They've been making it at the original (West) location for a few months. They have a new(ish) chef and are offering regional thalis and other unusual specialties like thalipeeth on a separate menu.

If you're interested in comparatively rare regional Indian cooking, Samosa House is now making fresh thalipeeth.

Thalipeeth is a Maharashtrian pancake made from coarsely ground black lentils, roasted chickpeas, wheat, rice, onion, and spices. It is fried into something that vaguely resembles a large, thin, latke.

At Samosa House they're serving it with a garnish of chopped onions, special hot chutney, and a bowl of raita,

One order (two plate sized pancakes) makes a decent light meal, or heavy snack.

Since 2006.

The traditional dishes at both restaurants were originally printed only in Thai, and were only translated in 2008-2009.

Emporium's "conventional" menu is pretty lame, and not even all of their Jitlada-esque items are terrific... but it is pretty great for the Westside (and has been consistently good for years).

Mine too. So much so that before I had little kids, I used to make the drive out to Artesia from the valley at least once each week. It is absolutely worth the drive if you love Gujerati food.

Jay Bharat is a fantastic, more refined version of what you'd see on the street in Mumbai. Of their chaat, the Dahi Puri is absolutely stunning (and their Gujarati thalis are also fantastic, but nobody talks about them).

Surati Farsan Mart is also excellent, but the menu is longer and more complex. It also is a better (cleaner, fresher, brighter) version of chaat than much of what you'd see in Mumbai.

Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se tries to provide "genuine" Gujarati street food. Some folks love it, some hate it. I fall somewhere in between.

Ambala Sweets and Snacks is fine, much more authentically "street," but less bright and fresh tasting, and they can go a bit overboard with the yogurt... so any dahi items tend to be a plate of yogurt soup with chaat floating in it.

If I'd never had Gujerati food before I'd get a thali and Dahi Puri at Jay Bharat, share it with a friend, and then walk across the street and order Bhel Puri and a dosa at Surati Farsan Mart... and I'd dine in confidence that I was experiencing the best of both.

If you spread out to the greater LA area, Artesia has some of the best Gujarati food in the US...

Okay, as the originator of that previous thread I'm going wade into this morass yet again.

Emporium Thai and Jitlada share quite a few menu items. In most case those items are either identical, or so similar that they could pass as identical for most diners.

Jitlada has a MUCH longer menu. Jitlada sources/grows more obscure ingredients. Jitlada will more readily honor a request to make things spicier.

Also, the lunch specials at Emporium generally suck. Massively.

But, if you want Mango salad, or morning glory, or a southern curry... they're pretty close.

Jitlada partisans and "there is no good Thai west of Highland" truthists can take up the issue of how much better Jitlada is than Emporium... I generally agree... but it is POSSIBLE to have an almost identical meal at the two restaurants.

That is what I was trying to get at 4 years ago, when I so thoroughly irritated Erik M, but a still think it's true today.

Well... Samosa House has sarson ka saag with makki ki roti a few times each month, and Ambala Dhaba had it on the menu last time I was there, as did Bombay Sweets and Spices in Artesia. Pickles on South Street has it as well (a Manchurian tinged version), and I'm pretty sure there are others...

I was in the valley for the first time in a long time last week, and I stopped by Apey Kade.

The space is (obviously) the same as Curry Bowl's was, but there has been significant wear and tear over time. The diversity of offerings is better, and unlike Curry Bowl, string hoppers are available every day.

I'd had the Apey Kade folks' food previously at Sri Lanka Day, and while there were more offerings in the restaurant, the overall experience was comparable.

The food was good, not dumbed down or westernized, with offerings from jack fruit to bitter melon, to a boney king mackerel curry. The hoppers had perfectly cooked runny eggs at their center, and the string hoppers were fresh and warm.

The only complaint that I could come up with, if I had to, would be that the rice is kept in a steam tray... too long, and that resulted in a really clumpy gummy texture.

I was happy to see that the demise of Curry Bowl hasn't appreciably diminished the availability of good Sri Lankan food in the valley.

Grand Chef Sabherwal is from Uttar Pradesh, the Bhojak family at Samosa House are from Gujarat. Most of the differences between the restaurants are intentional (Gujarati food is often INTENSELY sweet).

Having said that, both of them serve a weird Brick Lane hybrid north Indian menu. Neither of them is actually all that great. For great indian food, drive to Artesia.

I'm not crazy about Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se. I still think Jay Bharat and Surati Farsan Mart do comparable menus much better.

Not really. I've made this argument before, they're both pretty average (which is to say, great for the neighborhood, average when compared to restaurants in Artesia), and pretty equivalent.

