India Sweets & Spices

I never would have found this place on my own. I am so glad I did though! Its kind of a....well it's a hole! I was kind of scared, and if it wasn't for my friend, I would have walked out. But the food was so good. Very flavorful. The samosa was my favorite! The prices are great too! Two of us ate and drank for $13.00
I definately recommend this place.
But skip the little side salad. I gagged on that one.

Pros: The food was fast fresh and incredible

Cons: Ambience--or lack there of. And the gross things on the salad

Posted 03/02/09

I stumbled into this hidden treasure on my way home from Griffith Park because I had a taste for spicey food. I came in and adjacent to the deli-style restaurant is an Idian-produce grocery store which is cool, but I was hungry right away, so I ordered their lunch special (3 to choose from ... I think they're all under $9/ea.). Since I'd never even known there was such a thing as Indian vegeterian restaurant (or deli), I ordered the least expensive lunch special. I think it was $6+? Anyway; it's been a couple of months since my last trip there, but I do recall having some sort of spicy tofu, a sort of lentil bean soup and rice, and a flaky pastry stuffed with potato; and all of it was truly delicious! I've been meaning to go back for more, but I don't eat out much at all. I will go back in the near future though, because as I'm telling you about my delicious experience, I'm getting hungrier! I may just stop by this afternoon. After all their dishes are served deli style so I can just buy a couple of different things and bring them home for dinner for my family. hmmm... I'm ingenious!

Pros: Tasty, vegetarian food ... ample parking

Cons: can't think of one...

Posted 08/19/08

Yummy vegetarian Indian food at excellent prices. Great chai tea (real stuff not nasty Starbucks powdered variety), tasty array of Indian sweets and a great grocery store attached.

Pros: great value, great food

Posted 07/08/08

It's been almost two years since a scathing review of the cleanliness/food of the 'restaurant' portion of this large Indian/British grocery store-cum Indian takeway/cafeteria.

I thought I'd tilt the chips the other way, to be fair. Firstly, think of it as a cafeteria, not as a restaurant. It's connected to a grocery store, for God's sake! Don't expect 4-star service. I do one of two things here: buy the food to eat there, and watch great Bollywood-style music videos on the large screen and chill out, or (preferably) order a few containers of curry to go. I'm not even a vegetarian, yet their curries are totally flavorful and satisfying. Their pumpkin/squash curry, when they have it, is a must. I could eat vats of it. The small container (half-pint?) is only $3.50. Where else could you get Indian curry for $4? Their lentil vadas (like a lentil fritter) is yummy and they give you two sauces to dip it in. It's deep fried, of course it's good.

I think it's a better value to select a few curries you like to go in the containers, than purchase the lunches, which is why I do it this way now. You could grill some meat or fish at home and purchase the curries for the side dishes...the best of both worlds!

I agree the proprieters could focus on quality control more (in the grocery section) rather than trying to keep the shelves of their vast emporium filled. But the things I purchase here are fine (mango pickle, PG Tips tea, spices), I check the expiration date (as I would anywhere), and all is well. They are friendly (reasonably enough) and helpful, and I don't think they deserve some of the scathing posts here.

I am a foodie, I am a cook, I buy from both the grocery store and eat from the restaurant regularly (once/month). Be open-minded and you will be rewarded. Save some pumpkin curry for me. :)

Pros: Flavorful Indian curries at a reasonable price.

Cons: It's a cafeteria with plastic utensils - not a restaurant.

Posted 05/05/08

I just want everyone to know that I'm Indian and I know that Indian stores aren't the cleanest however, there are some serious risks here... In the store sections, most of their products on the shelves are expired. I saw something on the shelf that had been expired for 10 years! Also their freezer section was more like a refrigeration section. We told them that their freezer was broken. They were aware of this, but were still selling the food. Who knows how long it has been like that, and how long it will be. My guess is that if they get their freezer up and running that they will just allow those products to refreeze and continue to sell them. Please be warned.

Cons: they sell expired food, and food with less than legal refrigeration and freezer standards

Posted 08/29/07

While it has a large collection of things, the refrigerated section has items that are not completely frozen. The certainly diminishes the quality and shelf-life of the frozen foods

Posted 08/04/07

This is the only place I can find everything I need for cooking Indian food, even the special utensils. Like any supermarket, they offer prepared foods in their freezer and refrigerated sections, so you can enjoy prepared Indian food at home or at work for lunch. They have the Indian versions of Hamburger Helper -- packaged spice mixes. Their tea selection is staggering and much cheaper than any Western supermarket. They also have a small section of English foods.

The only food I've bought in the restaurant section is the amazing, addictive, delicious burfi, which is Indian milk fudge. This sweet is to die for! Especially around Halloween, which is their Dewali festival, they have loads of extra sweets to celebrate this holiday.

Pros: Everything Indian!

Cons: Sometimes no one is available to answer my questions while I'm shopping

Posted 10/19/06

I got the # 1 lunch special( $3.99) - great daal ( lentils) and the vegetable or subzee was
a non curry mixed carrots and potatoes - also v good. The food was not spicy - a welcome change from the folks on Melrose In WeHo or Venice Blvd in Culver City. The ladies behind the counter were smiling and very friendly. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed- the place was spotless. The samosas looked really tempting but I was stuffed - definitely next time !!

Pros: Taste, Quality, Value

Posted 07/23/06

For $6 you get a giant plate of vegetarian indian food, desert and a mango lasse. How can people complain about that? The connected store has a giant variety of the premade ready to heat in a pouch indian dishes for $1.99 (ones that are ACTUALLY spicy and much better than tasty bites) as well as hard to find candy bars from England.

Pros: neat atmosphere, inexpensive, delicious

Posted 10/13/05

Not Recommended!
This is a fast food restaurant with many varieties to choose from. You wait in line to pay and wait in line again to choose the food, and if you're lucky, you'll get your food in a timely manner without the mix up, or worse; they can substitute your item with something else if your order isn't available, so you can be eating 'chapatis' instead of the 'naan' bread that you've been craving and paid for - this is the biggest 'turn off' and a common practice in most Indian-operated businesses; is that they have the right to 'substitute' without your consent. So check your orders if you order food to go. The only great thing about this place is the value, and that they also have a market attached to it so you can shop before or after, but I've never bought anything in there before so I couldn't tell you about the quality of their goods. Here's the worst part about the restaurant: I couldn't eat most of the stuff, if not, all of it! The samosas were just too dry and frail, the mango lassi was too watery, tangy and kind of warm (should be thick, sweet and chilled). The cashiers and servers on the food section lack training (overcharging you on the counter and you get less/mixed up/different food when picked up). On top of that, the dining hall's a HUGH MESS. If you're lucky, you'll find a good, clean table to sit at. The thing that petrified me most was the plastic eating utensils and napkins - which are placed on top of each big trash bins.
Anyone thinks this place is good obviously does not know what good/delicious food tastes like. I love Indian food (as it is highly praised in my reviews), but I wouldn't even refer this dump to my biggest enemy.

Pros: value

Cons: bad food, messy, likes to subsitute orders w/o customers' consent, etc., etc.

Posted 09/19/05

Regardless of the sparse atmosphere and generic seating, and perhaps a slight language this place is fantastic! Great vegetarian Indian food at a wonderful price.

Pros: vegetarian/vegan, inexpensice

Cons: cultural barrier

Posted 08/20/05