CaliChilli - Unauthentic Indian Restaurant

A Michelin-Level Chef Fuses Indian Flavors at Long Beach’s Cali Chilli | Eater LA

"In Long Beach's Lakewood Village I found a purposefully “unauthentic” dinner destination from chef Manjunath Mural and Sanjeev Kapoor that blends Indian, Mexican, Italian and Los Angeles flavors and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The brass-trimmed glass bar shelves, color-changing LED lights beneath the barstool seats and tall industrial ceilings set a playful, modern vibe while the menu deliberately subverts expectations: Mural seasons chicken tikka with parmesan and white truffle oil instead of heavy chili and ginger, and reimagines lasagna by layering slivers of eggplant with paneer and drizzling butter masala on top. Alongside those experiments the kitchen offers nachos, quesadillas, flatbreads and Korean-leaning dishes across dinner and brunch; the team plans to update the menu roughly every six months and pitches the concept as “Michelin-grade comfort food.”" - Brian Addison