“The Best Indian Cuisine in Town”–Agreed!
Sunday, July 24, 2005 9:20
When I moved from Los Feliz to Koreatown, I knew I would miss Electric Lotus and the proximity of Paru’s to my apartment. Paru’s is still relatively close by and I’ve celebrated my birthday there on the outdoor patio for the last two years, but when it comes to close-by Indian food, I’ve found my new passion.
In a mini-mall at 4th and Vermont, Makkah Halal Tandoori serves some of the best Indian cuisine I’ve ever tasted (my tastes for Indian span from the restaurants of the Pacific Northwest, to San Francisco and Los Angeles). We’ve enjoyed dinners on site, and when the urge to get comfy and lounge in pajamas eating Indian food arises (often), we’ve felt zero shame calling for delivery to this place that is but blocks from our apartment.
Our most common meal consists of the Vegetarian Dinner for Two or the Mixed Tandoori Dinner for Two. Saag paneer is a staple for us, as is garlic naan. The rest we revolve depending on mood, though my favorite is the chicken vindaloo (so pure you can taste the hint of lemon in the sauce), eggplant bharta (overwhelming spices–in a good way) and vegetable korma (creamy, rich, and delicately spiced). Nine times out of ten, the saag paneer tastes 110% fresh which makes all other saags I’ve eaten suddenly seem as though they came from old wilted spinach left in the fridge too long. The garlic naan is always incredibly light, fluffy and covered liberally with garlic, just how we like it. The gulab jaman is good but why would I pass up a taste of heaven in the rice pudding? I rarely do.
Makkah Halal Tandoori Restaurant
401 S. Vermont Ave.,#3
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 383-9976
www.halaltandoori.com
By EarthlyDelight (see more of her posts). You can find more of EarthlyDelight's writing at her own website Earthly Delights
MaxMillion says:
July 25th, 2005 at 11:25 am
My benchmarks are murgh makhani (butter chicken), dahl (lentil stew) and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato side dish. How do they rate?
EarthlyDelight says:
July 27th, 2005 at 8:34 am
I wish I could tell you how they rate–I will have to do a special in-depth follow-up report and let you know. :)
MaxMillion says:
July 28th, 2005 at 10:23 am
Cool!
Sarah says:
May 23rd, 2006 at 3:34 pm
I finally made it over to Makkah Halal Tandoori for dinner Sunday night (having only experienced the lunch buffet previously) and I can’t recommend it highly enough! Saag paneer, garlic basil naan, aloo gobi, lamb tikka masala, chicken something-or-other…all were deliciously fresh and fragrant. Since our big dinner for four only came to $52 so we felt compelled to tip heavily for such manna!
Mario G. says:
June 9th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
I’m happy that people are noticing this incredible restaurant. The staff is friendly and accomodating and the food is bordering on ridiculously delicious. There aren’t enough restaurants that combine gastronomical bliss with value. After having gone to India (West Bengal) I thought surely I’d never eat food like that again. Makkah proved me wrong - 5 Stars!
vivian808 says:
August 7th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I’ve been dying to try this place ever since reading this review and all of the convincing comments. I recently went during lunchtime, so I opted to try the buffet. It was a good way to sample & stuff myself with a few of Halal’s dishes for $10. Next time though, I’ll opt to order separate dishes since they seem to be reasonably priced. I can’t wait to try the samosas & korma… Thanks for the recommendation everyone!
Stranger says:
June 20th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
When I found this place I thought I had found the lost treasure of (some pirate), had lunch there a few times… until… I had to go inside to wash my hands. That kitchen is awful!!! the pans and other cooking utensils are so old and dirty. I almost left that place running, but the food was so good that I had to stay there and finish it. The food is great, but the kitchen area needs a good upgrade, deep cleaning and new cooking supplies.