Kahani Photos
Kahani Popular Dishes
KAHANI ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Kahani
Recommended Reviews - Kahani
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Ambiance..so elegant and love the paintings. Just need some bollywood music Service..fast and friendly. It was amazing to meet the chef too at the end. Food. We did taste of kahani..amazing food and plenty of diff flavors and choices and accommodating to our dietary needs. I also love the papa in beginning and the chai and biscuit at end and thet they had thumps up. Loved my chai old fashion as well. Just amazing and good price.
Came here with friends to celebrate my husband's birthday, and it was such a great experience. The space is beautifully decorated with warm wood tones, earthy colors, and subtle pops of red. Our friends were a little hesitant at first since they hadn't enjoyed Indian food in the past, which is actually the exact same conversation my husband and I had before our first visit. But just like us, they ended up loving every dish!!! The food came out quickly, everything was flavorful, and we all left completely satisfied. Each dish is like a work of art. The attention to detail is spectacular. Our server was also very sweet and attentive, which made the experience even better.
From the moment we arrived at the Ritz Carlton, our experience was elevated thanks to Curt, who helped us with our bags and kindly offered to make dinner reservations. Though we initially declined, he went above and beyond by placing tentative reservations for us at Kahani -- and what a wonderful surprise that turned out to be! When we arrived at Kahani, Larry warmly welcomed us, already expecting our arrival thanks to Curt's thoughtfulness. Larry was incredibly kind, friendly, and such a fantastic representative for the restaurant. Our server, Summer, was equally amazing -- attentive, personable, and full of great recommendations. The cocktails were outstanding (highly recommend the Pink Lotus!), and the curry sampler was beyond delicious -- so much food, bursting with authentic flavors. The ambiance was gorgeous, the service was impeccable, and the entire experience left us thoroughly impressed. We can't wait to return with family and friends to share this gem of a restaurant. Kahani is truly a must-visit!
We came back tonight for our 4th time and Larry greeted and seated us at a beautiful table which is very private. It took a while for the waiter to come over but once he did, the service was exquisite!! I love the vibes and the food is sophisticated and delicious! We came back tonight for our 4th time and Larry greeted and seated us at a beautiful table which is very private. It took a while for the waiter to come over but once he did, the service was exquisite!! I love the vibes and the food is sophisticated and delicious! My favorite was the gluten-free spinach pakora! I ate so much of it, it was delicious, now I'm going to have to work it off. Our waiter was amazing, he was so sweet! The sea bass is sensational and so is the scallop appetizer. A+.
As a former steakhouse in the ritz, the space is really great with wood paneling and Indian art for sale. The service was very attentive. You could tell they used nice ingredients like Mary's chicken, but the curries were very average though served in a fancy setting with ritz prices. Chicken was prepared well but with chicken tikka and other chicken curries, the proteins (chicken or paneer) offered alongside the curries were redundant and unnecessary. Seemed a bit like they were trying to justify the high prices with these dishes. Overall a bit too oily and we had a stomach ache later. The curry sampler for two was enough food for four. Wish they focused more on the recipes and fine dining quality/quantity.
I was really excited to try this restaurant because I am Indian and love Indian food. Unfortunately, was disappointed with the food. For positives, the service was great. Our waitress was attentive and friendly and our water cups were never empty. Ambiance was also great, felt intimate in our little booth and they had live guitar music. The food was just not good. We ordered the pakora, burrata salad, and short rib. Everything felt like it was trying too hard to have interesting ingredients and look cool vs actually tasting good. The burrata salad was very bland and weirdly had freeze dried strawberries in it which threw the taste off. The short rib was pretty good but just heavy so I'm glad we shared. We also got the galab jaman which was very good and I had a margarita which was average. Overall, will not be back.
Beautifully appointed restaurant serving outstanding Indian food from a curated menu with a mix of perfectly prepared perennial favorites and innovative chef's creations. Now, down to basics! We shared the 'Sampler' (thali) anchored by the rack of lamb. All 5 dishes we selected were really top class. Have to mention the 2 chicken dishes (tikka masala & Chettinad) and the coconut shrimp. Lamb chops were perfect, cooked medium, very tender and lightly seasoned. Service throughout was consistent with the standard of the food. Full disclosure: Indian cuisine from all regions of the country is my favorite food and I lived in the UK (where Indian food can arguably be described as the favorite cuisine!!) for 20 years. Lastly, a shout-out to Larry the host. He had the knack of making us feel welcome and graciously accommodated our move to another (better?) table...
