The Wooden Shoe was a longstanding breakfast and lunch fixture in Redondo Beach. Since its closure, the property has retained its look but has operated as several restaurants. The latest to occupy this space is the Copper Pot, an Indian restaurant featuring many Southern India dishes.
In LA, you are more likely to encounter Northern Indian cuisine. Menus often feature Northern specialties like naan bread, samosas, tandoori, korma, curry, palak paneer, and butter chicken. Garam masala is a popular spice mixture used.
Conversely, South Indian cooking is more vegetarian-based around rice, beans, lentils, and stews. Dishes such as dosa (a lentil and rice crêpe) are from the South. Southern India tends toward much spicier food, as many tropical cultures do. While I was there, I learned that their chefs are from the Southern area of India.
Dosa is a popular Indian crepe made with fermented rice and lentil batter. It is served hot with a side of chutney, and the Dosa Masala ($14.99) is filled with spiced seasoned potatoes and served with chutney and sambar. The size of the dosa is enormous, and it was fascinating to see that everyone in the restaurant ordered one.
Chettinad Chicken Curry ($16.99) is a classic dish that obtains its flavor from ground spices such as Chettinad Masala. This space makes the dish both aromatic and spicy. The brown-colored curry sauce is complex and flavorful. It is usually very spicy, and they toned it down for their local customers.
My wife’s favorite dish that evening was the Eggplant Curry ($13.99). The curry sauce was thick in consistency, flavorful, and mild on the heat level. It pairs quite nicely with their garlic naan. They use ghee (clarified butter) which gives the naan a fattier texture, and the abundance of garlic makes their naan delicious.
Conventional thinking is that you order starch such as rice to offset the heat from the other dishes. However, their biryani is Hyderabad-based and served in a copper pot. While it was spicy and quite tasty, I was relieved that it wasn’t a dish that I had to run for a glass of water.
Copper Pot also offers tiffin, an Indian-style light lunch or savory snack typically enjoyed between breakfast and dinner. Think of it as an Indian version of a lunch special. Prices range from $8.99 to $14.99.
Gluten intolerant individuals will appreciate the number of gluten-free offerings on their menu. Most of our favorites, such as chicken tikka, copper pot vegetarian biryani, and saag paneer, are prepared gluten-free.
Cooper Pot, 1511 Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; 310.504.0777; copperpotla.com