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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Saffron is a jewel of a food court fast food restaurant. For $7 and less than a minute of waiting, you will get a bowl filled with delicious unclumped(aka sitting there for way to long) rice topped with your choice of vegetarian or chicken options. Fast food that is so good you would swear it was made fresh by your mother.
The flavors, which are probably nowhere near authentic Indian cuisine, are made to be totally inoffensive to any taste bud. The tikka vaguely reminds one of pasta sauce, while the curry isn't too intense. Their new spinach option is pure deliciousness which reminds me of a savory creamed spinach that is not all creamy. . . (does that make sense?)
The naan isn't amazing, but helps balance out the food. The Samosas were ok.
A simple menu limits your options, but each option is delicious and does not fail to please. Saffron, if you can hear me . . . I WANT MORE CHOICES. . .but only if it means more deliciousness.
If you want delicious filling fast but good quality food, Saffron is the way to go. It's located on the same level of downtown 24 hour fitness.
my coworkers and i love this place. the authenticity and the healthiness of the food are both debatable, but the deliciousness is not.
i've had all of the different chicken options and one or two of the tofu, and they're all good and flavorful. garlic naan is perfect, with just the right amount of garlic. for what you're getting (enough good food to fill you up for the day) and where you're getting it (office building food court) it's a good deal.
service is also really fast.
Yeah, I don't know why [some] people don't give this place better reviews. It's cheap (under $8), there is a decent variety, and they are speedy. I mean really I think my coworker and I stood in line 45 seconds just now...would have been quicker had we not been behind this condescending guy glued to his phone who was NOT paying attention (yeah you.)
For lunch today, I was craving something with a small kick and my leftover chicken spinach tortellini soup just didn't sound that hot, considering I had it for dinner last night. My coworker is a veggie, so I offered to grab her their tofu daal and channa masala with extra rice and garlic naan (she saves it for later).
I usually get the entree as well but settled on the bowl since I'm trying not to inhale so much Scheisse these days...and it's all good. As another reader said, I do NOT feel like ass after I eat it, even though I'm sitting at my desk typing this review and finishing up.
Yum yum. I hope I don't "eat" my words. Badabiiing.
Indian food for the masses. So you know what that means, not much flavor, no spice. The rice was mushy, which was disappointing; I've never had mushy rice at any Indian restaurant. But I'm going back. It's a good, different, quick lunch option.
Damn you Saffron...tempting me with your deliciousness after a sweaty workout at the 24 hour nearby....Most of the time I can resist the urge to make a pit stop and hog myself.....but sometimes the call of the Chicken TIkka Masala is too great. Naan is good too. It is fast and fantastic. Definitely better than what you'd expect from an Indian fast food joint.
I've only been here once, and awh . . . they serve your food in a container that "measures" the amount of food they serve [rice included]; not cool.
I think this was weird, they sell SEPARATELY, the Naan bread for $1.85 for ONE piece of Naan . . .
Hello, isn't Naan bread to Indian's, what tortillas are to Mexican's? WHY would anyone in their right mind sell Naan and/or tortillas separately? Anyway . . .
I was NOT impressed with the Masala dish I ordered at $7.65. It lacked "authentic" Indian flavor - BIG TIME. Plus they do not, I repeat DO NOT provide any seasonings aka chutneys.
So if I want to pay $9.50 for a "complete" dish with Naan bread, I want waitress service. This is a "counter order only" place, next to McDonald's.
Next time, go to McDonald's order their Chicken McNuggets w/Mustard Sauce for more flavor . . . really!
Decent food; a touch bland, but can be helped out adding the hot chili powder they provide.
The nan is extra; it's not much money, but quite cheesy...it would be the equivalent of paying for a few tortilla chips with your burrito at Baja Fresh.
My biggest question / concern: what is the nutritional (read: fat) content of this food. None of if is listed, but I suspect that they they use a lot of oil / butter / cream to make their sauces. Just a thought if you care about such things.
Otherwise, Saffron is a good alternative to most of the fast food offered in this food court.
Here's the deal, you're downtown, you're hungry, you're vegetarian....
You walk yourself on down to Saffron, where they have a plentiful selection of veggie and vegan friendly curries, yummy nan, great samosas. The longest I've ever waited for my food after ordering is 4 minutes, they are lightning fast. Their lunch specials are super cheap, especially for downtown and if you're watching your girlish figure they can replace the rice in your entree with salad.
