The Dish: Samosa House West

When Samosa House first opened in 1979 it was originally named Bharat Bazaar and was the first Indian grocery store in Los Angeles. Owner Vibha Bhojak changed the name when she opened the restaurant inside the store approximately seven years ago.

Samosa House has two locations (East in Culver City and West in Mar Vista). Both serve delicious North Indian cuisine, most of which is vegan. Only the yogurt curry and the paneer have some dairy products in them.

The food here is so flavorful you won’t even miss the meat. Bhojak, says about 30 percent of her customers are not vegetarians yet really enjoy the food. A vegetarian all her life, Bojak says she wanted to create a restaurant that was both animal-friendly and eco-friendly.

Colorful peppers, mangoes, cabbage and tomatoes greet you as soon as you walk in the door, as well as hard to find produce, such as bitter melon, baby eggplants and fenugreek leaves. The prepared food is served cafeteria-style and is displayed behind glass partitions at the counter. Note the beautiful mural of Indian women on the wall to your left when ordering your meal. Originally part of a temple in Mar Vista, Bhojak bought it after the temple moved three years ago.

The dishes here are made fresh and rotate daily, sometimes twice a day. I like to order a combination plate, which includes three main dishes of your choice, brown or white rice, naan (ask for the garlic!) and cucumber yogurt raita. This complete meal is only $7.99.

One of the most popular main dishes (and Bhojak’s favorite) is the jackfruit, which tastes a little bit like artichoke with a spicy and savory bite to it. The vege korma is my favorite dish - spiced vegetables and paneer (cheese) in a creamy sauce. I also liked the mango curry and barbecue soy - spicy vegan “chicken” pieces in a vibrant red sauce.

I felt compelled to order a samosa since it is their signature item, and I was not disappointed. It was crisp, nicely spiced and quite a generous size for only $1.50. The filling consists of potatoes, peas and Indian spices. Other appetizers range from $1.99 to $6.99. Among the popular ones are the veggie burger with a spiced potato patty and the famous Samosa Chaat, broken up samosas with chana masala (garbanzo beans), yogurt, tomato, onions, cayenne pepper and roasted cumin powder. It's served with mint, cilantro and date/tamarind sauces.

I always order a mango lassi (yogurt shake) when eating Indian food to cool off my palate and Samosa House makes one of the best in town. When I asked Bhojak what her secret was, she replied, “We use fresh mangoes, and cardamom. Plus we make our own yogurt.”

The atmosphere at Samosa House is casual, with both indoor and outdoor seating areas. If you sit inside, you’ll have the added entertainment of watching Bollywood music videos on the television.

After you eat, be adventurous and browse the aisles for some specialty items, imported spices and even incense. I was thrilled to find some British faves including Marmite, Jacob’s Crackers and PG Tips tea. For some reason I’ve never been brave enough to tackle making Indian food at home and feel slightly intimidated by the foreign spices. I might try it someday. For now,  it’s much easier to just come here where the food is ready-made.

I know I’ll be returning to Samosa House often. I can’t think of a better place to get a quick, inexpensive, delicious Indian meal.

Samosa House, 11510 W. Washington Blvd Mar Vista, CA 90066. 310-398-6766

Open 7 days a week from 10:30am-9:30pm.