Flamin’ Curry, the popular Belmont Heights Indian food restaurant, has opened a second location near the California Heights neighborhood.
The eatery will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 11 at the expansion on Atlantic Avenue, just south of Wardlow Road.
It has been open since July 16 and owner Naveen Choda said the response from the neighbors has already been incredibly positive.
“They say ‘the [smell of the] spices are dragging us over here,’” Choda said.
For $11 to $14, patrons can choose anywhere from one to three entrees served with a side of rice and naan.
Popular choices include chicken tikka masala and biryani, a rice-based dish offered with your choice of vegetables, chicken, goat or fish.
Fried options include veggie or chicken samosas as well as paneer pakoras — a crispy fry filled with Indian cottage cheese.
Choda, a longtime Long Beach resident who currently lives in Whittier, said he first tried to open a sports bar after a lengthy career in computer science, but soon switched gears.
“I wanted to do something affordable, I wanted to do something for the students with limited budgets,” Choda said.
Flamin’ Curry’s first location on Broadway near Redondo Avenue opened in 2017.
Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, said neighbors in his area have long wanted an Indian food restaurant.
“I’m happy they chose to come up here and I think they’ve been welcomed immediately,” Cohn said.
District 5 Councilmember Megan Kerr even stopped in recently with her daughter to thank Choda for opening a location near Bixby Knolls.
Choda said he spotted the location on Atlantic Avenue while driving by. The space had been vacant for over five years since HashTag Burgers closed in January 2019.
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Flamin’ Curry also offers several burritos for newcomers to Indian food. The $11 to $12 burritos come with rice and your choice of veggies, chicken tikka masala or goat wrapped in a freshly made spinach tortilla.
“It’s like two meals,” Choda said.
Drink offerings include rose milk, spicy lemonade, Indian-style hot coffee and tea along with the mango lassi — a mango-flavored yogurt drink.
Chef Sanjeev Kumar, who lives near Fourth Street and Redondo Avenue, previously worked at Bruxie as well as in a kitchen at a five-star hotel in India.
The restaurant grinds its own spices every day and always uses fresh ingredients free of preservatives, Choda said. It also features two dessert options for $4 each along with vegan food and drink options.
Flamin’ Curry’s new location at 3387 Atlantic Ave. is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.