There aren't a whole lot of places downtown where you can get so much bang for your buck and have a decent tasting, healthy meal.
So let's review my four stars:
1. Cheap
2. Cheerful
3. Fast
4. Healthy
As I sit at my desk eating Saffron yet again, I just had the urge to Yelp about it...again. It's just so fricken good. Warm and satisfying...mmmm. You really can't get better work friendly take-out for the price. Whenever I get Chinese or Mexican or whatever else, I feel that nasty "I really shouldn't have eaten that" feeling, but I never feel that way with Saffron.
AND today I forgot to order a drink, and they just gave me a soda for free. Not trying to get anyone fired, but it was really nice and it made my day.
I heart Saffron.
All these Indian food connoisseurs are so critical of Saffron, but for what it is - fast food Indian… Read more »
The concubine and I decided to have lunch here last week. He told me that they have bowls, and we decided to try it out.
I asked register guy how big the bowl is, and it wasn't too small (a bit smaller than a yoshinoya bowl), so we both ordered one. I believe they are $5.95 each. Boy did we feel swindled when we got our order. Yup, straight up swindled. I like to say swindled.
They faked us out and didn't fill the bowl up completely. I mean, I wasn't expecting the rice and curry to be overflowing, but still. There was a good inch and half of the bowl that was left empty. Not cool, Saffron. Don't you know I'm with a hungry beast?! Don't you know I'm a big girl?!
In any case, the chicken tikka masala I had tasted pretty good. It's a tomato based sauce, but the chicken was kind of dry. I probably won't eat here again, but if I ever do, I'll be sure to order a plate instead cuz they will swindle you with the bowls. Swindle.
I'm not a fan of Indian food but this fast food joint is an exception. It's not authentic but it's very delish. I always order double portion of tikka masala. On my last visit I sampled their new spinach dish (chicken saag) and I liked it. Service is usually good but I hate it when they are being chatty cathy. I tried their other curry but didn't enjoy them as much as their tikka masala. The naan bread and samosa are just okay. But the naan is super good when you dip it in the curry. Too bad they don't have the cheese naan like the one from Akbar. Your combo meal comes with two kinds or curry (or double curry) and rice for about $7. Cheap and quick lunch!!
This place is decent for a "fast food" Indian restaurant. I had the Chicken Tikka Masala and I'll have to admit that I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. It had better flavor than the same dish at some sit-down Indian restaurants. Overall, when looking for a quick lunch in the financial district and the choice is between this and McDonald's, it's not a bad option!
Oh, my god.
It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's coming.
For a fast-food joint, located in the gloomy basement that is 505 Flower St, they make some amazing curry. Sure, you're gonna drop at least $10 for some curry and hot naan, or a drink, but it's worth it.
Huh, I'm a little surprised that so many Yelpers rated this 5 stars.
Let me say I was really looking forward to eating here!
I also had never had Indian food before ( I know I know). In my defense I was a little afraid that I would bite into something and then later find out that it's octopus intestines or badger bladder etc.
Hey I mean come on, we all know what menudo and sweetbreads are lol.
That being said I was craving spicy and couldn't wait to try their naan ( which was great) curry and masala. Overall I'd say not bad for my first experience.
A couple things, not nearly as spicy as I was expecting and pretty salty. I am a salt-aholic if there ever was one, so that's saying something.
Overall a little pricey, $8+ for two entrees, small and naan.
Saffron, thank you for expanding my white-girl culinary boundaries. Now I am off to have wild wild international flavor adventures. I will be traveling far and wide, ie across the street from my house, to try new Indian cuisine.
Up next, Lal Mirch !
Flavors could be blamed as subtle but I'd rather say it's more on the bland side. Doesn't mean it's bad, just means that the flavors aren't as complex as what you might expect at a more traditional Indian restaurant. Still, the execution is pretty solid and the garlic naan is really good (and made fresh in the traditional method). Portions aren't overly generous though a chicken & chicken or chicken & veggie platter should fill you very well.