Thank you to the staff for making our anniversary so special. From the beautiful set up to the personal touches. Our dining experience was amazing! We ordered the sampler and every single dish was delicious. We couldn't pick a favorite! The post dinner digestion tea and cookie was such a nice touch. We can't wait to return
A 4.25 for me. Kahani has delicious food that's authentic Indian and serves up Indian fusion too. The food here is NOT Americanized as many have mentioned. Faves were - Chilean Seabass, malai chicken, Methi chole, saag paneer, masala chai, cucumber raita, mango lassi cheesecake. Their chai was such a lovely ending to the meal. Notable - chicken tikka masala - good, but had a higher than normal smoky tandoori flavor. Needed a little more sweetness. The issues. Food was delicious, but an hour later felt very lethargic. Leftovers - The next day I had 2 pieces of shrimp with some rice and felt so sleepy. The day after I had the leftover raita and literally 4 bites and I felt so heavy and bloated. It makes me wonder what's so heavy in their raita. This is so common when eating Indian food outside, most places do this to me, but not all. Second, this restaurant is very overpriced. My guess is cuz it's at the ritz, but defi overpriced. $35 for a vegetarian entree and $21 for dessert is insane. $68 for seabass. Understood prices are up, but still very high. Again, maybe it's due to location at the ritz. Still worth going. I will be back for their afternoon tea at some point. I prob need to stick to their nondairy items. I can't handle the dairy and heavy food.
Been looking forward to come to Kahani for quite some time. Because of prices it offers we decided to wait until a special moment comes around. And when that special moment finally came, it is sad to say the food and service didn't deliver what we expected. We had the set menu for $65 a person which isn't that bad considering it's a three-course menu. For starters the Poppadom served with chutney on the side was delicious. Crunchy with a hint of Indian spices but not traditionally peppery. Next came the Corn and Cardamom Bisque. We tremendously enjoyed it. Creamy and lightly sweetened with a slice of toasted ciabatta, decorated with little flowers. After having the bisque it seems that particular dish was far too heavy already. Then came our second course the Roasted Chicken in coconut curry with seasonal vegetables and Masala Paneer. Both dishes' descriptions on the menu sounded delicious. However the dishes were not quite we thought would be based on the descriptions. Unfortunately they tasted dry and bland. The last course was the Cardamom Cheese Cake. It was very good which came with blueberry jam and the popular Indian Gulab Jamun. And lastly we were served chai latte with a cookie. By the end of the meal with service long in between, we were feeling very stuffed. I would say Kahani is a fusion dining experience not the traditional Indian fare we were hoping to be.
I love Indian food, especially fine dining Indian cuisine. When I lived in Asia I was lucky to be able to dine at such legendary Indian restaurants as Rang Mahal in Singapore and Bukhara and Dum Pukht in Delhi. Finally, I thought the wait is over and we have a fine dining Indian restaurant like those here in the OC. After dining here, I can say the wait is not over. I'll start with the positives. The restaurant's decor is beautiful. Although I did notice that the painting that was hanging over our booth had a price tag of $10,000 on it. I'm not sure it's classy for a fine dining restaurant to double as an art gallery where you can buy the paintings. Now the food. In Indian cuisine spices are a key component. The layered flavors, the symphony of tastes. The food here is bland --- which for an Indian restaurant is a shock. The food is more inspired by Indian cuisine. So if you want an authentic Indian meal, this definitely isn't the restaurant. My wife, daughter and I had the three course menu. Our first course was the corn and cardamon bisque --- herb crema, spice blend, with ciabatta bread. It was by far the best dish of the meal and it was delicious. (It also wasn't Indian cuisine.) My wife ordered the roast chicken with coconut curry, seasonal vegetable thoran, grated coconut, and mustard seeds. What she was served was dry chicken in a little bit of brown gravy (ie. curry). This is an Indian restaurant and yet there was a tiny amount of curry served with the chicken. It was a really disappointing dish and my wife didn't finish it. My daughter and I got the Masala Paneer En Croute - paneer cheese, makhani sauce, mango relish, yogurt, cilantro oil, masala oil. It was good but not great. And the pastry surrounding the ingredients was like you would find in a chicken pot pie. The description of the dish sounds like a complicated, multi-flavored dish that only a top kitchen could prepare, when it was really chunks of cheese surrounded by a somewhat soggy pastry. The third course was a cardomom cheesecake with laddu crumbs, kala jamun, almond tuile, and blueberry roochatza. It was good but not great. The blueberry roochatza tasted like a blueberry jam. The kala jamun was on the dry side. The service can best be described as dreadful. Our server was chilly and inefficient. When she first spoke with us she answered questions about the menu and asked if he would like a minute or two to decide. We said, yes, and 15 minutes later (seriously) she returned to take our order and our water glasses were still empty. Throughout the meal our water glasses were never refilled. The pappadom and chutney was never refilled (a first - not a good first - for an Indian restaurant). When the server came to serve the soup he shoved the dish I used for the pappadom and chutney out of the way with the soup dish. That's something you would see in a canteen, not a fine dining restaurant. Our 3 course set menu took 2 hours with half hour and longer waits between courses and not a single staff person saying sorry for the wait. The only fast part of the meal and the first time we saw the server smile was when the bill was served. They did run our credit card quickly. The meal was expensive and frankly at half of the price it would still have been not worth it. I won't be returning.
