drooling for fish curry at bhanu

i drool for many things. chocolate, diamonds, leather bags... and this coconut fish curry ($9.99) dish at bhanu indian grocery & cuisine in san gabriel. yes, indian food in SAN GABRIEL, the mecca of east asian eating...i kid you not. imagine these tender pieces of fish swimming in a thick curry sauce spooned over some rice. such a delicious, hearty bite and a must order when you're there. do it, i promise you that there will be some kind of party, somewhere in your mouth when you taste it.

the garlic naan ($2.50) was also a great way to sop up the fish curry. it was just garlicky enough to fend off the nearest vampire or bad date.

the papadam ($2.25) was an airier version of a thin, crispy cracker. two dipping sauces were provided for our nibbling pleasure.

the aloo bangan ($6.99) was a win with the tender eggplant and potatoes. great balanced flavors and another favorite dish at our table.

the tandoori chicken ($11.99) was exceptionally juicy and flavorful. the chicken was well seasoned and a must order when you're there. the steam rising from the chicken was absolutely mesmerizing...and this picture kinda makes me drooly again. *wipe*

the vegetable biryani ($8.99) was deliciously flavorful and a great accompaniment to the curry and chicken. i definitely think in this context, vegetable biryani > plain white rice.

the aloo mutter ($6.99) was less interesting than its dishmates, but still quite tasty. in general, it was on the mushier side and may not appeal to those with teeth. just sayin'.

bhanu indian grocery and cuisine is a great, chillaxing place with just the right amount of flavors to make your tastebuds skip a beat. if you are in the area and crave sustenance not found in a bowl of noodles or dumplings, then i suggest you drop by bhanu for a tasty treat.

Bhanu Indian Grocery and Cuisine
7246 Rosemead Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91775
(626) 291-2101
http://www.mybhanu.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!

a tasty indian dream

India's Flavor

3303 N Verdugo Rd

Glendale, CA 91208

(818) 957-5500

http://www.indiasflavor.com/

price: $$

verdict: omg, i love it!

if everybody looked like jamal in slumdog millionaire and cooked food like what you find at india's flavor, i'm so going to fly to india today. holy cow (literally), can you yell DELICIOUS?! can you yell that out in glee?! i am soooooo ready to rave about you!

this restaurant is located in a strip mall and is teenie tiny. they can probably sit roughly 30 people max and reminds me of a small living room or a sparse one bedroom bachelor pad. the servers are really attentive, probably because they are stakeholders in this business in some way. the food comes out quick and you feel like you're eating in someone's house. what's not to love about that?

we were able to do a family style dinner amongst the six of us and ordered vegetable samosas to start. mmm...delectable. flaky, savory, with just the right amount of potatoes, peas, and spices stuffed in it to start off our meal. it wasn't oily either and pretty huge. one somosa can be shared between two and the order gives you two. so 2 x 2 = 4 divided by me equals ALL GONE. nice.

is it me, or do they look like madonna's coned boobies?

a samosa dissected. yum.

we also ordered the chicken tikka masala (tender chicken breast cooked in this smooth tomatoe/saffron sauce), the lamb muglai korma (tender lamb meat in a dark yogurt sauce), matar paneer (this interesting cheese chunks dish swimming in this smooth savory gravy. not my favorite, but why not try it is my chant), and the aloo gobi (cauliflower cooked till it's mushy with potatoes and tomatoes). i actually listed these dishes in order of preference.

chicken tikka masala

lamb vindaloo

and finally, let me rave about the holy shit components of the meal. their LYCHEE MAAZA tasted like freshly squished lychee. the drink was absolutely perfect, a creation of the gods. on a hot summer day, i just want to sit on my porch and drink this.

and the GARLIC NAAN. good gawd. i would worship it if i could. the garlic naan will bring you to your knees and will compel you to lift your hands up in prayer. seriously, i would just eff the rice and eat the garlic naan with everything.

i am going back again this weekend to pray to the garlic naan and to quench my thirst with their lychee maaza. so craveable.