Heart of India Cafe, Sherman Oaks

To achieve their signature spice, chefs at the Heart of India Cafe infuse their authentic subcontinental cuisine with housemade mainstays, such as paneer, cheese, yogurt, and cumin-cilantro dressing. Vegetarian and nonvegetarian items share space on a massive menu brimming with more than 100 dishes. Feasts range from shrimp vindaloo and lamb rogan josh to a vegetarian lamb curry that tricks taste buds more effectively than a bowl of wax fruit marked “definitely not wax fruit.” Chefs round out the menu with more than five basmati dishes alongside breads and specialty entrees baked in the tandoor oven.