Valley Star

Issue date: 9/29/04 Section: Valley Life

Media Credit: Jorge Gallegos GREAT FOOD, SHORT WALK - Customers enjoy the fine variety of entrees at the Passage to India on Burbak Boulevard at Hazletine Avenue.

As you turn right onto Burbank Boulevard from Fulton Avenue, the compass will be pointing west, but if the destination is Passage to India you are headed toward a gem of the East.



Named after the 1984 David Lean film, "A Passage to India," the restaurant is indeed an adventure. The delicious aroma will guide you to the front door. Step inside and you will be transported to another part of the world where traditional music plays and incense burns.

Simple in décor, the true charm of this restaurant is the warm, friendly atmosphere. Owners Mohammed S. Rahman and Amatul Mowla, along with their three children and extended family, work together to make you feel at home.

"Our customers are like family," Mowla said.

Nitai Panchmatia lives in Bombay, but traveled to Los Angeles on business. When he told a friend that he missed the food from home, she brought him to Passage to India. His face lit up when Chef Miah brought him a surprise treat.

"I told him I missed my somosas and then he just gave me somosas," Panchmatia said.

The mood is comfortable and relaxed. Rahman walks through delighting everyone with stories from India. He stops by each table to ask if everything is OK and to make sure customers are enjoying their meals.

They have an extensive menu expertly prepared by Chef Miah. His specialty is Tandoori: clay-oven roasted chicken, meat and fish. The chicken tikka masala is a patron favorite, cooked with fresh cream, coconut and a special blend of spices.

If you like curry, they offer a wide variety of meat, chicken, fish and vegetable curries made according to your taste from mild to phall hot.

The menu also includes domestic and imported beer and wine, including choices from India.

The lunch buffet is available seven days a week from

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