NIRVANA SERVES THE SENSES IN BEVERLY HILLS

By Michael Hepworth

Nirvana Indian restaurant in Beverly Hills is slightly hard to locate with only a small sign out front, but since it is directly opposite the Bombay Palace this could make this area of Wilshire decidedly Indian in flavor. The surprising thing is that they are sister restaurants, but very different in style and quality.  The chef here has been around since the restaurant opened over five years ago, and it shows in the quality of the curries. I went with a British friend who had experienced some rough times with curries in the past, but he snapped up this stuff and vowed to end his boycott of the genre, and was hungry for more.

A rather inauspicious and frankly shabby entrance leads into a standard looking dining room, but that is complemented by an “Arabian nights” style lounge area, where you can lounge away on sofa’s snacking on the Indian appetizers. Owner Deep Sethi works the room magnificently, and the quiet Tuesday night we went there, there were a few young women stretching out nibbling on appetizers.  The menu is nicely laid out and uncomplicated, although several of the amateur reviews I have read have described the restaurant as “pricey”. If you are used to spending $6 on a curry then I suppose it is, but the prices here definitely match the quality, the only yardstick in my opinion.

Appetizers are generally priced between $8-12, with just the Nirvana Tandoori Sampler over $20. I went for the Stuffed Mushrooms ($9), crispy mushrooms stuffed with cheese and cilantro and served with papadom and a tomato chili salsa.  Breads such as the laccha paratha ($4.50) are a treat here, and if you want something really different go for the Buddha’s Stuffed Breads ($7.50), bread stuffed with cheese, chicken, lamb, onion and potato. The Lamb Saag that I tried that is not on the regular menu was done perfectly. All curries are served “medium” which means mild by British standards, but if you want a bit of a kick then just make clear when ordering.

My friend’s Chicken Tikka Masala ($23) was also high quality, and it was no surprise when I discovered that this dish won an award in 2006 as being the best in a culinary competition. Onion, tomato and pepper masala complement this sure fire winner.  As a side vegetable dish try the Dal Nirvana ($12), a house lentil dish slowly cooked over charcoal, although like the rest of the menu, there are numerous choices.

Fact Sheet

Address:         8689 Wilshire Blvd ,

Beverly Hills ,

CA 90211

Phone:             310-657-5040

Website:         www.nirvanabeverlyhills.com

Happy Hour (Mon-Fri 5-7 pm )

Street Parking Available

Average cost: For two w/wine- $90