Orale, bhenchod! Downtown L.A. has a brand-new Indian gastropub with a pronounced sense of swagger. It isn’t going to medical school, it isn’t marrying the person mama ji picked out, and it will spend its days over beef and beer. Badmaash is now soft-open for dinner on Second Street, with a grand-opening planned for Monday, May 13, when lunch service will start. In a bright two-level space of Bollywood posters and pickle jars, overseen by Sugarfish designer DEX Studio, chef Pawan Mahendro (owner of Toronto’s Jaipur Grille) and his son, Nakul, will offer traditional Indian classics like tandoori seekh kebab and chicken, lamb vindaloo spiced for Punjabi palates with ghost peppers, and saag paneer. More tempting, the team has a section of Bombay street eats on the menu like daily fish fried in chickpea batter and papri chaat, plus a genre-pushing range of dishes like chicken tikka poutine, lamb and beef burgers, tamarind pork belly, and short rib-stuffed samosas.
The price point is all under $15, though there is a charge for typically free supplements like raita and chutney. Nonetheless, the result appears to be an engaging new Indian concept in a neighborhood in bad need of one, bucking tradition as often as it pays tribute, with a side of craft brew and wine. Take a look at the space in our slideshow.
Badmaash, 108 West Second St. Downtown; 310-310-3103.
Earlier: Badmaash Indian Gastropub Opening in Downtown [GS]