Was looking for the name of an Indian restaurant in Montrose (with no luck - wonder if I’m completely mis-recalling the location) and Yelp tossed in a suggestion for Cafe Lanka in La Crescenta.
I’ve no experience with the cuisine, other than what I’ve read here and back on Chowhound, but it looks like they have some vegetarian/vegan options so we’ll try it at some point.
Looking at the menu, is there anything on the veg*n end of things you’d recommend checking out?
We’ve been to India’s Flavor - and enjoyed it- but that’s not it. Problem is we went to this other restaurant in August 2004, the first month we were in town, and now can’t recall where it was. For all I know it was out in Upland… all we can clearly remember is that we took the 210 to get there. Tiny place, run by a family, don’t think there was any meat on the menu… And that’s it. We’ve not found it again. 
I’ll ask my sister. She’s lived in Altadena/Flintridge for years - is a vegetarian and a Satsungi. She knows a lot of vegetarian Indian & Asian restaurants. It’s worth a try. I’ll get back to you.
Thank you! It’s one of those “fond memory” meals - we were tired, hungry, and at least a little lost - we were made to feel welcome and valued, with lots of smiles and great service. I remember the food being good, but not the details (they overlap a bit with early meals at Paru’s). More a memory of the feeling, if that makes sense.
(Have the same association with an Italian-American restaurant we stumbled into about the same time that we’ve not found again - that was somewhere in the SGV, somewhere south of Pasadena, possibly south of the 10.)
Still haven’t heard back from the sister. She’s been hibernating this summer 
. But I’m going to see her at a family thing next week.
Okay… My weird sister texted me. She said the restaurant is called Lozano’s in Monrovia. I said “Uh… Isn’t Lozano’s an Italian name?” She wrote “It’s Mexican and very healthy food.” Now mind you, I had asked if she remembered a small, family owned, vegetarian, Indian restaurant in La Crescenta - Montrose area, or near the 210. When I reminded her of this she wrote “Oh yeah. I think there is someplace like that in the S Sfv.” 
I think she meant S SGV… I think 
. In short, she was no help. I might have another run at her this weekend… maybe.
I’ve been to Cafe Lanka and it’s quite good! They have a really small menu but everything we had was very good.
Thanks @matthewkang. I was thinking about that. Why not check it out? it sounds great.
I know how it is when you come across a little gem, like the place you’re looking for. Then they close or you can’t find them. Years ago - on special occasions - my family went to this Thai restaurant on Melrose, closer to Larchmont. You’d walk up this stone pathway - past a garden with koi ponds and small, stone temple replicas - into a converted bungalow. The family was so welcoming and the food was not prosaic. They made this delicate tasting gelatin/pudding dessert with rosewater. I didn’t even know rosewater was used in Thai cooking. Anyway, I don’t know what happened to them and I’ve never found anyone who’s been there… Like it was a dream.