Sitar: Finding Indian Rhythm in San Diego’s Sorrento Valley

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Chef San Diego

The soundtrack of my youth was WXRK, a radio station known in the New York metro area as K-ROCK, which played classic rock bands like Bruce Springsteen, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Guitar, bass, drums and piano were constant refrains, but occasionally, another instrument would sprout up, including Ian Anderson’s flute, Clarence Clemons’ saxophone or George Harrison’s sitar. Years later, I learned the name for his stringed instrument on “Norwegian Wood.” Harrison learned to play the sitar from famed virtuoso Ravi Shankar. Years later, June at Kids Dine Out acquainted us with a very different Sitar in San Diego’s Sorrento Valley, an Indian restaurant in the shadow of shimmering Qualcomm headquarters that didn’t quite strum, but still skillfully represented the owners’ Indian homeland.

Balvir Gahunian and friend Kuldip Singh met in Punjab, in eastern India, and feature dishes from both the north and south in Sorrento Court. The business partners share the food court with businesses like Kabul West House of Kabobs, Nara i Sushi and Pho Station, but they’re the only game on Saturday night, when they offer a rotating $10.99 buffet.


Indian Food San Diego
During our visit, we filled our tray with Aloo Matar Paneer, creamy tomato sauce loaded with chunks of firm cheese, peas and potatoes; Jeera rice flavored with cumin and peas; Chicken Vindaloo with juicy chicken, spicy tomato sauce and potatoes; Malai Kofta, veggie balls luxuriating in cream, onion and nut sauce; and dark meat, spice-infused Chicken Tandoori served with peppers and onions; tangy cabbage slaw seasoned with mustard seeds; and sliced Naan, blistered and pliable.

Indian Food San Diego
Gahunian was front and center, preparing Papdi Chaat to order. For the salad, which displayed contrasting textures and flavors, he tossed crunchy wontons with raw onion, potato cubes, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, yogurt and crushed green chile, seeds and all.

Indian Food San Diego
Pakoras featured potato, onion and cauliflower deep fried in garbanzo flour. We also enjoyed dishes of soupy yellow dal, lentils seasoned with onion and spices like garlic, ginger, cilantro.

Indian Food San Diego
Gajjar Halwa was a warm, comforting carrot mush with cream, sultanas with slivered almonds.

Sitar’s food was high quality, the price was remarkably affordable and there was something fun about finding culinary life in an otherwise dark food court on a weekend. The restaurant’s become popular with Indian-American families, who congregate to share solid versions of the foods of their youth. You could even say that Sitar’s dining experience is harmonious.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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