By Mihika Chechi, VRG Intern
As both a lifelong vegetarian and someone who regularly eats Indian food, I consider myself to be quite selective when it comes to which Indian restaurants I choose to go to when eating out. One of my all-time favorites in my home of Burbank, California, is India’s Tandoori. Vegetarians and vegans alike will have no problem finding a range of different, mouth-watering options here, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who’s in the area!
The restaurant itself is nestled among an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants in the heart of Burbank’s vibrant downtown. The atmosphere inside is perfectly cozy, with beautiful paintings lining the walls and Indian classical music usually playing in the background. I’ve sat down for a meal here numerous times, and each time, the staff has been friendly and welcoming!
This time, I took my order to go, and the experience was just as pleasant. I asked the staff what options there were in terms of vegan food, and they were incredibly accommodating, writing out a quick list of food options for me that were fully vegan. There were several different vegetable and curry dishes that I could choose from, as well as a variety of bread (specifically rotis, as naan sold in restaurants generally tends to not be fully vegan, as it may have been cooked using dairy products) and rice to accompany them. I ended up ordering plain rotis and chana masala (consisting of spiced garbanzo beans in a curry broth), both of which came in large enough quantities that they were all I needed for a full meal.
As a general tip for vegans visiting any Indian restaurant, if you do order roti, just be sure to let your server know you would like it to be made without any butter or ghee being added after it is baked. Generally, this will ensure that the rotis are fully vegan, but of course, always confirm that this is the case with the restaurant staff as well. And for visitors to India’s Tandoori, don’t worry if you don’t think you have a high spice tolerance – they’re always able to adjust the spice level according to your needs and preferences! In my opinion, the spice level of most dishes here tends to be on the higher side, so if you prefer less spice, just let your server know when ordering and they’ll be sure to accommodate your needs.
Everything came well-packaged and the staff had taken care to label the food as being vegan, which was an extra care for detail that I really appreciated.
The food itself was wonderful – the rotis were perfectly warm and soft to the bite, while the chana masala was bursting with flavor from a mix of different spices and ingredients. And it was all 100% vegan! The serving size was more than sufficient, and I actually ended up having enough left over to eat the next day.
All in all, for anyone in the Burbank region looking for an exquisite eating experience in a place that caters to vegetarians and vegans, I highly recommend India’s Tandoori! No matter how many times you come back, you’ll find a plethora of new, exciting choices. Personally, I look forward to trying the vegan aloo matar dish next!
For more information about India’s Tandoori, visit their website here.
To discover other vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, visit our restaurant guide here.