Price is high - think $10 a meal including the garlic naan. The tikka marsala is standard, not bursting with amazing flavor like a Brit would like, but acceptable. The chicken curry is a little better with its creamy tomato base. I had the chickpea curry and it was editably vegetarian (whatever that means).
Considering it's just downstairs, I might come here every once in a while, but I don't consider it anywhere near revelatory.
Let me think . . . overpriced commercialized bland Indian food. Yeah, thanks but no thanks. This place is for people who :
1. Are desperate for a quick indian fix
2. Are lazy yelpers (tisk tisk)
3. People who don't know anything about Indian food and happen to stumble by it.
Eating here and promoting it is like eating at Taco Bell and saying its the best Mexican food you ever had. Five F*cken stars. You got to be kidding me. Would you give McDonalds or Del Taco five stars. Please put the keyboard down and walk away before you mislead other people.
If you are around downtown you might as well go to Gill's Cuisine of India Restaurant. Best bang for your buck.
P.S. don't be duped by the picture of the mother/grandmother. It is just a marketing gimmick right under teddy bears and baby pictures. And what do they have to do with the food?
P.P.S. Flagrant yelpers should be penalized.
I went here for lunch the other day. The food was good as always and I noticed they added some new things to the menu like chicken saag (spinach curry). I also briefly spoke with Jeff, the manager. He said that they were planning on opening more locations west of downtown like in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach. Good news for me since I try to avoid downtown whenever possible.
I love this place! For "fast food", the quality is excellent. My favorite item is the chicken… Read more »
Open til 9 pm, in the same underground mall as 24 hour fitness.
I had the tofu tiki masala (the base is tomato) - and a daal tofu dish (lentils, of course)
The texture of both dishes were great, the daal, tasted like my mom's daal, (healthy, and filling) - and the tofu tiki masala had the colour going for it, but not quite the kick I was looking for. Although, it still satisfied my tummy.
I only ordered 1 piece of Garlic Naan, and the guys gave me a couple extra since it was so late. The menu is simple, but does the job well. But how about a eggplant dish? :)
Thanks Saffron!
3-1/2 stars
WHAT/WHERE?
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Saffron is an Indian fast food-esque establishment located in the basement food court of the Paul Hastings building in Downtown LA.
For about $8, you can get a 2-item "combo" plate with your choice of basmati rice (I've had better) or salad (wrinkly due to "PRE-paration," but delicious and kinda gourmet!).
HOW TO ORDER?
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The combo goes like this: pick 1 item each from the chicken or tofu category:
CHICKEN: yellow curry, tomato sauce, regular curry
TOFU: more or less the same 3 sauce choices
You also have the option of doubling up on the chicken for an additional $.50 or so. I ordered the regular curry chicken and yellow curry tofu, but they ended up charging and doubling my chicken order...oh well, at least they got the sauces right.
FOR THE NON-ETHNIC PALATE
---------------------------------------------
I think the curries are made to accommodate a non-ethnic palate. Personally, I like it when I have fire coming out of my ears from eating traditional Indian fare, but the flavors here are mild. Note to self: BYOK (bring your own kimchi).
Saffron Rocks my world!!!
I'm in LOVE with their Chicken tikka masala and garlic naan!!!
The chicken is so juicy and tender and the sauce...the sauce is to DIE for!
Our company catered from Saffron a couple of times for our meetings.
We use them regularly now. We use to use Gill's but noticed their food was a hit and a miss, but not with Saffron--very consistent and promt every single time!!!
The employees are very proffessional and courteous and very very helpful.
They don't have an extensive menu but neither does IN & Out...but, I love them too...(shhh...my #2 love).
Either way, the only Indian dish I would eat is the Chicken tikka masala and Palak paneer anyway, so I get my tikka masala on at Saffron.
I wish they had Saag!!!
Saffron: PLEASE OFFER SAAG PANEER!!!! pretty please :)
For those who work in downtown (5th & Fig) area, or even live in the area (I think they deliver after 3pm)...I highly recommend this place.
What to get, what to get.....
Saffron is a definite hidden treasure that is sure to satisfy. It's the treasure in the rough, the pin in the hay stack, the one you don't want to let go. When there are so many different options to choose from during the lunch hour (and they are now open for dinner!), Saffron will not disappoint.