For our last dinner at the the Ritz-Carlton we definitely wanted to try Kahani pop-up restaurant. They were closed the first two days we were here and we haven't ever gone to eat at an Indian restaurant so we knew we had to try it! Not only did it NOT disappoint, but we are still talking about how delicious everything was! Summer was our server and we also had her as a server at Raya- very sweet. The decor and vibe was authentic and that's what we loved about it. The sauces were incredible and the complimentary muse that they serve after they seat you was the best thing ever. We finished our little bowl of that and just couldn't resist asking for more, it was THAT good, so we knew we were off to a great start. We ordered the Masala Paneer, Snake River Farms Wagyu Short Rib for our entrées and for enhancements we ordered the rice and Saag Paneer. We left no crumbs, everything was THAT GOOD! Looks like we have to look up local Indian restaurants near our city and I hope they end up making this Indian pop-up a permanent restaurant!
Start with Ambiance it small cozy restaurant on Ritz Carlton property. Anything that is dark wood panel with low lights with candle lights looks romantic. Live music was nice touch. Next for food: its overly priced indian food. We had pakoda chaat for apps( 2 pakoda in a pool of smooth sweet foam yogurt with ONLY 1 or 2 pakoda. We paid whopping $25.00 2 pakoda. Serously! For dinner we had sampler curry for 2. It came with only 1 naan 4 curries from their prefix menu, with panner tikka and raita and chutney. Paneer tikka paneer was too hard.all the curry were ok not great tasting. For dessert we wanted to order Apricot Rabdi( it said Chantely cream) that is hard peak whipped crem, well thats not rabdi. Mabe its good for theAmerican crowd not for Indian. At the end they serve complimentary tea with cookie. For our server Pinak was very nice and attentive. He did great job. Also since we decide not to go with Apricot rabdi, he gave us Mango lassi bar dessert to tey on the house. He gets 5 star for service. read more
We have been wanting to come here for years. Ever since we attending Dawali festival at the Ritz Carlton. Sadly, we did not make it before the original chef left. Happily, it did not disappoint! So good! As one would expect, the service was impeccable. The food matched. We ordered the lamb, short ribs and curry for 2. The curry was generous & very interesting. I think we got to choose 5 kinds. Made it great for trying different ones. The chicken & rice was excellent. We also ordered the dessert that is like donut holes. So great. And a pistachio dessert. The venue is so beautiful. Just adds to the meal. Went for a brief walk after dinner. The grounds are so lovely read more
8 months ago
We recently went for our anniversary and had a fab time! It was so nice for the manager to let us know he's set us up with a special table. It was right by the fire place! The vibe was cozy! We went on a day when we had just been getting over being sick so I must say that we couldn't taste and experience the food to its entirety but I could smell the spices and taste a little and it was very good. We had the Chole, Daal, Seabass! The seabass was so tender and yummy! I also felt like chai and they gave it to us in little espresso shot cups which were perfect! I also forgot batteries in my Instax camera to take pics so they got me batteries :). Then I also forgot film so they invited back to have dinner again and to take pics They took care of us so well and I'll definitely be back to experience the full taste of the food. read more
Ambiance..so elegant and love the paintings. Just need some bollywood music Service..fast and friendly. It was amazing to meet the chef too at the end. Food. We did taste of kahani..amazing food and plenty of diff flavors and choices and accommodating to our dietary needs. I also love the papa in beginning and the chai and biscuit at end and thet they had thumps up. Loved my chai old fashion as well. Just amazing and good price. read more
Came here with friends to celebrate my husband's birthday, and it was such a great experience. The space is beautifully decorated with warm wood tones, earthy colors, and subtle pops of red. Our friends were a little hesitant at first since they hadn't enjoyed Indian food in the past, which is actually the exact same conversation my husband and I had before our first visit. But just like us, they ended up loving every dish!!! The food came out quickly, everything was flavorful, and we all left completely satisfied. Each dish is like a work of art. The attention to detail is spectacular. Our server was also very sweet and attentive, which made the experience even better. read more
