I have been here twice now and do not plan on returning...
The restaurant:
PROS - polite staff, nice ambiance
CONS - extremely slow service.. They pretty much left food on our table bounced. We had to walk to the front a few times to ask for water, our check, etc.
-extremely expensive for mediocre food
The Food:
PROS - The black daal, paneer and tandoori chicken were tasty (though not the best i've had).
CONS - Tiny, overpriced portions. Mostly cream, not much meat in any of the dishes...example - tandoori chicken ENTREE came with 4 bites of chicken! not 4 chicken legs, breasts etc, but rather, 4 BITES. Tasty, but not worth the price.
DO NOT ORDER ANY OF THE SEAFOOD DISHES. Grossest seafood i've had in a long time - nearly choked on the calamari (fishy and rubbery).
Overall - I'm Indian so my tastebuds may be a little too critical but this food was an American version of Indian food...not real indian food. Some of their dishes are tasty but not unique or authentic. It's an intro to indian food for people who haven't had the good stuff yet and/or for those who hate real indian spice.
If you want REAL Indian food and great service, skip Beverly HIlls and head to the ghetto of La Puente for the most authentic Indian food around: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/manohars-delhi-palace-la-puente">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>
The food is excellent - seems a little healthier than traditional Indian food; yet still has many of the classic dishes. Â I live in the neighborhood and visit this place often. Â Shout out to the wait staff and chef for being incredible!
The only issue i have is the new management. Â They don't seem to be doing as good as a job as the previous management - they can often be overheard during peak dinner times and just seems unprofessional in general. Â
P.S. get the dinner for 2 deal - it's totally worth it, and all the extras you get with it makes it soo worth it!
Why does this place always have empty tables for dinner? Â (I'm not complaining; I like it that we can walk in without a reservation and get seated, and it is quiet.) Â The food is very good with both traditional Indian dishes (curries, tandoori, nan, saag paneer, etc.) and interesting fusion dishes as well. Â As with most Indian places, it is easy to eat here with vegetarians. Â The service is always excellent. Â Perhaps a tad bit more expensive than most Indian places, but well worth the money. Â Located right next to the Writers Guild Theater and around the corner from the Laemmle Music Hall Theater, it's a good place to eat before going to either place.
Review Source:In traditional Indian medicine, the seven chakras are believed to be the ethereal centers of energy which constitute the very essence of the physical functions of humanity. They are considered the focal points for the reception and transmission of energies.
The sleek modern dining room with Indian undertones captures the spirit of the restaurant, its vibe, cuisine, and what you can expect from your dining experience. In essence, you won't encounter authentic flavors or preparations, but will enjoy some decent Indian-fusion cuisine.
However, I'm not sure that Chakra always does a good job at nourishing those power centers of your body and soul. Perhaps its because its lack of adherence to such traditions has thrown its chakras off whack! Don't get me wrong, its a good restaurant, but some of the dishes are more fusion than Indian and tend to lose their identity.
That said....to have a great meal at Chakra, I highly recommend the following:
APPETIZERS
The shrimp with pomegranate paste, herbs, spinach, and sweet potato($13). The flavors work together more than they appear to. Its a real fusion of Middle Eastern and Indian flavors.
The stir fried chicken with curry leaves, peppers, and yogurt($11).
ENTREES
The hyderabadi lamb($22). This is a dish I wish(unintentional rhyme!) appeared on more menus. Its a curry made of lamb that has been marinated in yogurt , ginger, garlic, tomato puree, chilies, turmeric, onions and slowly simmered with the marinade, cardamom, cinnamon, garam masala, peppercorns, and other good stuff!
The lobster with a red pepper reduction and masala fingerling potatoes($34). Its one of my favorite lobster dishes.
The roast duck with a red pepper sauce and vegetable vermicelli($25).
And the bhindi masala($16), a dish of okra flavored with garlic, ginger, chilies, cilantro, onions and tomatoes. A delicious classic!
