A Taste of India

Get food here bc it had the shortest line during lunch rush at the University Village food court. Although it’s nothing great, it’s also not bad. I’ve def had worse at proper restaurants. $ 7.62 out the door got me a 2 item combo which included a soda, side salad, naan, rice, and my choice of 2 curries/​dishes that were in the warmers on display. I noticed there were little labels with names and descriptions of the diff options for anyone who didn’t know what thy were looking at — all these pools of red curries can look the same. 1 guy working the scooping and the register was efficient and friendly enough. I’m full and satisfied (you could even say happy, if I’m considering price)
The food:
1. Salad — little cup of salad with iceberg, kale, carrot slivers, and cabbage. There was supposedly yogurt dressing but I didn’t taste any so I just added my own dressing.
2. Naan — bland, chewy, didn’t eat more than the first bite.
3. Tofu matar — Tofu and peas in curry sauce. Peas taste like they’re out of a can (which doesn’t bother me, just don’t expect the taste of fresh peas) and tofu is of the sponger variety. Dish as a whole is okay, I might get it again.
4. Chicken masala — tender chicken, in run of the mill masala sauce. (Every Indian place has this orange/​red colored creamy sauce chicken dish). Not spicy at all. Not bad.
5. Lightly flavored yellow rice — cooked right, light flavor, good with whatever curry you pour all over it

Went today, and straight up diarrhea (about 3 hours later). To check I ate the leftovers of it like an idiot and worse diarrhea again (about 3.5 hours). I should never go here again

Dont try to get food here unless you want to be disappointed.

I’m not a student anymore but I still come down to the hood to eat here.
What you don’t see on the regular is a fried fish rubbed with a reddish seasoning called ‘fish banana’. That’s what you need to ask for and the best item on the menu.
Chicken curry is more flavorful than the chicken tikka masala. I get both and the flavor balances out.

A Taste of India represents India in the International Food Court at the University Village. It has a wide selection of Indian dishes, both chicken and vegetarian options.
I typically go with a two-​item plate. Some entrée items rotate, usually the spiciest items. I pick the spiciest chicken dish, as well as aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes). The entrees usually never disappoint me. The heat and flavor on the chicken madras, vindaloo, and chili are terrific. Any of these are terrific options if they’re offered.
1 – 3 item combo plates are served with rice, a «salad,» and naan. The rice is sufficient — pretty hard to mess this up. The salad is simply shredded iceberg lettuce with a yogurt dressing. Come on guys, this is too minimal, even for a side salad! It’s usually as tasteless as you’d expect from the description. Naan is consistently burnt. While it’s never badly burnt, it shows some poor attention to detail.
Service runs from decent to pretty bad. One of the ladies can be downright annoying with her pestering if you’re even within the vicinity of the restaurant. Otherwise, no real issues.
Given that the food is precooked, it is crucial for the restaurant to carefully monitor the freshness of its dishes. Unfortunately, this is almost completely disregarded during dinner hours, when the UV is far less busy. No food keeps well for extended periods of time. It’s a little too obvious with curries, given that they solidify after a while.
Another thing that mildly irks me is the frequency that they don’t have any spicy dishes. I definitely look for bold flavors when I eat Indian food. The chicken madras, vindaloo, and chili options may be too spicy for some, but I don’t think they’d have a problem moving product if they only offer one of the 3 a day.
A Taste of India certainly has its issues. Until they change, it is definitely a place to avoid during dinner hours. However, during lunch, it is a terrific option. So, give it a try for lunch. During these hours, it is the best option in the UV.

I’ve been coming to this place for years. Yes, it’s a stand in a food court at the USC Village. Yes, sometimes it can be a little hit or miss. But overall, it’s really very good and a good value. I always get the 2 item combo and have tried many items. The Chicken Tikka Masala is consistent and good, but not spicy. I really like the Chicken Chili. It’s got a kick and is a little salty. I usually get a potato dish with green beans or whatever they serve up that day to balance out the spicy Chicken Chili dish. Some of the dishes can be a little too spicy at times. Ask the guy which dishes are milder or spicier to make sure you get what you’re looking for. Combos come with salad and hot naan bread. The salad dressing is a yogurt based dressing and I like it. I wish the salad was just lettuce, but there is a lot of shredded cabbage. The bread is good, the rice is good. I recently tried A Taste of India in Long Beach on Long Beach Blvd, and that place was not good. This Taste of India is really pretty good! I usually get a drink somewhere else because as stated in other reviews, the food can be spicy and the drinks are on the small side.