From the moment we arrived at the Ritz Carlton, our experience was elevated thanks to Curt, who helped us with our bags and kindly offered to make dinner reservations. Though we initially declined, he went above and beyond by placing tentative reservations for us at Kahani -- and what a wonderful surprise that turned out to be! When we arrived at Kahani, Larry warmly welcomed us, already expecting our arrival thanks to Curt's thoughtfulness. Larry was incredibly kind, friendly, and such a fantastic representative for the restaurant. Our server, Summer, was equally amazing -- attentive, personable, and full of great recommendations. The cocktails were outstanding (highly recommend the Pink Lotus!), and the curry sampler was beyond delicious -- so much food, bursting with authentic flavors. The ambiance was gorgeous, the service was impeccable, and the entire experience left us thoroughly impressed. We can't wait to return with family and friends to share this gem of a restaurant. Kahani is truly a must-visit! read more
We came back tonight for our 4th time and Larry greeted and seated us at a beautiful table which is very private. It took a while for the waiter to come over but once he did, the service was exquisite!! I love the vibes and the food is sophisticated and delicious! We came back tonight for our 4th time and Larry greeted and seated us at a beautiful table which is very private. It took a while for the waiter to come over but once he did, the service was exquisite!! I love the vibes and the food is sophisticated and delicious! My favorite was the gluten-free spinach pakora! I ate so much of it, it was delicious, now I'm going to have to work it off. Our waiter was amazing, he was so sweet! The sea bass is sensational and so is the scallop appetizer. A+. read more
9 months ago
As a former steakhouse in the ritz, the space is really great with wood paneling and Indian art for sale. The service was very attentive. You could tell they used nice ingredients like Mary's chicken, but the curries were very average though served in a fancy setting with ritz prices. Chicken was prepared well but with chicken tikka and other chicken curries, the proteins (chicken or paneer) offered alongside the curries were redundant and unnecessary. Seemed a bit like they were trying to justify the high prices with these dishes. Overall a bit too oily and we had a stomach ache later. The curry sampler for two was enough food for four. Wish they focused more on the recipes and fine dining quality/quantity. read more
11 months ago
I was really excited to try this restaurant because I am Indian and love Indian food. Unfortunately, was disappointed with the food. For positives, the service was great. Our waitress was attentive and friendly and our water cups were never empty. Ambiance was also great, felt intimate in our little booth and they had live guitar music. The food was just not good. We ordered the pakora, burrata salad, and short rib. Everything felt like it was trying too hard to have interesting ingredients and look cool vs actually tasting good. The burrata salad was very bland and weirdly had freeze dried strawberries in it which threw the taste off. The short rib was pretty good but just heavy so I'm glad we shared. We also got the galab jaman which was very good and I had a margarita which was average. Overall, will not be back. read more
6 months ago
Beautifully appointed restaurant serving outstanding Indian food from a curated menu with a mix of perfectly prepared perennial favorites and innovative chef's creations. Now, down to basics! We shared the 'Sampler' (thali) anchored by the rack of lamb. All 5 dishes we selected were really top class. Have to mention the 2 chicken dishes (tikka masala & Chettinad) and the coconut shrimp. Lamb chops were perfect, cooked medium, very tender and lightly seasoned. Service throughout was consistent with the standard of the food. Full disclosure: Indian cuisine from all regions of the country is my favorite food and I lived in the UK (where Indian food can arguably be described as the favorite cuisine!!) for 20 years. Lastly, a shout-out to Larry the host. He had the knack of making us feel welcome and graciously accommodated our move to another (better?) table... read more
2 months ago
Thank you to the staff for making our anniversary so special. From the beautiful set up to the personal touches. Our dining experience was amazing! We ordered the sampler and every single dish was delicious. We couldn't pick a favorite! The post dinner digestion tea and cookie was such a nice touch. We can't wait to return read more
3 months ago
3 months ago
7 months ago
Everything was perfect. From our appetisers to desserts everything cooked and presented with perfection read more
2 years ago