So why just 3 stars you might ask? Well, Chakra also does more traditional dishes, however I feel they're overpriced considering they're not exactly authentic. The desserts are an overkill... they tend to be rather complex, which doesn't always work. A lot of the dishes combine flavors which are a hit and miss, and the consistency of their execution is not always concise. However, if you know what to order(often through trial and error!.......or just understanding the cuisine a bit and what works), then you can have a really nice meal at Chakra!
The food was good but the overall experience is lacking. I was expecting more of this place after seeing the menu and pricing, and was pretty disappointed with the interior decor of the place (given it's location and the "upscale Indian food" vibe they're trying to portray). That said, the food was good. I just can't picture that many actual Indian people coming here though, I'd rather go to one of my local spots where dishes are $12-15 each and are family sized.
Review Source:I use to work at their Irvine location which is where I had the pleasure of enjoying their food. I've never had Indian food prior to working here but once I tried it I was hooked. Chakra's is an amazing place. The owners are extremely friendly and greet each table upon entry. The ambiance is beautiful and sexy. The service is great and the food is flavorful and plentiful. Come visit with a appetite. You'll leave completely satisfied. Check them out.
Review Source:This is by far my favorite Indian restaurant in LA. The food is AWESOME!!
I had the lobster curry for the entree, and for dessert, i had the mud cake with vanilla ice cream. Both dishes were incredible. The staff was very friendly and the service was efficient. The only downside is, its a bit of a pricey restaurant, but, considering its in Beverly Hills, it makes sense!
Chakra is a very nice restaurant with amazing Indian food. I went with my fiance and some friends for a nice dinner and I have nothing but great things to say: the food was absolutely delicious, and the service was attentive but not overbearing. We ordered a variety of vegetarian dishes (eg, an eggplant dish, sauteed vegetables with delicious spices and paneer, more paneer), and they were all very yummy. The spice level was appropriate, but I can see how some might want it spicier. Portion sizes are very generous. As for ambiance: the restaurant was not crowded, but there were a few groups in the lounge areas and on the outside patio. Decor is tasteful, and the music was fine.
Review Source:This is for the lunch buffet only. I haven't been here during dinner though I've heard good things. I wasn't impressed. The spread was average and everything tasted kinda bland... Stale? As if it was out all day. The naan was fresh and quite tasty. The vegetable soup was good. Everything else was just meh. The service was 5 stars and I loved the decor. But the food itself left me... Still hungry
Review Source:If you're looking for a "hi impact" first date place this is it.
Our evening at Chakra was excellent from start to finish. From the friendly bartender at the cozy little bar to the attentive, but not overbearing service the tone was perfect. The food was remarkably good (we had the lamb kebob and rack of lamb).
I think the thing I liked the best was the small back area where you could sit in a booth and draw the silk curtains for privacy...no you couldn't get too frisky; they were still see-through, however they did provide a little exotic charm and a nice feeling of intimacy. The only downside was it was a tad a pricey, but hey you're in Beverly Hills, what did you expect :-)
All in all a great experience.
SERVICE ISSUE: Â
I was there last night for a private party.  The drinks were  reasonably  priced around $10 bucks.  The also tasted pretty good!  The problem is that they served it to us in a PLASTIC CUP. Â
We were in Beverlly Hills and getting served martinis in a plastic cup. Â Â I felt like I was at a house party instead of a professional establishment. Â
We questioned the policy with management and she informed us that two glasses had already been broken and there was some "ordinance" that she was following. Â (lying is never good)
The bar did no less than $10,000 that night. Â A case of glasses is only $40. Â TACKY!
2.5 stars: the most bizarre experience and ambiance, empty restaurant, spotty service, decent food.
I'm not exaggerating, there were only two other tables of humans in the entire restaurant. The lighting was very low and the music was 1970s James Bond instrumental mixed with Japanese tea house. Very odd first impression.
