Earthen Oven (CLOSED)

The Tiffany-style lamps, particleboard-like ceiling and leafy plants in plastic pots suggest that the owners don’t expect locals to care much about ambiance. It is a hard sell—especially since prices here are steeper than they are at surrounding takeout joints. But chefs Durga Prasad and Alexander Paul Xalxo (both of Tamarind) deliver a superior selection of unusual and generously portioned offerings. In addition to entrée mainstays like vindaloo and tikka masala, they prepare a wonderfully fiery fish masala, featuring an intriguing sauce seasoned with fresh curry leaves, ginger, coconut and kokum (a sour medicinal fruit native to western India). Among the many esoteric vegetarian offerings is a complex chickpea dish made with ginger, green chilies, pomegranate seeds and dried mango.