If I am in the neighborhood, I can never resist either eating in or getting takeout from India Sweets and Spices — even if the ladies behind the counter scare me to death. While I love Indian food, I cannot always tell what the dishes behind the glass are, but I know, as I nervously clutch my tray, that I only have a chance at getting one answer, to one question, maybe. So pointing at the dish that looks the most delicious and indecipherable I bleat, in the meekest voice possible, “What is this one, please?” “Daal!” shouts the lady behind the counter. Soup Nazi, hell, this tiny Hindu woman could beat him up, but the food is so plentiful and cheap it's worth it. (And the mango lassis are to die for.) 9409 Venice Blvd. Culver City. (310) 837-5286.

—Elizabeth Bernheim

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