We ordered all vegetarian dishes: saag paneer, aloo gobi, dal and samosas. Nothing was wrong with the food per se, it just was not great Indian food. If I were in the middle of Nebraska I probably would have been impressed. As it were, I expect more in California. I read in other reviews that the food was not spicy enough, but ours was decent and I like pretty spicy Indian food (we requested it spicy).
The service was actually hilarious and I think we'll be talking about it for a while (read: making fun of it for a while). The waiter cared A LOT about his and our pronunciation of the dishes but didn't seem to actually know much about indian food. Worse, we ordered wine TWICE from the menu -- and after he went off to get it TWICE were told (some time later) that they were out of the wine we ordered-- Â and out of the backup he had suggested. Sweet. And the wine list sucked.
Overall, if you are really craving Indian and don't want to travel far...not terrible, but don't go looking to have your socks knocked off. Or to drink wine. Or to be in the presence of other humans.
Our LA office is moving so I guess today was my last time eating here and I can write a fair review.
The food is pretty good. There are very limited options in the area (see my Trimana review) so this is a nice place to change things up. I'm not so discriminating when it comes to Indian food so as long as the naan is warm and pully apartey , which it is, and the chana and tikka masalas are well formulated then I'm happy. The food is a little heavy, eat less than you usually do. You'll thank me later.
General tips:
-The lunch buffet is worth it, $15 and includes a drink, lots of popular options
-You have to ask for the drink in the buffet. I think they think it will cut costs if they only give it to those who claim it, which it will.
-Really dark inside. Bring a flashlight! (just kidding), try to get a table outside unless socal is having another heat wave like now.
I ate here sometime last year and I still have not forgotten about it!
We were blown away by the food. If I can remember correctly, I had TWO servings of the lobster tikka masala (cuz it was THAT good!), their version of the calamari which isn't fried, but sauteed in an incredible sauce, garlic naan and two other dishes (darn my memory!)...then we continued on to the dessert...two chocolate souffles and a custard dessert. Combine that with a few cocktails....and we were golden! I had this blue & purple colored martini which was SUPER stiff :)
Service was very good; our waiter made frequent stops at our table.
This place is very expensive, thankfully we had bought a deal so it was WELL worth it.
I really need to go back here...I hope the quality has not diminshed.
I have no idea why anyone would give this place anything other than a bad to mediocre review. I was initially very excited when we ordered our food and asked for it "Spicy." The server smiled and said, "Indian Spicy"? I excitedly responded with a Heck Ya! Bring it!
What we were brought was incredibly bland, shockingly overpriced food made out of cheap ingredients - especially for a Beverly Hills restaurant charging $12 minimum for an entree. That was "Indian Spicy"??? Perhaps I misheard and he meant "Indiana Spicy."
I have been to Indian buffets for $8 with better, more flavorful foods, and higher quality ingredients. No joke. This was like a bad Indian buffet. You'd walk away angry paying $8 for buffet portions of this stuff much less Beverly Hills prices! Why bother having valet parking when your food is just horrifically bad??
One star because the service was okay (but it was 5:30 and we were only one of maybe 3 other tables)
Instead of eating at Chakra, take half of the money, give it a homeless person on the street. Go to your local, sort of okay Indian buffet for $8 and you'll feel much much better about life.
Wow. there are simply no words to describe how amazing Chakra's is, but I'm going to try my best. I found out about this place on a whim back in 2011 with a group of friends of mine, Chakra's was having a great deal called the MJ special (apparently MJ and his family were frequent there, the last time was May 2009 shortly before his passing, RIP MJ!). I thought, what the heck and went, and boy, I'm glad I did!
Now the review is for what we had on the menu for that event but you should really try all of them. We first started off with some chips and tasty dipping sauce, then went right into the salad with three different types of dressing. For the 2nd course you had your choice of a vegetarian AND meat option; I went for some delicious garlic shrimp and then chickpeas in sauce (sorry, don't remember the name) along with rice AND Naan. Â If you're not stuffed enough they top it off with dessert and a glass of red/white wine. The damage? $45 bucks!!! No way you can beat that!! They only have this special once a year but def stop by during lunch for a better deal, as dinner can get expensive.
