India's Oven

We all wish going home was like how it was in movies. Your favorite food would be cooked, your car would get vacuumed for no apparent reason, and you’d get tucked in every night, right before your lava lamp from 1994 was turned off. But in reality, it’s nothing like that. There’s endless bickering, awkward dinners, and you holed up in your room refreshing Instagram every 30 seconds because you have nothing else to do. But then there’s India’s Oven, whose joyously helpful waitstaff and comforting Indian food gives you the homecoming of your cinematic dreams, in restaurant form.

Located on the second floor of a giant office building on Wilshire (welcome to Brentwood), India’s Oven can be hard to spot. The interior looks more like a wedding banquet hall than a family-run restaurant and the large windows afford sweeping views of the Baskin Robbins across the street. That said, the India’s Oven’s fantastic staff make it feel warm and welcoming - the kind of restaurant where you want to eat until you can’t hold your head up anymore.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

As for what you’ll be eating? Indian food classics. While nothing’s going to melt your mind, they nail the staples, and that’s good enough for a part of town best known for white Range Rovers and a Souplantation. The tikka masala is solid, the saag paneer tastes like butter, and their garlic naan is thick and chewy. The lunchtime buffet seemingly serves half the menu and, at $10.95 per person, is a ridiculous deal for you and your co-workers. For dinner, their entree combo is enough food for two. Oh, and they have a great BYO policy that doesn’t include a corkage fee.

There aren’t many places in this neighborhood that feel local, but India’s Oven is one of them. Despite its corporate-y confines, India’s Oven makes damn sure you feel at home from the second you walk through the door till the moment you leave. And if you happen to take a quick power nap in your booth at some point in between, they’ll happily tuck you in.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Vegetable Samosa

You can tell yourself this is “healthy” because there are peas inside of it.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Channa Masala

This is essentially a curry with chickpeas and it’s very good. It’s also always on the lunch buffet and a good option when you have a lot of work back in the office and can’t overeat.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Chicken Tikka

This is a classic, and their version is good enough to order every time.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Dal Makhani

Not going to win any curb appeal awards anytime soon, this lentil-based curry is another very solid vegetarian option. And this is Brentwood, you’re definitely going to be with a vegetarian.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Aloo Gobi

Nine times out of ten, cauliflower isn’t the move on a menu as extensive as this one. The aloo gobi at India’s Oven is the exception.

photo credit: Jakob Layman

Saag Paneer

There’s some sort of butter situation going on in this that makes it a must-order. Also, it’s a good break amongst the curry dishes.