And in recent years, more local Indian chefs have highlighted regional South Asian cuisine alongside creative spins on traditional dishes that fold in California produce and draw from the diversity of communities that call this city home.
On Melrose Avenue, chef Anmoldeep Khinda of Roots Indian Bistro pulls from his childhood growing up in Los Angeles as he reimagines Indian flavors with dosa quesadillas and chalupas made with spicy channa, along with Indian-inspired takes on pasta that his father Paramjit Singh first began serving to Angelenos at Ciao Pasadena in the ’90s.
“We’re embracing the culture around us and not just seeing it as one cuisine but one that can mesh with others,” says Khinda.
Similarly, when the Mahendro family opened Badmaash in downtown L.A. in 2013, they were intent on creating a new kind of Indian restaurant that was completely different from the traditional buffet-style spots they grew up with in Toronto.
“We knew we wanted it to be from my and my brother’s perspectives,” says co-owner Nakul Mahendro. That meant eschewing tropes — burgundy carpets, brass accents and wicker baskets of garlic naan — and adding dishes such as Parle-G ice cream sandwiches and chicken tikka masala poutine, which piles beef gravy, cheese curds, tandoori chicken tikka and cilantro on masala-spiced fries, to the menu.
Mahendro takes great pride in shaping the future of Indian dining in L.A. “It’s really this young, uncensored and raw energy that keeps us motivated to do more — to push this cuisine and culture further,” he said. “India has been dope since the ancient times, America is just starting to find out.”
More than a decade since Badmaash opened, the city’s modern Indian culinary scene is showing no signs of slowing down. When Avish Naran opened Pijja Palace in Silver Lake in 2022, the stylish sports bar that pairs Indian flavors with pub grub became an instant hit. Two years later, the hype has yet to fade, and it remains one of the most sought-after reservations in the city.
Naran credits the restaurant’s success partially to the culture of support within the local desi culinary community, adding that the Mahendro family has made themselves available to him anytime he’s had a question. Now, both parties are expanding into Indian Chinese cuisine: The Mahendro family began their Hakka Hakka pop-up late last year, and Naran recently announced his upcoming Indian pan-Asian venture called Schezwan Club. But rather than viewing each other as competitors, both Naran and the Mahendros note a sense of community and camaraderie and a desire to see each other succeed.
“What is there to gatekeep? I like Indian pasta; I would love to have it somewhere else,” Naran says. “At the end of the day, I don’t stand to lose anything by helping anyone. I want to see more people not be afraid to execute their vision in a way that’s personal to them.”
With new pop-ups, chef residencies and restaurants, there are plenty of places to get acquainted with L.A.’s current South Asian dining scene. Locals and tourists alike flock to some of the city’s best restaurants to try pizzas laden with chutneys, tacos stuffed with meats marinated in Indian spices and a range of reinvented traditional dishes. From Laguna Niguel to downtown L.A. to Long Beach, here are eight modern Indian favorites.