— Locale Destination —
It’s on Hoover St and W Jefferson Blvd in LA.
It’s in the «International Food Court» right in front of «USC school of dentistry».
An Indian spot run by Koreans with food prepared by a Mexican.
It’s in a food court right in front of USC school of dentistry. I don’t give a damn about who’s making ;p Décor is pretty outdated but that apply to the entire building. Everything is in the warmer. You pick whatever you want. The combo deal is a pretty good deal. Service was quick and nothing to complain about. Parking is plenty.
— Gluttony Expedition —
I was too hungry and exhausted to check the name ;(
Chicken curry bowl: The lady picked out something not too spicy for me. The curry had nice flavors and spiciness. Iceberg lettuce with some sort of yogurt sauce on the top of the curry. Really not bad.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
Unexpectedly really not bad Indian foods — especially for the price!
Many Indian table service restaurants offer worse foods than this. Decent food for USC students.
********* International food court *********
I often come this International food court for the USC dentist. I wanna explore other food options around here, but I’m usually already exhausted and hungry from a few hour driving up to LA with traffic (I live in OC)… You can eat all kind of cuisines here. It’s convenient and cheap (cash only). I can’t complain.

Very deceptive. Saag paneer, which is labeled spinach and cheese, actually has tofu instead of cheese. Saag paneer is supposed to be spinach and Indian cheese. Some of their other dishes also have tofu in them. That is bad for people trying to avoid soy products. Tofu is no longer considered a health food, as the only good soy is fermented organic soy products, like miso, soy sauce, and Natto.

An Indian spot run by Koreans with food prepared by a Mexican. They get 5 stars for diversity 1 star for the food.

Thieves! They took a extra $ 20 from my hand and denied it. Literally. I am not joking. That put a bad taste in my mouth I could not eat my $ 26 dollar lunch. I had 2 $ 20s in my hand.

Yummy and affordable. You get a lot for what you pay. I got the two-​item combo and it lasted two meals. It came with naan and a small (very small) side salad. The curry chicken was yummy and the dahl was great. Definitely enough food to justify the $ 8.22 total, especially considering almost everything in this food court is overpriced.
Someone got upset because the food place wouldn’t give free samples? LOL This is a cafeteria, folks, not a fancy delicatessen! All things considered, this is pretty good for what it is :)

Terrible food and service. I asked for a sample. NO! we no give sample.
Damn, I learned a life lesson today. If someone doesn’t let you try their goods, it is probably crap and in this case it was. Both my entry was extremely salty.
I am the kind of guy who will eat everything off his plate. I threw most of this food away and felt like I got robbed.

For the USC student looking for cheap and very close indian food, this is a decent option. You don’t get too many options for food and even less for drinks and paying with a credit card costs extra.
On the other hand the food is filling, the naan is tasty (if a bit little doughy) and it’s not too spicy.

I’ve only been to this plaza for Wendy’s, when I learned of the food court I was amazed.
I came during a day that wasn’t swarmed with students. I was greeted by a young woman who took order quick, gave me a recommendation of the spiciest chicken, and even offered me water when i didn’t buy a drink.
I did notice the owner hovering behind her.
Food quality: the naan was not stale compared to other places, the chicken was so spicy I was sweating; so you know
it’s good. And the price was decent;$ 5.49 plus tax.
The WTF of my meal: 50 cent charge for using card? Not cool.
I would come her for a quick Indian fix, and it’s relatively cheaper than the other places I saw.
UPDATE
I went back for a second time. Food was as equally good but the Mango Lassi tasted sour. When I went back owner had me wait until he tried it and he told me there was nothing wrong with it. Something about it being the yogurt and different places do it differently. I ALWAYS have the lassi, it never tastes sour anywhere else. So I didnt buy that. But eh. I was staring at him like, it tastes like sour milk to me. He told me he could put more sugar instead. I asked for a refund, which he denied. But said I could have a soda instead. I don’t drink soda.
I bargained a lemonade and I got back my difference. He wasnt that bad about it, but i will think twice about the lassi.

The service here is terrible. What can be so terrible about fast food Indian? Well, for starters the main dude who slops the food on your plate is a total curmudgeon. I used to frequent this place because the prices are good for the amount of food you get and I love Indian food. On one occasion, I ordered the «chicken wrap» and the man there told me «No! I can’t do that now, I’m too busy!» in a nasty voice. So why is the item even on the menu if you refuse to make it? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Both him and his coworker (maybe his wife) rarely ever crack a smile. Also, the food is mediocre. Overall, it’s a pretty bad experience.

You can’t really expect it to be high quality amazing Indian food for the price and location, but the food is alright for how fast and cheap it is. The naan that they give you kind of varies on what time you go though – sometimes it’s warm, sometimes it’s cold.

Good value if you’re on a poor grad student budget. The food is decent, filling, and cheap, but overly salted.

The food here is okay, not that great. One can get better better Indian food at Manas. One downside to this place is that the food isn’t fresh. They cook food in bulk and refrigerate and serve the same thing over the week.

I am giving this 4-​stars because, its really cheap and every time u are hungry the food is just there, ready in 2 minutes! And trust me! the food is great for it’s price.
They have good Channa masala, and Channa baturas and chats and other great combinations. The chicken item’s are good too.
I would totally sing «2 minutes Maggie song» for taste of india, with maggie replaced with «taste of india» obviously :)
–Smriti

Taste of India is fast, cheap (for the UV), and good. I’m always full afterward. It’s not amazing Indian food, but for the price it is quite good.