The staff are very friendly and make you at ease. I love the low light setting and comfortable chairs, there is even a section where a lounge place can be your private own bungalow complete with curtains for privacy. There are two/three private rooms in the back to escape the hounding papparazzi. A waterfall is at the entrance that is calming and not annoying at all. Parking is available valet but we took the streets and walked to the entrance.
Seriously, I can't get enough of the food here! We had friends who had bad experiences with Indian food but came out as believers! Word of caution: BRING YOUR FAT PANTS AND DON'T EAT ALL DAY. I'm serious. Doesn't matter if you're a world championship eater, by the end you'll be rolling in the (deep) street and dreaming of the next time you go to Chakra's.
I popped in for dinner right before they closed. Ordered a salad because the prices were a bit ridiculous here. Was not impressed with my Desi salad as it was so imbalanced. It was all carrots in huge, thick cuts and nothing else.
The restaurant is beautiful and the staff are attentive. I recommend Ocean Tava in Redondo Beach for a great indian meal at the right price. This place is just not worth the stop.
This was the best Indian meal I think I've ever had. The Ambiance is nice, pretty, and understated. The owner poached the chef from one of the better Indian restaurants in London which basically means that he is probably the best Indian chef on the west coast. The modern twists on Indian classics are creative and offer unexpected but pleasant flavors.
Get a cocktail, they are very delicious. I recommend the #2, it has a sub-continent influence to it that is played intelligently against more traditional western cocktail flavors.
The lamb biryani is highly recommended as is the chakra murgh and the lamb naan is literally amazing.
But the best thing we had was the carrot halwa for dessert. DO NOT pass this up, You will not be disappointed.
More like a 3.5. Â Came here for happy hour on Monday at 6pm for a post-birthday drink. Â We sat at the bar and ordered one of the $5 martinis--the blackberry raspberry lemon martini. Â It was good for $5 but it tasted a bit sweet for me since they used flavored liquor. Â
We then ordered from their bar menu. Â We tried the wok fried shrimp, duck appetizer and seekh kebab. Â The shrimp and duck were awesome--very flavorful and bit spicy which I like. Â The seekh kebab, although edible, had a mealy texture that was off putting. Â Our total bill came out to $38. Â The service was excellent and very friendly. Â I'll have to try their dinner menu to give a complete review, but I'll definitely come back for happy hour.
I love the atmosphere of this restaurant. It's sensual, zenful and romantic. I wouldn't take kids only because of the mood, but children are welcomed, which is nice. The food is tasteful and spicy, which I love. The staff gets a little overwhelmed on occasion, Â if they are understaffed, but they make up for it. Â Very friendly people. Â
Dine in the private rooms if you have the opportunity. You feel like a princess.
*low-key celebrity spot
I was invited to Chakra by a friend on mine last Friday. There was a guest list and I was not on it, but they let me in for $10. I got there pretty early because my friends wanted to get there early, so it was about 10:30. The cost or difficulty getting in could be different at a later time.
I know this is a restaurant but I went when it turns into a very cool lounge. There is a very cool ambiance, sexy decor, and great music. There is only one bar to the right in the back room (from where you enter) but it has all the choices you could need. The bartenders are okay with getting to you but like anywhere when it gets busy you may have to make yourself more visible.
The dance floor is pretty big because they have tables along the perimeter with comfortable seating and the DJ is tucked in front of this beautiful glass waterfall. At first the crowd was shy and only one couple was dancing. Then me and my friends (3 ladies on this night) decided to get up and dance. We were doing our thing and I believe it got the crowd going. The music is mostly R&B and hip hop, which was perfectly fine with me. There was no nonsense and every just had a good time.
I was drinking Ciroc and lemonades all night and they were good. The lady's had Apple Martinis and I'm told they were very good as well. Overall, I would recommend you trying this place out.
I went here on a Sunday evening for dinner, and was expecting amazing Indian food; while it wasn't terrible, it is overpriced for the quality.