A 4.25 for me. Kahani has delicious food that's authentic Indian and serves up Indian fusion too. The food here is NOT Americanized as many have mentioned. Faves were - Chilean Seabass, malai chicken, Methi chole, saag paneer, masala chai, cucumber raita, mango lassi cheesecake. Their chai was such a lovely ending to the meal. Notable - chicken tikka masala - good, but had a higher than normal smoky tandoori flavor. Needed a little more sweetness. The issues. Food was delicious, but an hour later felt very lethargic. Leftovers - The next day I had 2 pieces of shrimp with some rice and felt so sleepy. The day after I had the leftover raita and literally 4 bites and I felt so heavy and bloated. It makes me wonder what's so heavy in their raita. This is so common when eating Indian food outside, most places do this to me, but not all. Second, this restaurant is very overpriced. My guess is cuz it's at the ritz, but defi overpriced. $35 for a vegetarian entree and $21 for dessert is insane. $68 for seabass. Understood prices are up, but still very high. Again, maybe it's due to location at the ritz. Still worth going. I will be back for their afternoon tea at some point. I prob need to stick to their nondairy items. I can't handle the dairy and heavy food. read more
1 year ago
Been looking forward to come to Kahani for quite some time. Because of prices it offers we decided to wait until a special moment comes around. And when that special moment finally came, it is sad to say the food and service didn't deliver what we expected. We had the set menu for $65 a person which isn't that bad considering it's a three-course menu. For starters the Poppadom served with chutney on the side was delicious. Crunchy with a hint of Indian spices but not traditionally peppery. Next came the Corn and Cardamom Bisque. We tremendously enjoyed it. Creamy and lightly sweetened with a slice of toasted ciabatta, decorated with little flowers. After having the bisque it seems that particular dish was far too heavy already. Then came our second course the Roasted Chicken in coconut curry with seasonal vegetables and Masala Paneer. Both dishes' descriptions on the menu sounded delicious. However the dishes were not quite we thought would be based on the descriptions. Unfortunately they tasted dry and bland. The last course was the Cardamom Cheese Cake. It was very good which came with blueberry jam and the popular Indian Gulab Jamun. And lastly we were served chai latte with a cookie. By the end of the meal with service long in between, we were feeling very stuffed. I would say Kahani is a fusion dining experience not the traditional Indian fare we were hoping to be. read more
1 year ago
I love Indian food, especially fine dining Indian cuisine. When I lived in Asia I was lucky to be able to dine at such legendary Indian restaurants as Rang Mahal in Singapore and Bukhara and Dum Pukht in Delhi. Finally, I thought the wait is over and we have a fine dining Indian restaurant like those here in the OC. After dining here, I can say the wait is not over. I'll start with the positives. The restaurant's decor is beautiful. Although I did notice that the painting that was hanging over our booth had a price tag of $10,000 on it. I'm not sure it's classy for a fine dining restaurant to double as an art gallery where you can buy the paintings. Now the food. In Indian cuisine spices are a key component. The layered flavors, the symphony of tastes. The food here is bland --- which for an Indian restaurant is a shock. The food is more inspired by Indian cuisine. So if you want an authentic Indian meal, this definitely isn't the restaurant. My wife, daughter and I had the three course menu. Our first course was the corn and cardamon bisque --- herb crema, spice blend, with ciabatta bread. It was by far the best dish of the meal and it was delicious. (It also wasn't Indian cuisine.) My wife ordered the roast chicken with coconut curry, seasonal vegetable thoran, grated coconut, and mustard seeds. What she was served was dry chicken in a little bit of brown gravy (ie. curry). This is an Indian restaurant and yet there was a tiny amount of curry served with the chicken. It was a really disappointing dish and my wife didn't finish it. My daughter and I got the Masala Paneer En Croute - paneer cheese, makhani sauce, mango relish, yogurt, cilantro oil, masala oil. It was good but not great. And the pastry surrounding the ingredients was like you would find in a chicken pot pie. The description of the dish sounds like a complicated, multi-flavored dish that only a top kitchen could prepare, when it was really chunks of cheese surrounded by a somewhat soggy pastry. The third course was a cardomom cheesecake with laddu crumbs, kala jamun, almond tuile, and blueberry roochatza. It was good but not great. The blueberry roochatza tasted like a blueberry jam. The kala jamun was on the dry side. The service can best be described as dreadful. Our server was chilly and inefficient. When she first spoke with