Zaika Indian Cuisine, Bakersfield

Chinese-style vegetable fritters soaked in a soy-based gravy. Delicate rice crepes filled with housemade cheese or coconut chutney. At Zaika Indian Cuisine, the culinary team incorporates a few of these Indo-Chinese and South Indian specialties into a menu that's mostly composed of North Indian classics. Those range from ginger- and garlic-flavored chicken slathered in cashew sauce to fish and potatoes doused in a fiery chili sauce. For vegetarian and gluten-free diners, the cooks sauté okra in traditional spices and toss veggies, dried fruits, and roasted nuts into creamy sauces. More than 10 Indian breads can accompany feasts in the dining room, where the walls are painted a bright yellow color reminiscent of turmeric or a chameleon perched on a coward's shoulder.