The One Kosher Restaurant LA Needs, But Doesn’t Have

When my family and I arrived in America in 1989, there was one place in Los Angeles that, for us, was almost as magical as Disneyland: The Sizzler on Wilshire Boulevard in the city’s Miracle Mile, close to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. 

Back in Iran, the only buffets I had ever seen were at weddings (or memorials), rather than at restaurants, which probably explains why I rubbed my eyes in amazement the first time my parents paid for a $7 buffet meal at The Sizzler, handed me a plate and pointed to a smorgasbord of food options at the center of the restaurant. 

I was bewildered. When I sat down to join my family at the table, my plate was overloaded with meat, fish, pasta, vegetables, fruit, rice, bread rolls, French fries, beans and salad. It didn’t matter that I didn’t even like salad; it was an All-You-Can-Eat buffet and I Ate-All-I-Could. Naturally, I finished the meal with a bowl of radioactive-bright-green Jell-O. My father had to stop me from pouring myself a cup of coffee and consuming that, too, because I was so excited at the sight of all that endless food. 

It wasn’t that I ever went hungry in Iran. In fact, my mother, grandmothers and multitude of aunts (10 aunts total) never stopped forcing me to eat. But when I entered that Sizzler, I believed there was something uniquely American about the concept of a buffet restaurant. In hindsight, perhaps it was a uniquely American experience because it involved over-eating. 

Years later, I learned that many Americans associated buffet restaurants with places that serve Indian food (or Las Vegas buffets). There is something wonderful about Indian buffets; the choices are plentiful, but not overwhelming (like at The Sizzler or in Vegas); the options truly constitute comfort food (think of warm, fluffy breads and rich curries and stews) and the prices are affordable. 

Over the years, my family and I explored new restaurants in the city, but every now and then, we went back to The Sizzler. When more relatives joined us from Iran, we all went to The Sizzler together and, to my mother’s chagrin, some of our family members left the restaurant with rolls and breadsticks stuffed in their pockets and purses. The slogan became All-You-Can-Eat-and-Take-With-You.

One day, I drove by The Sizzler and saw that it had closed down. A large sign declared that the restaurant had filed for bankruptcy. I’m not going to exclusively blame the downfall of the old Sizzler on Wilshire Boulevard on my refugee family’s eating habits, but I do believe we may have had a hand in its unfortunate demise. That Sizzler was a cherished chapter in the book of our early years in this country. Too bad it ended with Chapter 11. 

Today, the building still remains between La Cienega Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, but it’s completely boarded up. Since this is L.A., someone will purchase the land soon enough, demolish the space of my former Jell-O-filled wonder and build a narrow boutique hotel with an even narrower pool on the roof.

In the years that passed, my family and I began keeping strictly kosher, but we had a unique problem: We love Indian food and buffets.

And in the years that passed, my family and I began keeping strictly kosher, but we had a unique problem: We love Indian food and buffets. But The Sizzler had closed. And I probably should have made this point earlier in this column, given the headline, but there is no Indian kosher restaurant in Los Angeles. 

There are vegan Indian options that don’t have kosher certification, but strictly kosher customers can’t enjoy them. And as far as kosher restaurants are concerned, there are options for delis, cafes, fancy dairy restaurants, pizza joints, burger joints, sushi, Thai, Chinese, Persian, Mexican, Israeli and American food, and one fantastic restaurant called La Gondola whose name we all grossly mispronounce. 

There was an excellent Yemenite restaurant called The Magic Carpet on Pico Boulevard, but it closed. It’s probably for the best, given that today’s woke culture would have forced the place to change its name to The Charming Armchair. 

This city doesn’t need another burger joint (though my happy place is Jeff’s Gourmet). And every new eatery that opens up seems to offer some variation of watered-down Israeli food. The last thing L.A. needs is one more place to find kosher schnitzel or shawarma.

I ask forgiveness from the hard-working restaurateurs and their staff if I seem dismissive of their labor and sacrifice, especially after a devastating pandemic that wreaked havoc on many local restaurants. I know that each of these places is a gift to our community. I’ve also traveled enough to know that we’re very lucky in Los Angeles to have so many kosher options. Some cities have none; others have that one, terrible pizza cafe where the very Israeli chef asks why the Americans aren’t eating their pizza with rotev (look it up, it’s delicious).

Am I spoiled? Yes. In one day, I can eat out in L.A. and enjoy a kosher French baguette and jam for breakfast, incredible falafel, laffa bread and babaganoush for lunch and decadent Persian kabob for dinner. But I’ve always wanted to sit down at an L.A. restaurant and enjoy some Aloo Gobi and naan in peace, knowing they’re kosher. 

I’m aware that I can make Indian dishes at home and buy kosher Indian naan at Trader Joe’s. I’m also aware that I’ll be washing dishes for a long time afterward and it simply won’t taste as good. 

There’s a kosher Indian restaurant (dairy and vegetarian) in Seattle called Pabla Indian Cuisine that I daydream about often. And if you really love kosher Indian food, visit New York City, where there are at least four such restaurants, including a Glatt kosher meat option. I believe a kosher Indian restaurant in L.A. would be the most exciting [kosher] culinary addition to the Jewish community since La Gondola added chicken and waffles to its appetizer menu. Don’t worry, they’re parve. 

Imagine craving Indian food on a rainy night or while watching a movie at home and actually being able to enjoy kosher [take-out] Indian appetizers, main dishes, desserts and even a nice, cold mango lassi. You could ask for mild, rather than spicy foods for your little ones (unless the owner is Sephardic or Mizrahi and pops hot peppers like Doritos).

So why isn’t there a kosher Indian restaurant in L.A.? Perhaps restaurateurs (and more importantly, investors) believe there’s no demand for it. Perhaps, as a community, we’re satisfied with endless shawarma, schnitzel, bagels and a box of kosher pizza that costs nearly $25. But I don’t believe that. I’ve seen the incredible tapestry of Jewish Los Angeles and our culinary richness extends far beyond the realms of bagels and rotisserie chicken (which, before the pandemic, cost $10.99 but today, one chicken sets you back nearly $20).

If an Indian buffet opens in L.A. (or anywhere), it would have to be vegetarian or dairy; kosher meat is so expensive that an All-You-Can-Eat kosher buffet that served meat dishes would go bankrupt after a few weeks. One thing is certain: If a kosher Indian restaurant opens in L.A. and fails, we’ll never have another one again because it would send a clear message that such a place simply isn’t wanted here.

If such a restaurant does open, I’ll be the first in line to be seated. I might even leave with a piece of fluffy naan in my purse. 

But if such a restaurant does open, I’ll be the first in line to be seated. I might even leave with a piece of fluffy naan in my purse. And then, it’ll be time to tackle my next gastronomic grievance against L.A.: The fact that I can’t sit down at a restaurant and get a big, heaping bowl of gloriously messy [kosher] spaghetti and meatballs anywhere in this city.

Tabby Refael is an award-winning, L.A.-based writer, speaker and civic action activist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @TabbyRefael.