Star of India — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Nestled to the side of rather barren and quaint hotel lobby is a hidden gem called The Star of India. Once on 4th and State, this tasty lesser known Indian restaurant recently relocated to the Ramada Inn at the corner of Redwood Road and North Temple. Don't be fooled by the strange location change, though. This is still some of the best curry in the valley. Nearly always empty, this small restaurant is quiet and cozy, with music quietly playing over the speakers, and even, on occasion, a Bollywood movie playing on the TV. The clank of dishes is audible from the kitchen as well as the laughter and chatter of the people working. There is a pitcher of water on the table, ice cold, and glasses as well. It doesn't take long for my food to be brought out, though this isn't always the case. If you happen to catch them on a busier night, it can take a fair amount of time for food to get to you, so it is important to plan accordingly if you've got plans post-dinner. There are two decorative silver bowls. In one, is rice, shining with a slight brush of oil, in the other is Shahi Paneer, my dish of choice. This is a dish that has a tendency to vary in taste, texture, and flavor depending on the cook, but it is yet to disappoint. Today, my curry is a rich umber orange, crushed cashews are sprinkled over the top of it, alongside a few golden raisins. I am generally not a fan of raisins, however, in a dish like this, they add a wonderful sweetness and contrast in texture to the rest of the food. Shahi Paneer is a tomato and cashew-based curry with soft tofu-like pieces of paneer, which is a type of cheese common in southern Asia. Shahi Paneer tends to be rather salty with a bit of spice to it, and the raisins give it a lovely sweetness which contrasts really wonderfully. It's a very traditional dish, but if it isn't to your taste, they have something for everyone, with several different types of meat, vegetables, and different flavors of curry for whatever your preference, all at varying spice levels of your choice. While I am scooping a hefty helping of rice and curry onto my plate, the server returns with a basket of naan, which, in my opinion, completes the meal. For some reason, a lot of Indian Restaurants that I have visited seem to think that they can get away with warming up pita bread and calling it naan. This should not be the case, and for it to be so is truly a tragedy. Naan is a traditional Indian bread, baked in a clay oven. Soft, buttery, and warm, naan is something very near heaven on earth. From where the basket sits at the center of the table, I can see steam rising from the fluffy bread as well as the light shine of butter brushed over the top. Naan comes in a variety of flavors here. I am yet to try them all, and I generally just stick to buttered naan, their garlic naan is also very tasty, though rather strong. Their more dessert-like naan, peshwari, it stuffed with coconut, raisins, and almonds, is sweet, and goes nicely with some of the curry dishes, Shahi Paneer included. The sweet contrast to the saltier food is lovely, if you're looking for something different. One of the best ways to eat India is using the naan a bit like a spoon, scooping each bite of rice and curry onto the buttery, lightly floured bread. Warm, comforting, and delicious, The Star of India hits the spot every time. I always leave just this side of too full, as it's so good that it's hard to stop. I never regret it, though. With an incredibly wonderful staff, a calm atmosphere, and wonderful food,...

I have driven by this place so many times. I just never got around to stopping. The outside is not calling me. It is in a strip mall with good parking but there are not a lot of things in that little mall of which I find interest.

My grandson saw it and said he wanted to try it. I am so glad he always gets what he wants. Star of India is great. The food, the inside, the service, all of it is memorable and we will be back.

The place is super clean and really cute inside. You can dine in, do that, or get take away or delivery. You will love the service. I do think it is family owned and the entire staff treats you like family. They know the menu so well, so we were able to try a few things we have never had. We over-ordered and that was fine with us, more to eat the next day--it heats up really well.

We started with CHICKEN SAMOSA and it was great. Packed with chicken and the perfect spicing. The little home made pastry in which the chicken lives was so great. It comes in a set of two. We also tried PAPPADAM, which we never had before, truth be told, we never heard of it. Lentils wafers are deep fried. It was great. I expected not to care for this, but I loved it. We had an Indian salad, which has crisp and fresh lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes all tossed with homemade Indian dressing. We shared all of this and both of us were so happy.

For out next set of courses we had EGGPLANT BHARTA which has charcoal smoked eggplant mashed and sautéed with onions, tomatoes and herbs and I am not sure what else. This was new to me. I never liked eggplant much. I loved this one. It was tender and full of flavor. We also had SHRIMP SAAG which is black shrimp with chopped spinach, onions, garlic, ginger, cream and various Indian spices. Now, this black shrimp was the best. Not over cooked, just perfect. Finally, we ordered, GARLIC NAAN, a must and GARLIC BUTTER NAAN, and the one with the butter was my favorite. Made there, I think and just so great. We actually ordered this first and used it for all our dishes.

The prices are super fair. You will...

Oh, where to begin with this culinary misadventure? Dining at this so-called Indian restaurant was like stepping into a parallel universe where everything that could go wrong, did. Brace yourself for the hilarity (and horror) of my experience.

First off, let's talk about the water. Yes, water. We had to pay for it. Why? Because, as they admitted with a straight face, the tap water tasted like... tap water. You’re a restaurant, get a filter! If I wanted a nostalgic sip of my childhood garden hose, I'd stay at home.

Now, the food. Imagine going to an Indian restaurant and finding out the spices are in witness protection. The salad? Sadder than a Monday morning. Absolutely no flavor, and the cucumbers were bitter enough to start a Twitter feud. The kabobs? One was a meatball in disguise, and the other was so chewy it triggered my gag reflex and gave me anxiety. If I wanted to chew on rubber, I'd join a dog in a teething phase. I’m actually still chewing it right now!

The masala chai, the supposed highlight of my visit, was a bizarre abomination. It tasted like meat. I don't know how, and I'm afraid to find out. I came for the chai and left with a profound sense of betrayal, sipping from a thimble-sized cup. Thanks for nothing.

As if that wasn't enough, the waiter decided to play the role of a human shadow while I was fumbling for my card. Nothing says "welcome" like someone breathing down your neck. And then, the cherry on this dreadful sundae: the bill was $25, I gave him $40, and he conveniently forgot to bring my change until I asked. Excuse me, did you think you earned a $15 tip for this comedy of errors?

And let's not forget the walk to the restroom, which was like navigating a minefield of employee tension. I half expected to see a WWE match break out. The restroom itself was missing a door knob. Because why not?

In summary, avoid this place like the plague unless you want an evening of bizarre culinary experiences and awkward social interactions. One star, and that's...