TEMECULA, CA — Zen Curry and Grill Restaurant in Temecula continues to earn high praise from diners after being named one of the top 100 restaurants in the nation. The restaurant, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., later on Friday and Saturday, when it is open until 11:30 p.m., is located at 41653 Margarita Road in Temecula.
This year, the Temecula-based Indian-Nepalese fusion restaurant ranked #22 nationally and #4 in North County San Diego/Temecula on Yelp. Reviewers showcase Zen Curry's great prices, delicious Indian food and highlight the restaurant as having comfort food of the highest order.
Owner Hari Sharma, who opened his restaurant in 2024, invited Patch to sample some of his favorite dishes and the intangible qualities that keep diners returning to his gem of a restaurant on the northwest side of Temecula.
Driving up, you can see the sign advertising Zen Curry and Grill from the busy intersection of Margarita and Overland roads, on the northwest side of the street. The restaurant sits within easy walking distance of the Mt. San Jacinto College Temecula campus and multiple neighborhoods surrounding the Promenade Mall.
It may sit inside an unassuming strip mall. Inside, however, visitors are transported into a beautifully appointed bar area and two separate dining rooms, all of which give a feeling of luxury, from the light fixtures, comfortable seating and decor.
When you arrive, each guest is greeted by friendly waitstaff, knowledgeable about the menu and happy to share their favorite items.
For Sharma, the fusion goes beyond blending Nepalese and Indian food; it also involves creating a sensory setting that transports guests through sight, aroma, and taste.
On the dining room wall, a large mural depicts the place he called home, while television screens show aerial footage of the Himalayas, further perpetuating the scene. The menu features pictures for multiple dishes, some you've heard of and others you may not know. Each item is cultivated from the Himilayan village where several of his family members still call home. Every menu item, he says, is made with love of home and family, and it shows in every bite.
As you peruse the menu, take a moment to inhale the scents of roasting meats, simmering sauces, and baking naan that instantly evoke the feeling of home that Sharma has cultivated in this space.
Yes, you can order takeout or delivery from Zen Curry and Grill. It also has enough room for large parties and special events, but we recommend you go for date night or a night out with friends, especially midweek.
Pro tip? Make an advance reservation, ask for booth seating, and ask your server for their favorite dish.
Here's what Hari Sharma recommended we try at Zen Curry:
Here's our take on dinner:
The Crispy Roasted Cauliflower appetizer, bite-sized cauliflower chunks with onion and bell pepper, is vegan. We asked for medium spice for palates that enjoy Mexican flavors. The taste was flavorful but not overpowering, with a homemade sweet-and-sour sauce. Absolute perfection and a must-order for future visits.
It's not dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant without some Samosas.
Zen Curry's samosas do not disappoint, with flaky pastry and seasoned vegetarian fillings. The sauces were perfect for dipping. Each order comes with three crispy patties, stuffed with spiced green peas and potatoes, served with Tamarind sauce for dipping. We ordered an extra to go with the leftovers we were sure to bring home.
Next, we were brought out family-style platters of both the grilled chicken and the saucy butter chicken.
The grilled chicken had just the right tenderness, with a bit of grill char to add smoky flavor. This is skewered chicken leg meat, each piece marinated in a Himalayan spice blend to give it a Nepalese fusion flavor, and cooked in a clay oven.
Butter chicken is a tried-and-true Indian staple, often considered a traditional comfort food of the highest order. At Zen Curry, the butter chicken melts in your mouth, the silky, creamy onion, tomato and cashew gravy is highly drinkable and dippable for your tableside naan bread. Served in a small cast-iron pan, each bite leaves you wanting more, then wanting to come back.
All dishes are served family-style and are easily shareable by all at your table.
Though our meal was quite enough to leave us both full, with some to-go for the next day, Sharma suggested dessert because it was a special occasion.
The Gulab Jamun was a delicious treat, and if you've never had it, it's well worth trying.
This is a fried dough, infused with reduced milk, soaked in a syrup flavored with cardamom, rose water, saffron and cloves. The fusion of flavors, combined with the rich ice cream he suggested, made this the ideal way to relax at the end of the meal. We also suggest you go early enough to partake in Himalayan coffee to round out your meal.
In all, Sharma's Zen Curry and Grill is a welcome addition to Temecula's dining scene. When you go, tell them Patch sent you!
Read also:
Temecula Restaurant Ranks High in the Top 100 US Restaurant List In 2026
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