Long Beach’s Cali Chilli continues to showcase contemporary Indian cuisine

Long Beach Food Scene Week kicks off July 31 and runs through Aug. 9, celebrating our city’s ever-evolving food culture. To uplift our chefs, restaurateurs, managers, bartenders, line cooks, servers, bussers, and everyone else who makes Long Beach hospitality what it is, I will be highlighting specific participants—like this focus on Cali Chilli.

Cali Chili has not only been continually updating its menu since opening in 2022 but also continues to define (and defy) what Indian food can be in Long Beach.

“We certainly have some Indian families come in and ask us for more spice,” said Praveen Nair, chuckling slightly. “We try to accommodate them as much as possible, but ultimately, we are trying to accommodate everyone. Cali Chilli is a way to both introduce people to Indian food that might not have experienced it beforehand as well as give those who love Indian food a new interpretation.”

Their Long Beach Food Scene Week menu—a full array of prix fixe lunches and dinners that give diners a little bit of everything—exemplify that spirit.

Never been to Cali Chilli? Their LBFSW 2026 menu is the perfect way to introduce yourself.

For Cali Chilli’s full offerings for LBSFW 2026, click here.

Cali Chili’s Long Beach Food Scene Week menu is designed as one of the easiest (and most approachable) ways to discover the depth of Indian cuisine without feeling overwhelmed by an expansive menu. Rather than asking diners to navigate unfamiliar names or commit to a single entrée on its own, each prix fixe tandoor combo arrives as a complete meal. You have your choice of saffron ghee rice or garlic naan, Cali Chilli’s signature curry sauce, and a fresh citrus or Caesar salad alongside expertly prepared Indian-style proteins.

Diners can compare the smoky spice of the Tandoori Chicken Tikka Boti Kebab. Or the bright herbaceousness of the Hariyali Chicken Boti Kebab—a personal fave. There’s the rich creaminess of the Malai Chicken Boti, or the lightly charred sweetness of the Tandoori Shrimp Tikka. Even vegetarians have a standout option with the Stuffed Tandoori Mushroom option, where funghi are filled with paneer before being roasted until caramelized.

And with every combo being between $26 and $32, it’s valuable as well.

What makes Cali Chilli such a cog in the Long Beach food scene.

Chef Manjunath Mural—the chef behind Singapore’s much-lauded Song of India, which has been receiving consecutive Michelin stars since 2015—once told me, before I met him face-to-face, that Indian food has a “depth many don’t care to dive into. It’s steeped history, traditions, ingredients, and techniques — but it is still common to define it as ‘niche.’ It’s often kept to the genre of ‘family restaurant’ in many parts of the world, where it’s not real Indian food if it isn’t cheap and doesn’t have some type of chicken tikka on the menu.”

This idea steeped in stereotypes—that Indian food is relegated to the homey, found-in-your-family-kitchen that sticks to tradition strictly—has become the epicenter of Mural’s ethos: Just as colonized India provided nearly the entirety of the world with an access to new flavors, Mural wants to create an Indian cuisine which straddles traditional and innovation, one which showcases the idea that Indian food can be malleable, open to interpretation, and willing to blend with other cultures.

In this sense, Cali Chill provides Long Beach with a constantly evolving and revolving look at what Indian food is and could be.

Cali Chilli’s expansion into DTLA marks the brand’s first reach beyond Long Beach.

Cali Chilli opened in late May of 2022 in Lakewood Village, crafting the space to be a dinnertime destination with much success. With its brass-trimmed glass bar shelves, color-changing LED lights beneath the barstool seats, and tall, industrial ceilings, it was a space that both didn’t take itself too seriously and catered to its nearby communities. The restaurant’s unique menu continues to be a play on the American tendency to insist that foods from other countries must be served “authentically,” loosely defined as strict adherence to tradition or, more often, cultural tropes.

And it’s working: Praveen has opened the space’s second location in Downtown Los Angeles in the heart of Little Tokyo. The pros? A massive footprint that goes beyond its Long Beach sibling and, even better, a great patio space that can expand the restaurant’s love of brunch and drinking.

“It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to get a patio here [in Long Beach] but I hope, perhaps, some of our patrons will make the trek to visit our new location,” Praveen said. We’re extremely proud of it.”

A look into some choice highlights…

From lobster panang and a stellar calamari dish to puri and Kashmiri-laced fish filets, Cali Chilli’s menu continually evolves and adapts.

Cali Sticky Ribs ($25): Korean-Inspired Sticky Sweet Ribs

Eggplant Bharta Lasagna ($20): Smoky Tandoori-Roasted Mashed Eggplant | Mozzarella | Paneer

Cali Chilli Pot Pie: Butter Chicken ($26) | Paneer ($26) | Lamb Rogan Josh ($28)

Lobster Panang ($64): Sautéed Butter Lobster | Thai Panang Curry | Jumbo Prawns

Dahi Sev Puri ($16): Puffed Puri | Yogurt | Mint Chutney | Tamarind Chutney | Onion | Cilantro | Fried Gram/Chickpea Flour Vermicelli Noodles

Korean Calamari French Bean ($20): Deep-Fried Calamari | Korean Sauce

Chicken Momos (Steamed) ($16): Steamed Dumplings | Minced Chicken | Homemade Szechuan Mayo Sauce | Soy Sauce

Tandoori Sea Bass ($42): Kashmiri Chili | Turmeric | Flash-Grilled

Gilafi Seekh Kabab ($28): Minced Lamb Kabobs

Truffle Chicken Tikka ($25): Creamy Truffle-Marinated Chicken

Cali Chilli Paneer Achari ($22): Indian Pickle Marinade | Tandoor-Roasted

Tellicherry Shrimp ($25): Roasted Black Pepper Shrimp | Buttery Grits

Cheese & jalapeño kulcha: Cream cheese | Jalapeño | Onion

Cali Chilli is located at 4111 N. Viking Way.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on March 23, 2025. It has since been updated to better reflect the restaurant’s current state.