the Vindaloo was by far the most flavorful dish this day.

Price may have been a bit steep in the end, but did have quite a lot, plus leftovers, and on par with other sit down restaurants.

highly recommend for every reason I can think of at the moment without any negative...

My wife and I have been trying to find a favorite Indian restaurant close-ish to our house to become our regular go to. We tried Flavor of India last night and it was a mixed reviews between the two of us. She always gets Chicken Tikka Masala and she loved it. I usually get Lamb Vindaloo and I was meh about it. It was spicy, but not throughout, if I got a pepper in my forkfull it was really spicy, but otherwise the vindaloo was rather sweet. The flavor didn't develop throughout the entire curry until the next day when I had what was left for lunch. Lastly, I'm not sure what is normal with portion size but I only got 6 medium pieces of lamb, if that's normal that's fine, but I was hoping for a bit more lamb.

But I really like the Naan she got, it might have been Garlic Naan. The Naan was not too crunchy and not too puffy so it worked perfectly to use as the vehicle to get food off the plate to the mouth. I want to say it was rubbery but understand that it's not a negative in the slightest, because it was so glutenous it really held onto the food and flavors of the curry. The portion size was decent. I only picked up the food but I enjoyed what little interaction I got from the staff. Overall would I go here again? Yes Would I recommend that people go here? Yes if they like Indian food. Is it my favorite Indian restaurant I've been to? No, I'm still on the journey to find my...