ARTH BAR + KITCHEN
MODERN INDIAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN CULVER CITY

 While the Culver City dining scene has really picked up over the past year with weekend outdoor dining making the downtown area appear chic and cool to be at, the dining scene has elevated with the debut of Arth Bar + Kitchen, a modern Indian restaurant offering classic fare in a completely new way.

Arth Bar + Kitchen offers a contemporary atmosphere with eclectic dishes and innovative cocktails. The space offers two outdoor dining areas, including a patio with a view of everything going on in downtown, as well as a lovely indoor space focused on creating a light and contemporary atmosphere mixed with wood tones and warm touches of India with a full bar, chef counter, and open kitchen.

An engineer by trade, but with an entrepreneurial spirit is how Mihir Lad came to be the founder and partner of Arth Bar + Kitchen. Lad had greater ambitions outside of the aerospace industry and found his passion in hospitality. He dedicated time observing and studying how a restaurant's life begins in the kitchen and flows all throughout the front of house while fully immersing himself into every area of the restaurant from: assembling a full restaurant team, analyzing concepts and their potential impacts on the business, and bringing creative ideas to life to perfectly compliment Arth Bar + Kitchen’s contemporary cuisine and bona fide hospitality.

Partner and Executive Chef Sagar Ghosh's creative flair and culinary techniques stem from being trained by some of the world’s most renowned chefs, including India’s most well-known chefs and hospitality experts, paired with pure talent. Chef Ghosh spent time in kitchens in some of the finest restaurants in Kolkata, Pune, Miami, New York, Buena Park and Tustin. In his most recent venture, Chef served as the executive chef at Master Indian Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s premier Indian fine dining restaurant, The Yellow Chili located in Tustin, CA, where he assembled an exemplary culinary team and developed the outstanding menu for the opening.

During our recent visit for a feast on the senses, we started with Small Plates standouts, including the Bombay Burger (lamb, pickle, cheese, buttered brioche bun with house sauce and fries) and the Sexy Fries (straight cut fries topped with green chutney, tomato gravy, and mayo). These two can be a mighty meal all their own. Pro-tip: this is the what a heavenly happy hour is all about.

From the Tandoor, you can’t go wrong with the Saloni Macchi—wild caught Chilean seabass in velvety labneh marinade. At $25, it’s one of the priciest dishes on the menu but it is absolutely delicious. Although, true be told, Chilean seabass is one of my favorite dishes so this was right up my alley.

Other Tandoor options include tiger prawn char-grilled with spice blend; smoked and spiced minced lamb; and char-grilled lamb with spice blend.

While a staple of Indian cuisine is the popular Chicken Tikka Masala, here there’s Cornish Hen Tikka Masala, which is classical yet modern with a butter chicken, as well as Fish Tikka Masala with Basa fish tossed in onion and pepper. Be careful, this one is pretty spicy. The Lobster Moilee—lobster cooked in sweet coconut milk, turmeric and curry leaves—sounded like a must-have dish but proved messy, difficult to eat and somewhat bland. Lamb options like the Lamb Kosha (slow cooked Australian lamb in onion and tomato masala) and the Lamb Yakhni Biriyani (Kashmiri style lamb biriyani served with yogurt sauce) seem heartier and more flavorful.

As for the cocktails, I’m a fan of the Spiced Oaxacan—Mezcal, cinnamon-infused sweet vermouth, tobacco bitters, orange, and cinnamon stick—as well as the Chai Ho—Monkey Shoulder, chai-infused Cocchi Americano Blanco, turmeric, ginger, tobacco bitters and rosemary. Both are complex and refreshing libations.

Consider Arth Bar + Kitchen a west side must-visit for filling and flavorful food.

Arth Bar + Kitchen is located at 9531 Culver Boulevard in downtown Culver City. Open daily from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Call 424-603-4155.

Story By: Jose Martinez

Photography By: Photography by Tonelson