The cocktails were decent, but very weak. The salmon dish i had was surprisingly dry and overcooked (not what I expected from a $32 entree). The service was attentive and friendly, which is the reason I will give this a 2 star experience. Maybe it was just the night that I came, but the food didn't meet my expectations.
I stopped by Chakra while waiting for an event at the WGA theater to start. Â The food was delicious (even the happy hour menu), wine was great and the staff was AMAZING.
I'm definitely coming back for a proper dinner.
Although, I am confused why there's a menu dedicated to Michael Jackson.
Ambiance: This place is beautiful. It's elegant and relaxing. It's very large and has private rooms and cabanas. I've sat at both a cabana and table.
Service: The service is slways good. Â One time we arrived 15 min. before they closed and they didn't rush us out at all. They even gave us desert on the house.
Food: Delicious. I never eat lamb, and they have this one dish that's amazing called Lamb Hyderbadi. Â They give you these light chips with 3 dipping sauces, all amazing. My Bf hates dipping sauces and loves them all.
This is my GO-TO Indian restaurant.
Apparently, good Indian food in LA is pricey. But gosh darn, it is worth it! Food here was pretty decent, the chicken tikka masala was delish, not too heavy but strong on the flavor. We also had spinach curry and curry w/ firm tofu (forgot the names, sorry..) Those were both absolutely delightful. I decided I love Indian food :). Garlic Naan was pretty good, worked out well with the array of curries we partook. And although I am not Indian food expert, we did go with our resident Indian BFF, who said the food did not deviate far from traditional Indian cuisine.
And of course, being the dessert fiends we are, we tried Tiramisu, rice pudding, Pistachio Kulfi and mango pudding. The mango pudding was the only thing worth mentioning, it was pretty decent- custardy with a side of mango sauce that complimented the dish nicely. My favorite part of the night was the appetizers. Those fluffly white chips melt in your mouth and the wide array of different dipping sauces it comes with cannot be beat! Again, the mango one rocked my world.
Must agree with Sam N. though that the mango lassi wasn't as delightful as I heard they were...
Service was awesome though, could be because the place was so empty? Also, it is a little hard to find because Doheny is a special street. If your GPS tells you where it is, and you get there, and there is no restaurant in sight, proceed further down the street and you will hit the restaurant, valet parking in the garage, tip only :)
I am sorry but this place is trying too hard to fit into the whole Bevelrly Hills atmosphere and be a  "cool..funky..fusion..sex and the city TANDOORI!"  type restaurant
The food is lacking, and kind of odd. It tries to be modern but the food is just bizzarre. The curries have a funny creamy taste to them. The vegetables and Naan are ok, but the desserts are gross.
Their mango lassi is as thick as liquid cement and the kulfi is nasty.
Its not bad, but I have yet to find an Indian restaurant in Beverly Hills that is better than Surya on 3rd street
we tried a $ level lunch at Chakra Cuisine for $16 per person. Â Surprisingly, it turned out to be the best dineLA meal this year. Â We made reservation at 12:30pm, but it seemed unnecessary. Â When we arrived, the entire restaurant was empty. Â The decoration was beautiful. Â They even have private cabanas for more "private" dining. Â The bar area looks really nice, too. Â Instead of Indian music, our lunch was accompany by house music. Â Maybe this restaurant is more like a night spot than lunch spot.
There were only one waitress and one busboy working. Â Since we were the only customers, it felt like we had our private waitstaff. Â (Later they did got two more tables.) Â We really like the service here. Â People were really friendly, polite, and professional. Â We couldn't help to compare Valentino's unacceptable service with the exceptional service we received at Chakra.
We picked the soup and mushroom for our first course. Â The other one was a simple green salad. Â The tomato shorba was so addictive. Â I could taste the freshness of the tomato in the soup. Â It was a little spicy, and it had a really complex flavor of Indian spices. Â The portion was HUGE. Â When we asked the busboy for another spoon because we wanted to share, he brought us an extra bowl, too. Â That was very nice and thoughtful of him.
