Himalayan Taste — Restaurant in San Juan Capistrano

So good we could cry.

We moved back to socal (San Diego) from the Bay Area in 2019 and have struggled to find a truly great Indian restaurant. After well over 5 years, we’ve found it.

Himalayan Taste is hands down the best Desi food we’ve had since leaving the Bay Area.

Honestly, when my wife suggested the place, my hopes were pretty low. Between previous disappointments in SoCal and the strip mall vibe in a homogenous neighborhood, there was very little confidence in the 4.x+ rating.

Man, what a pleasant shock. The flavors were outstanding, the selection was extensive and the service was attentive and warm.

Tucked away near a Vons, this unassuming spot packs a punch. You walk in and are immediately greeted by the host doubling as the bar tender. We were seated quickly (granted it was 4:30). We ordered a wide selection of food including the Dal Soup, Chili Naan, Saag Paneer, Karahi Chicken and the Chicken Vindaloo - each dish was better than the other and better than any we’ve had south of San Jose.

The only problem left is figuring out how often we’re willing to make the 70 minute drive up.

Thank you for giving us a...

Visiting the area on a business trip, found this restaurant with some good online reviews. So, did want to check it out. At the time of visit, restaurant was not very busy. Wait staff was really welcoming and courteous, got seated immediately. The server presented the options for beer and wine. Even though the selection is not very elaborate, but the ones on the menu pair well with Indian food. The selection for appetizers and entrees is plenty, which includes lot of vegetarian, chicken and lamb dishes. I ordered Dal Makhani (black lentils), vegetable jalfrezi, basmati rice, garlic naan and roti. Order came out in a reasonable time, cooked fresh, with good aroma and nice presentation. Dish size is enough that can be shared by two people. Food was delicious, service was great. The server made it a point to check everything was okay. Kitchen seemed to be very busy with to-go orders. The place is not too big, but it is kept very clean. Even the restrooms were super clean and stocked. Overall a very good experience. Definitely a place to come back and high on...

I've been eating Indian food for over thirty years and it is my favorite food so I was excited to see a Indian restaurant open up in town. My excitement was soon turned to disappointment after ordering a take out lunch special. When I called in the employee who answered seemed disinterested in taking my order, it was as though my call was inconvenient. There was no spinich item/s; palak paneer etc, available for lunch so maybe bhindi masala, hmm, no. So I ordered the chicken tika masala with muttar paneer, both of which were more sauce than anything else. The chicken pieces were so tough they were even hard to cut with a knife. I actually tossed away more chicken than I ate. The muttar paneer was fair. The rice was as plain as can be; absolutely no flavor and the naan was sort of flat. Certainly not going back, I'll stick with the other two Indian restaurants I usually frequent even though I'll have to drive...