us she answered questions about the menu and asked if he would like a minute or two to decide. We said, yes, and 15 minutes later (seriously) she returned to take our order and our water glasses were still empty. Throughout the meal our water glasses were never refilled. The pappadom and chutney was never refilled (a first - not a good first - for an Indian restaurant). When the server came to serve the soup he shoved the dish I used for the pappadom and chutney out of the way with the soup dish. That's something you would see in a canteen, not a fine dining restaurant. Our 3 course set menu took 2 hours with half hour and longer waits between courses and not a single staff person saying sorry for the wait. The only fast part of the meal and the first time we saw the server smile was when the bill was served. They did run our credit card quickly. The meal was expensive and frankly at half of the price it would still have been not worth it. I won't be returning. read more
4 months ago
For our last dinner at the the Ritz-Carlton we definitely wanted to try Kahani pop-up restaurant. They were closed the first two days we were here and we haven't ever gone to eat at an Indian restaurant so we knew we had to try it! Not only did it NOT disappoint, but we are still talking about how delicious everything was! Summer was our server and we also had her as a server at Raya- very sweet. The decor and vibe was authentic and that's what we loved about it. The sauces were incredible and the complimentary muse that they serve after they seat you was the best thing ever. We finished our little bowl of that and just couldn't resist asking for more, it was THAT good, so we knew we were off to a great start. We ordered the Masala Paneer, Snake River Farms Wagyu Short Rib for our entrées and for enhancements we ordered the rice and Saag Paneer. We left no crumbs, everything was THAT GOOD! Looks like we have to look up local Indian restaurants near our city and I hope they end up making this Indian pop-up a permanent restaurant! read more
Kahani is a pop-up bucking for a permanent base. It offers high end, upscale Indian cuisine suitable for a Rajah's Daughter's nuptials. The decor is opulent, lavish, luxurious and smacks of old and new money although the pricing is manageable for what you will experience. Kahani is borrowing the EnoSteak space at the Ritz Carlton and added a few elements and flourishes. For example there is so much gold leaf spread around that the Golden Buddha in the National Museum in New Delhi is now nearly naked. The small dining room is elegant without being stuffy, so settle in. The Staff: Rough cut diamonds who paid copious attention during their training in hopes that Kahani survives and offers a full time gig. Samantha and Camille were charming and cared for their assigned guests like Faberge Eggs. Larry, a seasoned Veteran as polished and smooth as an Indian Prince's brass buttons, directs traffic from the host podium to the table. He should offer a Master Class on how to be a savvy Maitre d'Hotel. The Bar: Signature cocktails that are suitable to leave any Real Housewife with that amusing glow which alcohol produces. There is a huge Wine List borrowed from EnoSteak along with their Somm to assist. So finding the right wine will be easy. My Chai Fashioned which could've powered a Tesla battery came in a High Ball glass. One quick stir and everything re-settled into place. Ultimately, the drink was as smooth as a puppy's tummy. Who's here? He wanted to try something new and where else can you leave the Lambo without being hassled for a large spiff or worse, followed home these days? She wanted somewhere tried and true and just received something witchy from Jean Paul Gaultier before he hung up his pin cushion and retired that costs as much as what the whole staff makes in a year. He orders everything with his eyes and she picks at her Papadum as trophies are a depreciating asset and it's only 6 months until Bikini weather. The Food: Who knew Indian food could be elevated to this level? As you are seated a runner runs over and sets down a tray of crackers with a Spicy Mint/Yogurt Sauce, and some Tomato Chutney which was creamy instead of merely a Salsa wannabe. Salty, crunchy and perfect to go with your cocktail. The Masala Beets beat a path to the table and happily so. Torched Goat Cheese, Citrus Greens, Pistachio, sweetened Yogurt all awash in a Honey Vinaigrette dotted with Cilantro Oil. You're not going to find this in the frozen food case at Trader Joe's. This was a sophisticated composition featuring farm fresh ingredients married to haute technique. The Ajwain Scallops were seared and then halved onto a pool of Tamarind Gastrique mixed with Cauliflower Crema and non-slimy Okra Masala. Add it all up and this was one brilliant concoction. Saag Paneer was