Each meal comes with two entrees (your choice of two different delicious indian dishes), rice, and fresh, warm naan. I had the chicken curry and the chicken tikka masala. As Rachael Ray would enthusiastically exclaim- "YUM-O!" The sauces are authentic and fresh, with a really great depth of flavor. The rice was cooked perfectly, and they grill the chicken on site. Also, they gave me extra chili powder, so that I could control the spiciness of the dish- which is a super plus for those who LOVE spicy (such as myself) and those who want a hint of heat.
The portions are HUGE- I guarantee that you will not leave full. What I love about this place is that has high-end flavor, but for really reasonable prices (even for a starving law student!) I also got to try the mango lassi (similar to a mango smoothie, but so much better) and that was also a really refreshing touch to the meal. The naan was to die for- but I would have just ordered it without butter.
Also, another plus is that the service was pretty phenomenal. I came a little early (to avoid the lunch rush) and I could not have asked more. Fast, friendly service. AND they answered any question I had about the menu with smiles and genuine kindness.
I would definitely go back to try to the chicken daal and the tofu daal. This is a really great place to change up your typical lunch fare. I would suggest that you order one chicken entree and one vegetarian entree (but that's my own preference.)
Watch out for this place, I'm expecting it to be the next big thing, the next chipotle, pei wei, what have you. I only wish that it was closer to orange county, but anytime I'm in downtown LA, know that i'll be getting my curry and tikka masala on at Saffron.
Chicken Tikka/Chicken Curry Plate: $7.75
Raita: $.95
Samosa: $1.95
not having to go to Gil's (located in the Stillwell Hotel that smells like bum) to get my lunch time indian fix: priceless.
The food here is decent. It's very basic. The dishes are just sauce and meat, not much else to it.
It wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't wow me by any means.
A little pricey for the amount of food you get.
First off, delivery is only a two block radius. They only WALK to you.. so they couldn't make a trip a few blocks further. There aren't any apartment buildings near there, which just makes no sense with this delivery deal.
Second, Chicken TIkka Masala has different recipes, but I have NEVER tasted anything like that. I called to make sure that I picked up the right order. Apparently, its tomato based, so the taste of tomato is very prominent in the dish. It tasted strange to me. I'm used to creamy orange sauces, and when I opened the lid, it seemed very oily and the consistency was liquid-y, and it was just a very strange "orange" color. I tried to look past the difference in appearance, but it was just strange to me. It was bland, and not authentic. I could barely eat one portion. It wasn't HORRIBLY DREADFUL but it definitely was not something I'd order again.
Third, the naan was good, nice and soft in the middle, but the edges were just hard and kind of stale. I really enjoyed the garlic naan.
They have quick service though, my order was ready in 10 minutes. I kind of like my food cooked to order, but hey, it's not gourmet.
I tried this place when it first opened and totally hated it. I did not go back for months, until today. I actually really enjoyed my meal and would consider going back on a regular basis.
What was the difference? Better quality, less sauce and more chicken. Plenty of rice, and on top of that a nice portion of nann for $0.95.
You won't confuse this place for an authentic Indian restaurant but for a fast food mall joint it was quite enjoyable.
There is not one thing that has not improved at Saffron
Most Improved;
1) the Garlic Naan, tastes like a real Indian restaurant, miles away from what it used to be like, makes lunch at Saffron much better(and price reduced to 95cents)
2) Portion Size/concept- now they give you 2 entrées with rice or salad, much better
3) Website- very professional and slick
4) Chicken texture - taste more like real chicken
Better bit still needs Work
1) Curry - best of bunch, rich flavor and nice tiny bit of heat
2) Tikka - pretty nice flavor but still not too much depth
3) Daal - really just kinda ...well...meh
Saffron is now a viable lunch alternative which is great because it was not in its first incarnation, but I still would not call it a favorite, the main entrées need work in my opinion.
All in All nice turnaround guys, we love an underdog!! (2.5 stars rounded up for a change because of effort)
Really? I watched this place with great anticipation
I work in the building so I really wanted…
Read more »
If you're tired of the rest of the boring food in the food court, Saffron is definitely a fresh and welcomed change. I read the Yelp reviews and Saffron got good reviews. So now, I'm just adding another great review to the pile.
