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After a drawn out debate on where to have dinner the other night, bouncing between Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, and Indian, we ruled out trying anything new and decided on Indian food at Akbar, since we knew that it was a sure thing.

Our first experience, years ago, at Akbar was a result of friends’ recommendations and an Entertainment Card in our pocket. When we walked in, there were only one or two occupied tables. The waiter walked up to us and deadpanned “sorry, we’re full”. We were a bit confused and our faces must have given this away, because he followed up with “I’m just kidding, sit anywhere you like.”

Juan Carlos (the waiter) may take some getting used to, but his monotone style and sarcastic sense of humor will eventually grow on you. If you go there more than a few times, he will remember you, and then ask why you haven’t been coming in more often.

Our standard dish, which we order without fail is the chikken tikka masala which is the traditional chicken dish, cooked in their tandoori oven and covered in their creamy tomato sauce. Served over basmati rice, I have trouble going to any Indian restaurant and not ordering it. Where we do mix it up is with the appetizers and the side dishes.

Since it is usually just two of us dining, we can only really put away a meat or chicken dish, a vegetable dish, rice, naan and sometimes an appetizer. The portions are not that huge, but are certainly filling and flavorful.

There is usually a special samosa appetizer offered, which is tasty, but if you are looking for something special, try the Aloo Aam Tikka. It is a potato patty, stuffed with seasoned green peas and spices, then glazed with a home made mango chutney, which causes Juan Carlos to refer to it as “an Indian donut”. The Aloo Aam Tikka has a delicious blend of sweet, savory and spicy (which can be kicked up with one of the three side chutneys) and is a perfect kickoff to the meal.

For side dishes, we often order the Gobi Aloo (cauliflour and spinach potatoes) or better yet, Sag Aloo (potatoes and spinach) which isn’t on the menu but they will make it if requested. Other side favorites include the Bhartha or Chana Masala. I have also become quite fond of Indian Lagers and Akbar offers a few, including Dansberg and Kingfisher.

Last time we went to Akbar, we over ordered (as usual) and ended up with some Chana Masala leftovers. The next morning, while making breakfast, I decided to spice up our eggs with a little Indian food in the skillet. The results were amazingly tasty, better tasting than looking as you can see from the picture. From now on, I will be know as the creator of the Chanamasamelette:

Akbar Cuisine of India
2627 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, Ca 90403

By Jonah (see more of his posts). Jonah is the founder of la.foodblogging and also created Digesty, a food blog aggregator and Cheww.com, a spam free foodblog search engine.