different. Normally, it's smooth chopped Spinach/Green Vegetables with cubes of Farmer's Cheese resembling salty Firm Tofu. Here that familiar Cheese was settled into a bowl of Jungle Green Soup. The dish fell short of the mark. Saag Paneer is Indian comfort food and this version said a prep cook walked away from the Vitamix that was cranked up to Destroy. The Malai Kofte was a Vegetable Dumpling laid to rest in a wading pool of Tomato Curry. The Sauce was the star here. I was reluctant to ask for the Wagyu Short Ribs. Wagyu is mostly a fatty business. Fat with streaks of meat created by the same mad man ad man who renamed the Patagonian Toothfish to Chilean Sea Bass. Wrong! This dish was fabulous. Tender squares of meat that looked like meat instead of Fat Back. The Short Ribs Slices lay in Rogan Josh Sauce, a mildly spiced Tomato Sauce, along with Tumeric, Sage, Sago Palm Pith, Cumin, Chili Aioli, Potato bits, Pickled Shallot slices, Charred Shishito Peppers, and a Sago Crisp. This tied for the best dish of the night. Next, out came the perfect Chilean Sea Bass which was as good as fish gets. A Bean Ragu, Delicata Squash, Mustard Oil, Curry Leaf, and Ninja Radish were all important supporting actors but the Fish took the Oscar. Full to my hat band, I asked for Malwas Cake. Think Indian Carrot Cake with just the right sweet index that produced a satisfying happy ending. Okay...it was close enough any way. Here's hoping Kahani finds a forever home in OC. read more
Kahani is a pop up that is only sticking around for about 3 months. We were really excited to try it out because of the hype around it. The positives are the service was amazing and the decor was beautiful. From the second we sat down the service was 5 stars. Now the food......I have to say it was not the best and I have had better. When you first sit they give you a complimentary chai. The starters were delicious, we had the blackened tuna and scallops, but everything else we had was mediocre. The curries and rice were cold, the masala with potatoes and chickpeas had maybe one piece of potato and three chickpeas. To end the night the server brought a birthday treat which was so kind of him. Bottom line do I think it was worth all the hype, and the answer is no. read more
It pains me to write this since there is a desperate need and niche for fine dine indian cuisine in OC but this is not it. What's good: Service was the best thing here, followed by the complementary beverages. Our server was intuitive and also maneuvered us through the menu well. Their complementary fennel tea at the end was tasty and chai at the start made us feel really hopeful about the items to come. But it went downhill from here. What's not: the food. For starters, the menu is super limited in items/variety and especially if you have dietary restrictions. As a vegetarian, my partner was limited to one item per section, and each was paneer based. Coming from India, I think this limitation can't be an excuse, especially if you're representing a culture that prides itself on being plant based or plant focused. There are so many alternatives and vegetable focused meals and delicacies there and to see, close to none in the menu, was disheartening and just a let down. We tried a couple of starters, naan and got sides to share because of these limitations and everything we tried was either not fresh, too salty, tasted like frozen/ready to eat meals and not impressive. Especially at the price it was asking for. Would not recommend. read more
9 months ago
Simply amazing food paired with superb service. This authentic Indian restaurant is set within the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel. A must try if you are a hotel guest. We were greeted promptly by the host and sat in a very welcoming and well appointed dining room. Our server was delightful as he explained the menu to us and offered his suggestions. We decided on the curry sampler with chicken as our protein. Every single dish was delightful and tasty. The Naan was especially memorable and the chicken was best I've had anywhere. We will definitely be back the next time we are back in the area. read more
11 months ago
6 months ago
3 years ago