Incidentally Samosa House West has expanded and is presently offering Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis. Both are good, not perfect, but the best you'll do without driving to Artesia.

Also, Samosa House West has had a new chef for about four months. She's very good. Probably better than Grand Chef Sabherwal, as he insists to be called at Bawarchi.

If you want chaat and are willing to drive you really should go to Artesia and stop at Jay Bharat and Surati Farsan Mart.

No west coast distribution yet. HalfTimeBeverage on the East Coast regularly has free shipping deals and you can stock up through their site.

Yeah, Korean BBQ was my first thought as well, but most of the placed I've been encourage (require?) self-preparation. I love that, because it places me in control... my daughter feels differently. From long experience (four years, at least) she doesn't entirely trust my food preparation expertise.

She was particularly enchanted by the man in the toque with the knives (and lasers... honestly... lasers... when did Benihana start encorporating lasers?).

Are there any Korean BBQ places with a chef or server on hand to assist in the preparation?

My four year old daughter received a free meal at Benihana as a reward for completing the local library's reading program. Fine. Great. She asked to eat lunch there yesterday. Fine.

She loved it. LOVED it. LOVED IT!

I did not. Lunch took well over two hours, the menu was very short, and the food was dull.

Is there a comparable dining experience (with a certain amount of pagentry) available, that provides better selection and tastier food? What my daughter wants is a chef to prepare a meal right in front of her... what I want is a meal that we can really enjoy...

Any thoughts?

The 120 IPA and the World Wide Stout are seasonal and are only available as individual 12 ounce bottles. The 120 IPA is generally out in the spring and is seriously hard to locate on the West Coast. High Time has occassionally has had it. Venice Whole Foods has had it (they're great... for instance, they have BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin at the moment and have been offering occassional tastings of it).

To be fair, Samosas are regional. The OP may be looking for a particular filling, or spice blend, that marks the samosas as Rajasthani... also... Mughlai cuisine doesn't really correlate with a particular region. Many folks particularly associate it with Punjab, which borders Rajasthan... so that's another possibility.

If I were in this predicament I'd probably be sampling North Indian Kebabs from around town in the hopes of hiting something similar.

Okay... it you want to take a Reshmi Kebab tour, you'll need to his Shan, Mehfil, and possibly the Tangy Tomato in Artesia. In West LA Jaipur, Nizam, and Gate of India have it on the menu as well. Never tried any of them personally (I'm vegetarian) , so I can't speak to authenticity or quality... I just have an epic collection of Indian menus at hand here.

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Shan Restaurant
18621 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Tangy Tomato
11454 South St, Cerritos, CA 90703

Gate of India
7300 W Sunset Blvd Ste D, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Yes. Jay Bharat is more refined than what you'd see on the street in Mumbai. It is Gujarati, but they've created a preparation and service model that is pretty upscale. Of course I think that the product is fantastic (and their thalis can also be fantastic, but nobody talks about them).

Surati Farsan Mart is excellent, just a step less user friendly, and the menu is longer and more complex. It too is better (cleaner, fresher, brighter) than most of what you'd see in Mumbai.

Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se tries to provide "genuine" street food. But it isn't very good; either as "the real thing" or as a general statement of quality.

Ambala Sweets and Snacks is fine, much more "street," but less bright tasting, or fresh tasting, and they can go a bit overboard with the yogurt... so any dahi items tend to be a plate of yogurt soup with chaat floating in it.

If I'd never had chaat before I'd get Dahi Puri at Jay Bharat, eat it, and then walk over and order Bhel Puri at Surati Farsan Mart... and I'd dine in confidence that I was experiencing the best of both.

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Jay Bharat
18701 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Surati Farsan Mart
11814 186th St, Artesia, CA 90701

Ambala Sweets
18433 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se
17705 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Jay Bharat, and Surati Farsan Mart are the best, I'd go in that order because Jay Bharat is less overwhelming... and just provides a more refined seeming product.

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Jay Bharat
18701 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Surati Farsan Mart
11814 186th St, Artesia, CA 90701

Last time I was there he was clearing out a mixed case of Young's... for a buck fifty a bottle. Good enough... until you realized they were from 1988. That is enough age to either thrill, or repulse you. Especially on a low alcohol brew.

I bought the whole case. Half the bottles had improved, half had turned. I really enjoyed the experiment and it was worth the $30 I gambled on it. No place else in town offers that kind of experience... nor should they.