I have never eaten any Indian food before in my life. To be honest, it scared me. But looking for something new, I gave it a try anyways. I decided to stay with what was most popular...the Chicken Masala. I knew that Indian food was supposed to be spicy- both hot and flavor wise so at least I was prepared for what was coming at me.
I am seriously glad that I tried Saffron. You have to try it!!! It seems food court food is making a few steps up in the race to be number 1. Lots of flavor, huge portions and the best bang for your buck for sure. I liked all the flavor in the chicken masala that I just couldn't stop eating eat...rich, spicy, creamy, not salty and so much food. Naan was the buzz so I had to try some. It's like puffy bread with a toasted kind of taste...yummy. It didn't seem like it was simply a commercially spit out concoction and tasted fresh.
I had lots of left over's and took them home for dinner and at the end of the night, had the best leftovers ever. I'll be back when I'm in LA again and saffron is definitely on my list...so what if it's in a food court.that only means it's quicker and easier to get good eats.
Besides, I don't spend my days yearning to post reviews on Yelp on a daily basis. I'm busy out eating and letting others form their own opinion of places.
If I feel like it, I'll share but YELP ISN'T THE FINAL WORD!!!
I just moved to the Bay area and tried Andelou tapas restaurant in the Mission based off of Yelp and I have never been so upset and disappointed in my life. Needless to say, I'm never going there again and Yelp doesn't dictate where I eat.
I've said it before, out of every 4 places people loved I really only liked 1.
If you want good fast-food (and don't want to go to McDonald's for the 4th time during the workweek right next door...), come here. Quick service, pretty good curry. Lots of rice. Of course, it's fast food so it's not exactly restaurant grade, but if you want something spicier for your palate, try this place for sure.
It is just quick. The food is not really traditional indian food it is more like fast food indian style. You will get a little bucket and then get ready to chow down. There are usually plenty of chairs. It is pretty empty around dinner time but slightly crowded for lunch. I don't mind the basement shopping plaza that much. There are a lot of things to look at.
There is a time and a place for big macs, but it is certainly not when you have other options ... ESPECIALLY if the other option is Saffron. Tasty tasty goodness.
First things first: it's really simple and straight forward, elegantly so. There's tikka, there's daal, there's masala. That's it. Why do you need forty options when only three are good anyway?
I ordered the tomatoey goodness that is chicken masala and a mango lahssi. Mango lahssi (pl. lahssium?) are always delicious, but I really like the texture of Saffron's. Very smooth, good ratio of mango to yogurt, not too watery, not impossible to slurp.
The chicken masala was really good, really hit the spot. It was very flavorful and it is weird to say this about fastfood places, but it tasted trulyfresh, like there is a giant vat of freshly cooked ripe tomatoes and spices behind the counter. Not fresh like sandwich place fresh, where they have to reassure that it's fresh. At Saffron, it just is fresh.
Speaking of which, that naan is delicious. I don't like the eggy naan, I like the warm, slightly crusty, still steaming naan.
Generous portions, you'll have enough for an afternoon snack for sure. But be warned now -- absolutely everyone will ask you what you have and where you got it as soon as you stick your leftovers in the microwave. Be warned! and share.
Indian food, it is not... BUT it has become the new lunch place at our office because
1. although it's not reaaally Indian food, it's still pretty good
2. they're new, meaning they have not yet become jaded, meaning everyone who works there is still super friendly
3. they're new. In this case that means there is finally some semblance of Indian food near my work. That's a good thing, next we need a good Thai place.
Areas of improvement include pricing (everyone is telling the truth, it's a little expensive for lunch) and the menu (there's about three items... w00t?). However, they have this thing where you can get two samosas for about $3 and everyone knows somosas are heaven.
I have hope for this little eatery. I'm praying the selection diversifies and they don't start watering down the curries.
6/6/08
OK, they've made some improvements. They now have chickpeas in their Channa Masala and tofu in their Tikka Masala, which is cool because some vegetarians don't like tofu. Unheard of, right? Anyway I do think this is one of the better lunch options now. The staff is always friendly and they always give you so much food.
