Ambala Dhaba Homestyle Indian

09/11/10

A dilliwalla's favorite dhaba food in LA

by dhabalvr

I was born in New Delhi, India and grew up on Punjabi food. There is growing interest in Indian food in the US but not much clarity about what people are eating. The American Indian restaurants tend to create a menu that includes everything that the locals (mostly non-Indian Americans) tend to order, irrespective of which part of India it comes from. This is understandable as a business model but doesn't do much for education.

As is normal in India, the way to identify a restaurant is by referring to it by the region it comes from. There are app. 25 states in India, each with a different language, dress code and of course, cooking style. Although Punjabi (from the state of Punjab) cuisine is widely available all over the US, other regional restaurants (Gujarati, Bengali, Malayali, Andhra style; the list goes on) are beginning to pop up all over LA.

As far as Punjabi cuisine is concerned, generally speaking, there are two styles. The first is Mughalai, referring to the Mughal dynasty, in power mostly in the northern part of India for 3 centuries beginning the mid 1500s. This is a ‘royal’ cuisine, very meat centric and characterized by rich and complex recipes involving exotic ingredients. This is where you will find nuts, dried fruits, heavy sauces with cream, saffron etc. prepared laboriously, sometimes over days. The other Punjabi cuisine is the artisanal food eaten by the vast majority of people, which tends to be more vegetarian. This type of food is bold rather than subtle. Expect to bite into chunks of ingredients such as julienned ginger, raw onions, whole black peppercorns, uncut green chillies, pomegranate seeds, cardamom etc. Some of the signature Punjabi dishes that are hugely popular throughout India include kaali daal (black lentils), chhole (garbanzo beans), saag (spinach or mustard leaves pureed), gobi (cauliflower), bhindi (okra), bharta (roasted and smushed eggplant) raajma (kidney beans) kadhi (yogurt/chickpea flour curry), chicken curry, tandoori chicken and mutton curry (which is actually goat curry). (There are other things like samosas, paranthas and lassis that are also in great demand but these are more snacky in nature). There are two versions of this type of cooking - one is termed 'homestyle' food, which is a milder, everyday version. The other, over-the-top version, is the ‘dhaba’ style, named after the Punjabi word for a roadside truck-stop where the beer is cold and the food is extra spicy. They have a limited menu - a daal (lentil curry) or two, a couple of veggies, tandoori chicken, goat curry and some naan or roti (unleavened breads made in the tandoor). That’s it!

Coming back to Ambala Dhaba, as the name suggests, it represents the dhaba style of cooking. As far as I am concerned, this is my favorite sit-down restaurant for this type of food (and I have lived in LA for over 25 years and tried them all!). I always order kaali daal (black lentils), accompanied by a chicken dish (they have several to choose from), bharta (eggplant), saag or goat curry. The breads are great too, especially the tandoori parantha. And of course, some raw onions and green chillies on the side! I do, however, ask them to ramp up the spice level in my food as I would expect nothing less from a real dhaba.

Is this as good as it gets in India? Certainly not, but it still is the best in LA. Whenever I hanker for the old days, this is where I head.

Is this type of food for everyone? Chili-heads will love it.; if you want to push the envelope, this is for you. But if you are not there yet, then no guarantees for what comes out of a watered-down, oxymoron version.

06/05/08

Delicious and unusual Indian food just south of Westwood

by alilovesla

I have never been to the Indian Subcontinent, so I can't vouch for authenticity. But I can say that Ambala Dhaba is hands-down one of the best Indian restaurants in LA. The prices have gone up dramatically over the six years I've been dining here, but the decor has changed for the better (the outdoor patio is a nice touch). The food is not the red sauce-yellow sauce variety found in typical American Indian restaurants. While everything I have had here has been good, skip the standards and ask the server for recommendations. Dishes I enjoy: Aloo papadi chat and Bhel puri, little appetizers of chickpea, potato, and crispy rice-cakes; Methi pratha and Methi Kulcha, flatbreads stuffed with fenugreek; Phillaur, Ludhiana, or Amritsari chicken; Jallander lamb; Eggplant bartha, Bhindi masala (okra), Aloo bhain (potato with lotus root), Arbi (taro root), Shalgham (turnips), and Karela (bitter melon). Truly outstanding is the Sarson ka saag, a blend of mustard greens and spinach best enjoyed with Makki ki roti, a flatbread made, I believe, of maize. Their pickles are not the tradition super-sour and salty ones, but a pleasing mix of carrots and potatoes. And for drinks, the Jal jeera, a spicy drink, and Shikanjvi, a fresh limeade, are great choices, as are the sweet and salty lassis. And of course, the kulfi is delicious.

• Pros: Great & unusual Indian food, friendly service, good value for money, outdoor patio
• Cons: Street parking only

03/03/08

Gets the job done

by chadlebald

Not sure why people trash the place for charging extra for white meat. I personally like to have the option. And I do recognize that white meat is more expensive.

Anyway, I went there 2 weeks ago with my wife for lunch. I got the lunch special Chicken Curry and she got the Chicken Masala. Both were very good and pretty sizable portions. Naan was good as were the other side items.

Liked it enough that I just ordered again for pick up. Wife is getting same dish, I am trying something new.

02/22/08

Stay away from here

by Bruin009

Really crappy food, extremely expensive for no apparent reason. I ordered dinner and they threw in all these extra charges without warning.

10/17/07

Rip off machine

by journeyman9

Well oiled machine to lighten your wallet for the crime of trying Indian food. Hope nobody comes here to try Indian food and make his/her opinion about it for the first time. There's abnormal focus on decor/theme. Apparently the theme has to do with roadside hotels in India but the price here is anything but. Workers only notice White clientele as I am from India and I was completely ignored for a full 5 minutes after I entered. A White couple that entered after me was quickly welcomed. Nothing unusual about it, just typical Indian, just that I haven't experienced it in a long time. Maybe non Indian clientele is all they are used to 'coz they know no Indian is gonna want to eat their high priced garbage.

The price does NOT match with quality. Quality was disappointing. The first thing I try at any Indian restaurant is Chicken Tikka Masala and it was a humongous disappointment. It was chicken but it was not tikka. They also have a concept of white/dark meat for chicken. What???? I thought chicken by itself was white meat. Breast pieces is their white meat for $2 extra. Legs/other pieces are their dark meat. Who would want to split their meal into inexplicable, random, unnecessary parts? Why would I be concerned about it, I am there to eat. Give me food and take care of how to make it, and make it good.

This experience from 3 days ago. 100% rip off.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Price, Quality, Attitude