Angara Indian Restaurant, Torrance, CA

Angara Indian Restaurant
2170 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90501
310-320-9090
http://www.angara.us/
Near Old Torrance. Usually plenty of street parking, and they have a small lot behind the building. Do not park in the tiny lot that is next door.
Casual. Large dining room that fills quickly at lunch. Beer and wine.

Visited: Numerous times, Lunch Buffet, Dinner, Dine-In or Dinner Take Out
Most recently: August 2010

This is our favorite Indian restaurant. The food is always fresh and great tasting. We've been winding our way through the menu and have tried many items.

Chicken Tikka Masala, mild or medium ($10.95): yes, the ubiquitous chicken tikka masala. Man, do they do it right. The curry is creamy and sweet with its own great texture (quite a food unto itself). The chicken tikka is cooked well, and makes for a seamless dish. If you get this dish 'mild' it will have a sweeter taste than the 'medium' - both are tasty.

Lamb Tikka Masala, medium, ($11.95): one of the great things about Angara is that all of the curries come with your choice of meat, tofu, veg, or paneer. We tried this lamb tikka masala for the first time, and also tried the tikka masala medium for the first time. This was a spot-on dish. The 'medium' spiciness was perfect heat that didn't linger so that everything afterwards would taste hot. The lamb was tender and very mild. A+.

The Lamb Biryani, medium ($12.95) is rich and full of flavor. The lamb and rice are tender. You can have this as your entree and be fully satisfied, with enough to share.

Bengan Bharta ($8.95): well, I love eggplant, and while this dish was very tasty, all I could see and feel were onions. I didn't dislike the dish, but I wouldn't order it again if I were craving eggplant.

We also order the Plain Basmati Rice ($4.00) and Plain Naan ($1.95). Both are cooked very well. The rice is tender and each grain is distinct. The naan is fluffy and chewy, and is a very good tool for eating with.

They also have a fabulous lunch buffet ($7.95) that is busy and the food is always hot and fresh. Usual staples of the buffet include Onion Bhaji, Naan, Daal, Saag, a Vegetarian Curry, Ground Lamb Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Chicken Tandoori. One or two other items rotate through. There are also some salad and pickle items, and a dessert, usually rice pudding. A soft drink comes with.