Nowadays my only complaint is that the boxes aren't very environmentally friendly, but to be fair, hardly anyone's is downtown. That's something I'd like to see them work on though. :)
the napkins that they hand out w/your order are so thick, soft, exceeds charmin plus's soothing cotton, and if i could, i'd give them a billion stars based on their napkins..
its nice to see a fast food-ish restaurant not skimp out on their products.. yknow how some mcdonalds or carls jr will only give you one bbq or house dressing per crisscuts/mcnuggets, & every additional one is like a quarter? well thats an offensive way to cut back costs, & here at saffron, they obviously care about high quality & customer service..
the 2 cashier girls were so polite & professional..
my samosa came out in half a second & was so hot, i had to wait for what seemed like an eternity to take my first bite..
i only got one samosa for $2, but everything else looks & sounds superb..
its right next to panda express & mcdonalds
edit 5/8/08
A few weeks after I wrote my initial review, I was contacted by Saffron to come back and try it. They had made a few tweaks to the menu. Apparently, the "weird chicken" I had complained about was boiled and then put into the curries. They said they were now marinated and then grilling the chicken. They also mentioned they were going to start baking the garlic with the naan instead of just sprinkling on top.
With that in mind, I did try it out again today and have increased the stars to 3 (from two).
The "chicken curry" was good though though I still wasn't overly fond of the chicken. I didn't really taste the marinated meat nor did it seem grilled but it was definitely improved. I also had the chicken tikka masala and I preferred the tomato-y "curry" (why the name change?).
You may now get a salad instead of rice and I should have opted to do that because I did get the naan. The naan seemed smaller but it also seemed less expensive at $.95 for either plain or garlic naan. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time to get the salad with the naan.
Also, there are more choices on the menu now and their plates have changed so you may select up to two curries with still a huge pile of rice (this is why I'm recommending to go with a salad).
Yes, I would go back now. Service is still really friendly and who doesn't like a guy compliments me on my handbag?
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I'm huuuuuuungry! But I didn't want to eat my sad frozen TJ's quiche yesterday. So, I scurried out in the gloomy weather to figure out something good to eat. I spied a new place in the Paul Hasting's Tower food court. Saffron is in between the Rice Garden and McDonald's.
Chicken Masala
Garlic Naan
Chai tea
That'll be $15 please. WTF? Oh man, how did this become an expensive lunch? Okay, fine.
The masala was pretty good. But it came in an odd dish with three compartments, two of which was filled with so-so basmati rice. The chopped parsley on top was a nice touch though. However, as I started eating the chicken itself, I realized it was FAKE chicken. Bleh. Yucky.
The garlic naan was missing the garlic. Could I get back the extra 10 cents I paid for the garlic naan versus the regular naan?
Then I started drinking the chai which was way too hot but when it eventually cooled three hours later (near exaggeration), I could tell it wasn't that great either. I wish I was at some Indian auntie's house so she could give me real chai.
Overall, the menu is very limited with only three choices of chicken dishes and two have a veggie options. There's no other protein choices. They have samosas besides the naan under starches and also serve mango lassis.
I might possibly go back to try a veggie dish but I should consider my poor frozen quiche first before another $15 mistake.
I tried out this place when they first opened and I was disappointed. I went for lunch and had ordered the chicken tikka masala (GOOD!) and tofu daal (just okay) with a side of naan. I walked back to my office...they forgot the naan! =( i was looking forward to that too...I love naan.
I gave it another shot yesterday, went back and since I was the only one there, started small talking with the workers while I waited. I told them about my experience and guess what? He gave me 2 orders of naan, 2 samosas and a drink...on the house! Sweeeeet!! I mean, I wasn't complaining (not really), I was just mentioning that perhaps they were too busy that day (and they were) and just forgot. Or maybe he thought I was super cute since he kept smiling at me and asking if I wanted anything else. Whatever it is, 5 stars for Saffron!
4 stars. Quick Indian food that doesn't taste like over processed "fast food". (Then again, I'm not an Indian foodie, so what do I know?)
What I do know is that Saffron is a good find in my neck of Downtown LA and it lives up to its motto: "Fast. Fresh. Indian". It's just a tad expensive for a workday lunch ($10 and change for 2 entrees, rice, naan bread, and a regular soft drink) compared to some of the other places that can get you a lunch meal for under $10. You do get what you pay for: the basmati rice was aromatic and cooked just-right, and the curries were just well-balanced so as not to offend back at the workplace (i enjoy spice, so the sauces could have been a notch or two higher in intensity for my taste.)
