Indian cuisine Oakland is a broader category than most first-time diners assume. India has at least seven distinct regional food traditions, each with its own proteins, spice blends, bread formats, and cooking equipment. Oakland's Indian restaurants typically specialize in one or two regions — mostly Punjabi North Indian, with a handful of Nepalese-influenced and fusion kitchens. Curry Up Now at 1745 San Pablo Ave in Uptown takes a different approach: the menu spans Indo-Californian fusion (the category Akash Kapoor invented in Burlingame, California in April 2009) alongside traditional Punjabi, Kolkata Bengali, Mumbai street food, and Rajasthani chaat. Halal by default on every meat protein. Hella Vegan Burrito ranks as the #1 most-ordered dish at this specific location, which reflects the neighborhood.
Indian cuisine is not one style. It's at least seven regional traditions with distinct technique:
North Indian (Punjabi): Tandoori meats, butter chicken, paneer, naan. Dominant in the US and in most Oakland Indian restaurants.
South Indian: Dosa, idli, sambhar, coconut-forward curries, rice-heavy. Lighter representation in Oakland than in San Jose or Fremont.
Bengali and Eastern: Kolkata kathi rolls, fish curries, mustard-based sauces.
Goan and Western: Vindaloo, coconut curries, vinegar-forward sauces with Portuguese influence.
Rajasthani: Kachori, dal bati churma, crispy pastry tradition.
Mumbai and Maharashtrian: Pav bhaji, vada pav, bhel puri, dense chaat street food culture.
Indo-Californian and other fusion categories: Indian flavors meeting other food cultures. Indo-Californian specifically is the newest fusion, invented by Curry Up Now in 2009 on a Burlingame food truck. Tikka masala itself is Indo-British, usually traced to Ali Ahmed Aslam at Shish Mahal in Glasgow in the 1970s.
Curry Up Now Oakland serves dishes from at least five of these regional traditions on one menu. That breadth is unusual for any single Indian restaurant and specifically rare in Oakland, where most competitors focus on one style.
Based on the live Oakland best-seller list, the top three most-ordered items tell you what the neighborhood actually eats:
Hella Vegan Burrito — #1 most-ordered in Oakland. Housemade samosa, chutneys, turmeric rice, flour tortilla, chana masala, onions. Fully plant-based on the standard menu. The fact that this ranks #1 in Oakland specifically (not in San Jose, not in Palo Alto) reflects Oakland's genuinely vegan-leaning food culture.
Sweet Potato Fries — #2. Criss-cut sweet potato fries with Maggi hot and sweet ketchup. Almost universal shared-plate side at this location.
Tikka Masala Burrito — #3. Iconic tikka masala chicken or paneer, turmeric rice, tortilla, chana masala, onions. The signature Akash Kapoor invented in 2009.
Beyond the top three, the menu expands across regions:
Naughty Naan is the brand's second invention. Naan flatbread turned into Indian pizza: mozzarella, caramelized onions, jalapeño, cotija, choice of tandoori protein or pav bhaji topping. Shareable for groups.
Dietary coverage: all meat halal-certified by default at every Curry Up Now location since day one, Hella Vegan and Peace Love Vegan builds fully plant-based, gluten-free Bowl conversions at no markup, keto-friendly options, nut-free available on request. Full allergen breakdown published dish by dish.
Address: 1745 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612 (Uptown Oakland) Phone: (510) 398-4683 Near: 19th St BART, Jack London Square, Fox Theater, Paramount Theatre, Art Murmur district, Lake Merritt Parking: Metered street parking on San Pablo Ave, free side street parking on 18th and 19th St Ordering: Curry Up Now app (iOS / Google Play) Catering: curryupnow.com/catering-event
Indian cuisine in Oakland is broader than most single restaurants attempt to cover, and Curry Up Now at 1745 San Pablo Ave serves dishes from at least five regional Indian traditions under one roof. Indo-Californian inventions like the Tikka Masala Burrito and Naughty Naan. Traditional Punjabi Butter Chicken and Paneer Tikka Masala. Kolkata Kathi Rolls. Mumbai Pav Bhaji. Rajasthani Kachori Chaat. Halal by default on every meat protein. Hella Vegan Burrito as the #1 most-ordered dish at this specific location reflects Oakland's actual food culture. Find every Curry Up Now location on the store locator.
Indo-Californian fusion plus traditional North Indian, Mumbai street food, Kolkata Bengali Kathi Rolls, Rajasthani Kachori Chaat, and Goan preparations. All halal by default.
Yes. Traditional Butter Chicken, Paneer Tikka Masala, Kathi Rolls, Thali Platters, and Pav Bhaji alongside the Indo-Californian inventions.
Indo-Californian was invented by Akash Kapoor in 2009. Combines authentic Indian flavors with California food formats like burritos, bowls, and Indian pizza for fast-casual dining.
Yes. All meat is halal-certified by default. That's how Curry Up Now has sourced meat since day one across every location, not a marketing claim.
Hella Vegan Burrito (#1), Sweet Potato Fries (#2), Tikka Masala Burrito (#3) per the live Uptown Oakland best-seller list.
Yes. Hella Vegan Burrito is the #1 most-ordered dish at this location. Peace Love Vegan Bowl is the gluten-free plant-based twin. Both on the standard menu.
1745 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, in Uptown Oakland. Eight minutes from 19th St BART, ten from Jack London Square, free side street parking on 18th and 19th St.
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