We made a reservation. This is a newish American infused Indian restaurant... It will be closed in January and then reopened in February on a permanent basis. I believe their last day of operation is December 31. If you are looking for some extremely fresh, delicate, bold, immersed, abundant flavors . Then you need to make a reservation. We enjoyed the delicious crème brûlée goat and beet salad so good. The Aji tuna and a fresh cucumber, spiced purée. Perfectly cooked Chilean Sea Bass with garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and edamame in a delicious perfectly spiced Ragu. Possibly my favorite dish so far this year. They have some wonderful signature cocktails I ended up having the heart of gold, which is made with Casamigo tequila, kumquat syrup, and ginger. It was very tasty with a little marigold flower, but in my opinion, a little bit too sweet. We also enjoyed the cardamom cheesecake now this was a tasty treat with blueberries and a little bit of brittle. That was just perfect. Very creamy. everything was fresh, spiced just right . They do offer beautiful booths tables for 2,4,6 or 10. It's very lovely and the staff members are extremely attentive . They do offer an extensive wine and cocktail list from the Raya restaurant. Located steps away. They do offer a complete validation when you have dinner here . It was absolutely a gorgeous memorable meal.. read more
1 year ago
8 months ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
The food was so beautifully presented. The food had unique fusion.Service was astoundingly thoughtful. The restaurant was amazingly beautiful. read more
2 years ago
Amazing food, service and ambiance. Mango Lassi cake was an interesting dish. Tea was the grand finale! Thanks Pinak for your service and recommendations. read more
1 year ago
I wish their tea time was a regular offering. Holi themed tea time was exquisite. It was the perfect intersection of my favorite indulgences. Tea time + Indian cuisine + Ritz Carlton. It rivals Ritz Carlton Tokyo's Sakura themed tea time and London Lanesborough's tea time for HRH's bday. I hope it returns next year. read more
3 years ago
My heartiest compliments to Chef Sanjay Rawat on the opening of his restaurant at the Ritz Carlton- Laguna Niguel! I came tonight for dinner and feel compelled to pause and complete this review before I go to bed. The food here was INCREDIBLE. I came within the first couple weeks of the opening and they just were incredible in both service and flavor. We ordered two cocktails- both the Chai Old Fashioned and Jal Jeera mocktail. Both out of the world! They started the evening off with serving a small cup of chai. I have to say, you know the quality and flavor of the food will be good when the chai is a banger. It was delicious! The cardamom flavor was so refreshing! Both Paneer dishes were very unique in their own right. The fruit pairing with the paneer gulgula appetizer was something new and hit just right. But my HEART was stolen with the entree paneer dish. I have to say, I haven't had a better dish in a very long time. It was a fully encrusted biryani- type dish. We ordered the food spicy, and the kitchen delivered. Flavors were out of the world and we ate and cleared the plates within minutes. Final finish to the evening was a sweet little birthday treat. Thank you! read more
3 years ago
This is not Indian food- which as an Indian, growing up eating home cooked Indian food, I knew it wouldn't be but for those expecting this to be Indian food, it's not. The food wasn't good or worth the price. 1. The cocktails were like warm- I ordered an extra glass of ice to add to my cocktail 2. The burrata was ice cold (usually it's served too temp) 3. The beets were over marinated- beets are tough to work with and hardly anyone likes beets... kahini's beets didn't help the case. 4. The lamb and short rib were good but heavy/ dense. Indian food can be heavy but it doesn't have to be. Fine dining usually makes basic food elevated and sophisticated but Kahani didn't do that. 5. Service was super slow- but the staff was nice and average (they were trying but for some reason they were slow) 6. It's impossible to get a reservation but 30% of the tables were empty? 7. Price did not match quality of the food. The presentation was good but we didn't enjoy eating it (the food itself was not good) The few things that were good: the chai before the meal and the fennel tea at the end were amazing! If kahani could be a permanent chai/ tea Cafe I'd go but there's no way I'd eat there again. read more
11 months ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
It fell short of 5 stars for me. We were here for dinner mid week for our anniversary and I was not blown away by the service or the food. Our reservation was at 6:15 but we got there at around 5:30 and the place was quite empty and we were seated right away. Service wasn't great. We weren't asked if we were celebrating any occasion and server did not attempt to explain the menu items. Maybe she was having an off day? We ordered the spiced burrata which was yummy and I had the over priced Chenna sea bass, which was tasty though. My husband being vegan didn't have too many choices and felt the dal had too much cinnamon and the mushroom masala was just ok. Didn't get the upscale dining feel and just overall felt bleh. The cardamom cheesecake was definitely the highlight. Maybe we would have enjoyed it more if our service had been better. read more
Page 1 of 2