I had the chicken tikka masala (as my standard for comparison) and I tried the tofu daal. The chicken was just right, perhaps a tiny bit dry and the tikka masala a bit tomato-ish, but enjoyable for a quick lunch. I wished for just a bit more quantity on the entrees. Naam bread is cooked to order, so expect a few minutes more, but most worthwhile. I tried the garlic naam and... yum, yum, yum!
There is no "restaurant" seating, but you take your food (either "dine-in" or "to go") and occupy one of the tables in the large eating "food court style" area in the B level of the City National Bank building. Service was friendly and efficient.
Verdict: If you got $10 and change in your pocket and crave fast, fresh, Indian, have I got a place for you...
Great food, a bit expensive
Bad location and parking
Would return again
***UPDATE: 5/22***
I've happily changed my review from 2 to 3 stars. (A very solid and respectable 3 stars!) I hadn't been here in a while and was amazed to see the changes! My original review suggested cutting the price of Naan in half and cutting the serving size in 1/2. Guess what? Naan is now $.95. Wow!!! They also have a cucumber raita for $.95 which is a cool, yogurty counterpoint to the curry. The dishes are now Curry, Dahl, and Tiki Masala. The curry was spicy and the chicken is no longer "cubed" as mentioned in other reviews. Lastly they now feature a chicken salad. Hats off to Saffron for being open to constant improvement while still maintaining excellent service. Nice job!
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Anyone who works in this building took delight in the prospect of an Indian place amid a sea of marginal food court cuisine. This place is not authentic by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a welcome change from Salads 2000, Pizza and Great Steak.
The have 3 plates. Tikka, Masala and Dahl. Veggie or Chicken. That's it. Their massive carb attack (side) of Naan is a couple of bucks extra. My suggestion? Charge a dollar and cut the portion in half; they'll get more sales that way.
The service is great, however, the manager there really needs to chill out. Both times I've been there he nervously paces the place like he has his life on the line. I mean this as politely as possible: either roll up the sleeves and help or get outta the way. I don't need that kind of stress on my lunch hour!
2.5 is more like it.
On Wednesdays, I usually hit the Farmer's Market for a danger dog or huli huli chicken, but I tried Saffron today after much anticipation. They have an extremely simple menu, consisting of 3 dishes served w/ chicken or veggie, 2 kinds of naan, tea, soda and dessert. I opted for the chicken tikka plate and a fountain soda, and dropped $10 even. They food comes in a sectioned plastic plate, with the sauce/curry in one section, a large helping of rice, and a section of what looked like those crispy fried noodle bits they throw on asian salads.
The tikka tasted pretty good, creamy with peas and small chunks of chicken throughout. I didn't care for the noodle bits (soggy-tasting) and the rice was competently cooked, if unspectacular. I have a personal problem with large volumes of repetitive flavors, so that detracted from my final verdict. I also have trouble offering a final verdict without trying the naan (plain or GARLIC /drools), but at this point, I'm not in a rush to go back. I tried a bit of my friend's marsala, and there was definitely fuller flavors and a bigger kick of spice. I'm glad there's another option in a pretty mediocre food court, but for $10, I'd rather head elsewhere.
I walked by this place before it opened recently, and was stoked that this might be the 1st Indian place downtown within walking distance of my lunch break. I can deal with a minimalist menu if a place can do one item really well, but I don't think I'm even going try a return visit.
I got the masala, and it was just some rice and some mediocre, tomato based curry with some chicken chunks. I had to go back to the counter to request some cilantro chutney in hopes of salvaging this meal. Naan is extra.
Maybe it's because I live in Culver City, which may have the highest concentration of good Indian restaurants this side of Artesia, but this was a big let down. Also, it's amazing I paid more here than I do at Somosa House in CC where I can get rice, bread, and 3 items.....all of which, much better.
So, I went back (like I said I would) and just want to note that in addition to the great food ... the staff is genuinely attentive and pleasant. It's a personal touch that is much appreciated when grabbing a bite to eat ... honestly (read my review for Salads 2000), a smile and welcoming personality makes all the difference, Thanks Saffron! :-)
Okay, so it's not Naan & Curry -- far far better, my friend!
Healthy, fast and oooh so delightful!…
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