Oh how we LOVED the Bharwa khumbh. Â The mushroom was stuffed with Indian cheese "paneer". Â It was seasoned with incredibly tasty Indian spices. Â The mushroom was moist and juicy. Â I could probably eat 20 of these.
For main course, I got the Express Executive Lunch. Â For meat, we picked lamb over goat. Â I apologize for not knowing Indian food well enough to tell you exactly what kind of sauce it was. Â The sauce for the lamb was a little spicy. Â It was so good with the rice (pulao). Â The vegetable of the day was paneer cheese (is that a vegetable?). Â It was cooked in a tomato based sauce. Â The sauce tasted mild and sweet. Â Just as good with rice and naan bread. Â Portion, again, was huge. Â I only finished half of the food was full.
BF got the Masala Lamb Chops. Â This dish was $21 on the regular menu, already more expensive than the $16 lunch deal! Â The lamb was seasoned with Indian spices that I could not identify. Â The lamb was cooked perfectly medium. Â Tender, juicy and so flavorful. Â The potato and beans foogath was good, but it had little bits of beans with really hard shell. Â It was a bit hard to chew.
Our main dishes were also served with naan bread. Â Not just one, but two baskets! Â We each got our own. Â The naan bread was as good as we expected.
We couldn't finish our main courses and asked the waitress for to-go boxes before dessert. Â She sent the busboy to help us with packing the food. Â The busboy brought out a portable tray. Â He packed our food very carefully right in front of us. Â Then the food was placed in a nice paper bag with handle. Â I really like that service.
Before dessert was presented, the busboy came back to clean our table a bit. Â He then put on another tablecloth so we have perfectly clean table to have dessert. Â Another incredible service.
One dessert was called Magic Cube. Â I could see it was a cube. Â But where was the magic? Â The magic was inside the cube! Â Super yummy white and chocolate mousse inside. Â So creamy, fluffy, light, and so good. Â We both loved this one.
The chocolate chip cheesecake was good, but it was heavy. Â After a heavy Indian meal, we were more in the mood for lighter dessert. Â So the cheesecake wasn't a good choice.
For $32, it was an incredible deal. Â We loved everything we had, very satisfied with the service, we were really full, and had enough food to have another meal. Â I was surprise that not too many people came here for the dineLA lunch. Â Maybe most people rather tried the more expensive places. Â But we fell in love with this restaurant. Â We will definitely come back again!
So, I've read these reviews, and honestly, I don't see it.
Admittedly, I've been there once, and just about the only bad thing that I can say about it is that it was quite empty..
But that said, the service was great, the whole place is beautiful, and the food was, actually, some of the best Indian I have had in a while: Â Thoughtfully prepared old standby's and interesting combinations of things as well.
Pricing wasn't like you're normal Indian takeout place, but I think this place plays ball with Tanzore, and some of the other high-fallooting outfits that seem to be springing up.
If you're a big Indian fan, and you'd like to step it up a notch, I totally recommend this place. Â I think they have made amends for their previous sins.
I had dinner here on a Saturday night a few weekends ago. Â They were having a private party so we had to sit in this enclosed side room so I didn;t get a good feeling of the ambiance at this place. Â The side room had a big screen tv in it.....kinda tacky for what is supposed to be a nicer restaurant. Â The party was so loud....I think they shouldnt have private parties and still be open to the public because of the noise, the cramped room, and pretty bad service (since they were mostly focusing on the party).
I like the complimentary pappadum they give you with all the sauces. Â It looked fancy and tasted delish. Â The food was pretty good, but nothing that blew me away. Â We ordered off the traditional vs. the modern menu.
For dessert we had kulfi and man it was like pistacho flavored ice. Â Worst kulfi ever....very dissappointing because we ordered 3 to share. Â Too bad we didnt diversify. Â The mango lassis were kinda icky too.....tasted like super thick mango yogurt.....they didn't get the consistency right.
I don't think I'd return....maybe to try the modern menu...when there isn't a private party.
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