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Let me preface this post by saying that this was previously my favorite restaurant. I loved it and had been there tens of times, including on several birthdays, before this most recent visit. This fact is what makes it so hard to accept the horrible service and mediocre food I received.
However, the chips are pretty good. Make sure to get some of the tomatillo salsa (it's free; just ask for it) and mix it with the regular salsa for a fantastic and delicious flavor combination. Even though I had to ask four times to get it on this last visit, it is worth the hassle!
I always order the same thing - crispy chicken tacos. They usually (I hate that I have to include 'usually' in all my claims about this restaurant ) have a superb mixture of textures. The crunchy outer shell perfectly envelopes the soft chicken, fresh lettuce, and slightly spicy pico de gallo. On this visit, there was also some cheese. This is unusual and didn't add anything to the taste. The accompanying rice is also usually quite delicious, although they rotate through different kinds. On this trip, the rice had some vegetables in it, such as corn. A couples others I regularly encountered were mint rice and one that seemed garlic-infused. 
My friend ordered the sopes and enjoyed them. 
The decor is quite regal, as well. Try to bypass the first room and sit in the main space for views of the street and beautiful chandeliers such as the one pictured above.
La Serenata Gourment
10924 W Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
310| 441-9667
I just finished my last final of junior year in 35 minutes when it was scheduled for three hours! Which means I can now blog about restaurants!
Tandoor India is another in a long list of mediocre Indian restaurants--nothing spectacular but hardly unsatisfying. The food is fairly bland but okay. The prices are satisfactory. The outside completely belies the inside.
You expect some pretty good hole-in-the-wall authenticity, and I kinda love the neon window painting, but inside the decor is like the inside of your grandmother's very pastoral home with a few token Indian motifs thrown in. Plus, it is way too dark.
They automatically serve you this chip-like bread before your meal. I don't like them at all. They are so crispy that they quickly disintigrate into crumbs and don't have much taste. They are a bit spicy but don't have any real flavor.
See how those two bowls of chicken curries look exactly the same? Well, they are according to the menu two different dishes. They do taste the same though, except the Chicken Makhni, which is the one in the upper right corner, tastes a little buttery. At the risk of being too repetitive, the sauces don't have enough flavor and the naan is too greasy. I do have to hand it to them, though. Those little bowls manage to disguise a very good amount of chicken.
Tandoor India 2622 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 581-9964
A review of Tacos La Flama is coming, but for today we'll talk about its neighbor, Chutneys Indian Fast Food. The idea of Indian fast food is great. I love Indian food and am frequently in a rush. However, I already have a favorite Indian restaurant (Nizam) which has a lunch buffet for $7.99 and you can eat that pretty quickly, too. I went into this ready for a new place, but Chutneys didn't win the challenge. I don't imagine myself going back unless Nizam is closed for some reason.
The above picture is what Rachel ordered. They do have a lot of vegetarian options, so yay for that. Nevertheless, I don't think she enjoyed her meal. Perhaps she will weigh in in the comments.
I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. Overall, it was satisfying, but it wasn't great. The sauce was too watery and oily--which you can see in the above picture was kinda grossly separating as it sat there. Also, there wasn't enough chicken in it. It did come with an ample amount of rice and salad and naan for quite a reasonable price. It was also very speedy. Their restaurant name is, indeed, correct. But it just wasn't good enough.
The 0% juice Lemonade was also a bit disconcerting. ;-)
The restaurant has a Barrington address but its door faces Pico, so it still counts.
Chutneys Indian Fast Food
2406 S Barrington Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Beware, the parking lot is a disaster.
