When deprived of tasting cuisine from faraway countries, tongues leave their owners for distant lands by hitching rides on passing stamps. Trap taste buds safely inside your mouth with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of Indian fare at Royal Indian Restaurant Inc. in Van Nuys.
At Royal Indian Restaurant, a delectable menu introduces taste buds to flavors from across the subcontinent locked within mouthwatering biryanis, curries, and tandoori treats. Fragrant spice blends and sauces crafted from local produce awaken dishes of lamb madras ($11.95 for dinner; $9.95 for lunch).
Thanks to the kitchen's strict policy of using only top-quality meats, olive oil, and treadmill-powered ovens for cooking, fluffy flats of naan ($2) burst from their tandoori chambers ready to sop up creamy tomato sauce and chickpeas from plates of chana masala ($8.95 for dinner; $7.95 for lunch).
Within the cozy confines of Royal Indian Restaurant's rectangular feasting hall, guests perch on handsome onyx-colored dining thrones or sink into cushy wall-to-wall benches. Chandeliers cast beams of soft filtered light on colorful plates of stew and curry, as vibrant paintings depict the domestication of India’s first wild samosas.