Let me preface this by saying, Sam is a nut. Total whackjob. Do not mention politics or anything that may be construed as political unless you want to be dropped into a Glen Beck-esque rant that may end with your ejection from the premesis. This has not happened to me, personally, but I have seen it happen.

Okay, too much is being made of the food. They don't want to serve food, they HAVE to serve food... otherwise they are a bar and regulated differently. They take this very seriously, and require that everybody MUST order food with their beer. Period. Order a small side if it bothers you, that's totally fine with them.

As to the beer. Well... there's alot more there (in the "cellar") than Sam lets on. If you want something don't be afraid to ask. Want a bottle of Landlord? It has happened at least once. Want Westvleteren? Ask whether there is any out back... the answer might be no... it might be yes. Especially, if you've put up with a few of Sam's "tasting recomendations" which tend toward the sort of unwelcome advice along the lines of, "I can get you one that you've never heard of with a few hundred more IBUs, but you probably won't like it. How 'bout trying that that?"

Anyway, Sam is first and foremost a collector, and the Stuffed Sandwich pays for his hobby. It's not the most well conceived business model, but he's made it work for a long time now. I generally only make the drive when I want to try something with alot of age on it, or something that isn't distributed, or shipped here.

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Stuffed Sandwich
1145 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA

Ebisu in Fountain Valley has a few options. Not perfect, but closer than Gaja.

Weird, I thought I posted this earlier...

Pad Thai Krua Thai is pad thai on steroids. It has the authentic flavor profile of traditional pad thai, but instead of letting you season to your own taste, they throw everything but the kitchen sink in for you. If you like strongly flavored pad thai, it's phenomenal, if you want to adjust your own, there isn't much room for that. I personally love it.

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Krua Thai Restaurant
13130 Sherman Way, North Hollywood, CA 91605

Whole Foods in Venice has it.

Okay. I'm in a position to offer a minimal insight here... the Corona Debacle wasn't a mistake or a misunderstanding.

I, once upon a time, had a relationship of sorts with one of the bartenders at Father's Office.

At that time they were, quite rightly, VERY proud of their selection of craft ales. They were, at that time, one of the only bars on the westside with a curated selection of craft ales AT ALL They took great care selecting seasonals, rare ales, and small production products.

Then their burger was reviewed in GQ. Then the crowds descended. The crowds all wanted Heineken... they wanted Corona... they wanted Coors. They complained bitterly that they couldn't get them. They wanted to talk to the manager! They wanted to make a scene! They would hold up the line!

And... of course... there was that long line out the door.

So the bartenders at Father's Office put their heads together... they developed a defensive position. They decided that they didn't need to cater to the beer philistines.

Since then, at Father's Office ordering works roughly like so:

Heineken = Pliny the Elder
Corona = Ruination IPA
Coors = YuleSmith

Or some variation on the above. Is this a nice game to play? No, it's a variation on "Freak out the square." Do these patrons return? Not usually. Does Sang Yoon care? Probably not much.

Of course, now there are better craft ale selections on the westside (The Daily Pint leaps to mind)... and the game doesn't seem as cute. But, generally, Your best bet at Father's Office is to know what you want... specifically... or ask for a small taster. Asking for something that tastes a bit like this one beer you had once... really isn't a safe bet at all

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Daily Pint
2310 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Father's Office Bar
1618 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA

Mayura may be your best bet. The Kerala Store in Artesia has an offsite catering business, but they closed their lunch counter years ago. Pickles, on South street used to have a Malabar biriyani... but it's Pickles... nobody would honestly endorse Pickles. Kabob Corner has great biryani and a great selection of pickles, but it's hyderabadi. Good Luck.

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Mayura
10406 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

I'm a big fan of Jay Bharat, but Surati Farsan Mart is just as good. Both are vegetarian, primarily chaat. Both have regional thalis, and meal specials, that rotate regularly. Mumbai Ki Galliyon Se is kind of a homestyle hybrid of the above, but not as good. For dosa and uttapam you'd probably do best at either Woodlands, or Udupi Palace... but I'm not a big fan of either. Tirupathi Bhimas also has terrific dosas if you can wrench yourself away from the Andrha Spicy Thali.

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Tirupathi Bhimas
18792 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Jay Bharat
18701 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Udupi Palace
18635 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701

Surati Farsan Mart
11814 186th St, Artesia, CA 90701

...Gone.

Not enough interest in more authentic recipes to jutsify the expense and shelf space. Oh well. Artesia it is then.

Only the original location. I think the family's matriach (who's name I've embarassingly never learned) is the one who does all of the cooking for this thali and lately she's been back at the original market.