Visit #1 ·
★★★★★First visit to Anar, so I'm treating this like reconnaissance. North Cahuenga isn't exactly where I'd expect a solid Indian spot to land, but here we are.
I went broad on purpose — when I don't know a kitchen yet, I want to see range. I'm not going to tell you exactly what I ordered because honestly I was moving fast that day, but I covered enough ground to get a read on the place. What I was paying attention to: spice build, consistency in the sauces, whether the bread came out fresh or had been sitting.
The masala base on whatever I had showed some restraint — not the nuclear option, not the watered-down version they think Americans want. That's a decent sign. Somewhere in that kitchen someone has a opinion about how the food should taste, and I respect that.
Service was fine. Nothing memorable, nothing annoying. That's neutral, which on a first visit is actually okay. I don't expect anyone to know my name yet.
Here's my honest take after one trip: the potential is there. Cahuenga's got enough foot traffic that a place like this either figures out its identity fast or it drifts toward whatever keeps the doors open on a Tuesday. I've seen it happen.
I need to go back. One visit tells you almost nothing — it tells you whether to bother going back, and the answer here is yes. Second visit I'll get specific, order the same two or three things I tried today, and see if the kitchen is consistent or if I just caught a good shift.
Receipt is filed. August 24th, 2024. I'll be back.