Star of India
One of San Diego's most elegant Indian restaurants, Star of India shares its name with the flagship of the San Diego Maritime Museum, berthed on the city's famed Embarcadero, just west of the restaurant's Gaslamp Quarter location. Star of India has been serving gourmet Indian food from all over the country's various ethnic regions since 1987, with its wide variety of curries drawing particular raves from critics and regular customers alike. Specialties include all-vegetarian meals for two and Lamb Booti Kabab, consisting of juicy cubes of lamb meat marinated in yogurt, ginger and fresh herbs.
Star of India
423 F Street
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 234-8000
starofindia.com
Gourmet India
More exotic Indian fare can be found at Gourmet India, a small restaurant tucked into a storefront right in the heart of San Diego's busy Gaslamp Quarter. Specialties here include Uttapam, a griddle cake made from cream of wheat that's topped with tomatoes, onions, light green chili and cilantro and served with coconut chutney, and the Mulgutany soup, with lentils and either chicken or vegetables cooked with ginger, onion, tomatoes and coconut milk.
Gourmet India
810 Fourth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 702-7967
Monsoon Exotic Cuisine of India
This dark, opulent-looking Indian eatery serves spicy Northern Indian cuisine, with lots of lamb and potato dishes. There's a good selection of tandoori and curry dishes; favorites include Tandoori Murgh, consisting of tandoori chicken marinated in roasted garlic,yogurt, ginger and spices and cooked in a traditional clay oven.
Monsoon Exotic Cuisine of India
729 Fourth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 234-5555
monsoonrestaurant.com
Madras Cafe
This casual diner offers South Indian vegetarian cuisine, focusing on stuffed pancakes. There are thin ones (crisp dosais, filled with vegetable curry) and thick options (frittata-like uttapams with chili-onion stuffing). Be sure to try the lacy rice-flower aapams soaked in coconut milk.
Madras Cafe
9484 Black Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 695-6229
Ashoka the Great
This comfortable, unpretentious restaurant, offers classic North Indian food at inexpensive prices, including lunch and dinner buffets. Specialties include tandoori dishes such as tandoori fish, tandoori shrimp and a spectacular tandoori mixed grill that includes tandoori chicken, fish and shrimp, seekh kebab, and chicken and lamb tikka.
Ashoka the Great
9474 Black Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 695-9749
ashokasd.com
