A small group of us from a hiking group came to Kanak for lunch. The restaurant has a nice airy, interior. And REAL napkins - gasp! The food was tasty and plentiful. There is such a wonderful blend of spices in their dishes. The lunch menu entrees run $15 and up. They come with your choice of entree, soup or salad, naan, rice and the side of the day. The side on this day was peas in a curry/cumin type sauce. I expected I would just try the peas and move on but they were delicious, and I ended up eating the whole thing. The lentil soup is blended so there are not actual lentils pieces. It had a bit of a kick and very good flavor. I ordered the Sabjiwaia with chicken and medium spice. I could easily move the heat up a notch as the medium was very tolerable. It was very good as well as the rice and naan. Some of my fellow diners ordered the Chicken Tikka Platter which I would try the next time. The chicken is whole pieces, and it's not smothered in a heavy sauce. The sauteed vegetables were also separate. The service was on point so no complaints there. I would definitely return! read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Interior - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I came here for dinner on a Saturday night around 8 PM, and it was pretty empty. I assume it is busier earlier in the evening on a weekend. For a drink, I tried the mango lassi. It was pretty good, it had a slightly spiced flavor to it but I wasn't sure what the spice was. We ordered the chili milli gobhi, samosa, butter chicken, and garlic naan. I liked the chili milli gobhi a lot. I wasn't expecting it to be fried, but I enjoyed it, and it was covered in some sort of chili sauce. The samosa was pretty good, I liked the sauces it came with. The butter chicken was just fine, I feel like I have had better, but it was very saucy which I liked. The naan was pretty good. I liked our server, she was nice and seemed to know the menu. The restaurant was nice inside and had a good ambiance. read more

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Went to this place for their lunch menu...on line it seemed to be different prices and smaller dishes. Turns out, I must have been on the wrong site. From the outside it looks like a strip mall restaurant. So I was not expecting much. I didn't see a lot of people going in alone many people in the window, so I thought I was going to be the only guest at 11:30. Man, I was so wrong. I walked in and found that there was an entire dining room inside, and it was pretty busy for a lunch crowd. The waitress was nice and had good energy. She gave me a table and a menu. The choices were pretty standard. I went with the chicken 65 and the Korma. She asked me for a spice level and I told her to light me up. The lunch menu came with a salad or soup choice and I opted for the salad. It was very good.... Fresh and light. The food arrived and it was great. The appetizer was cooked fresh and tasty. The main course came with naan and a side dish. It was spicy as hell. And it was good. Very very good. I would recommend it if you are looking for Indian in Charlottesville. read more

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Very good food, excellent service. First time here. I was torn btw the kesar malai lamb and the lamb korma. I went with the special because you can always order lamb korma from any Indian restaurant . Kesar malai was aromatic and savory and i enjoyed it. read more

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Came here on a recommendation and was not disappointed. Always held Milan on 29 as the gold standard for Indian Cuisine in Charlottesville but Kanak may have taken there throne (although I think they may have the same owner). The food here is exquisite and packed with flavor. It feels authentic and the attention to detail in each dish can be seen. I tried something new this trip and was blown away. Truly a gem of a dining experience. The ambiance of the place is modern high end but not shirt tie fancy. Somewhere in between. The restaurant was aesthetically pleasing. Would definitely recommend. read more

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We ordered the lamb saag and the butter chicken. I call this combination the Indian flag.... Because with rice... . So yes. Everything was nice and the service was good. I will return. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - New Delhi Butter Chicken, rice, and Saag (Lamb) the Indian Flag - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is Indian food for mainstream tastes. They are clearly more focused on craft beers, alcoholic drinks and presentation than on flavor. The chicken tikka had basically raw vegetables in it!! And hardly any meat! Like, normally that should be cooked longer until the vegetables are soft, and they should give larger portions of meat so that it's not only like 4 pieces! The lamb rogan josh was nothing special, and meat wasn't that tender. It's a shame the place is so pretty with beautiful decor, and service was pretty fast, but the food was just not great and expensive for such small portions of meat. Would not recommend. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

A friend and I came here for lunch. It wasn't packed and service was quick. The space is also cute. Everything was so good and flling! I ordered the Cacaowali Thandai and the Lunch size Butter Chicken. The thandai drink was so good, if you like a milk base drink. Creamy and flavorful. And of course, the butter chicken was delicious and the sauces were perfect for naan dipping. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Cacaowali Thandai - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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This was my first trying Indian food and oh my goodness! The staff were very helpful explaining the dishes and heat level. The chicken tikka is now something I dream about. So good and the drinks were amazing. Will deff be returning. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Soup of the day - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

My wife and I luckily stepped in for lunch the other day. We had the Butter Chicken with Rice and Naan bread. It's so refreshing to go out to eat and have a positive experience. The wait staff were polite and attentive. The ambiance was smooth and relaxing. For sure we will visit them frequently. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Our appetizer! - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Like ALL dealerships...they charge an arm and a leg before even determining the problem. Polite, friendly service but... stay away from dealership maintenance . read more

The food was delicious. We ordered chicken biriyani, lamb korma, chicken 65, samosas, and aloo tikki, and chicken malai kabob. Everything was delicious. The chicken 65 was very spicy, but the spice builds so it doesn't taste that spicy at first, which was a surprise The restaurant was clean, including the bathrooms and the decor was cute. The servers were polite and attentive. read more

I finally got to come in person to Kanak and was pleasantly surprised at how good their food was and how decent the portion sizes are. My first and only experience with them so far was for delivery - it may have changed since then, but I felt ripped off and it completely put me off from trying them again. I'm glad I gave them another try! Our table shared a few different entrees at the table, I don't remember all of them but I recall shrimp dishes, some lamb, palak paneer, butter chicken, tandoori chicken and a few other things. Literally everything was good. I also loved their cocktails and mocktails! Their service was fantastic and the interior was very comfortable. This is great for a work dinner or just a night out. I would assume it is family friendly. I may decide to give them another chance with takeout/delivery, but the sit down experience was stellar. I would be back! read more

Unfortunately Kanak doesn't quite hit the mark for me. I've eaten in and ordered to-go, and both times the food was underwhelming. We ordered a cocktail (I don't recall which one) and it fell flat and was kind of watery. The main courses we've ordered have been less flavorful than I'd expect. The chicken has been dry and cut into too large chunks. I did enjoy the garlic naan. We also ordered a dessert, the rose kulfi, and while it had a nice taste it was so frozen that it was very difficult to get a bite. The only thing I haven't tried but want to is the mango lassi. No complaints about service. Staff has been helpful and friendly. The interior is modern and nice. There is lots of parking, and outdoor seating for when the weather allows. read more

Came here to have lunch while visiting family. The interior is clean/minimal, very nice. The staff are friendly and easy to talk to. Delicious Indian food, I would say one of the best around C'ville! Would recommend if you want some Indian food, pricing is fair, good for casual hangouts or a date! There's ample parking spots available. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Lunch Biryani Lunch Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Well visiting in the area to meet up with some friends and needed a nice lunch. We voted for Indian. Not sure where to start. There were three of us and we showed up a little after they opened at 11:30 AM. The place appeared clean and kinda trendy. We were sat down and quickly given glasses of water and a bottle of water for self refills. Two of us ordered Sweet Teas. Could have been a bit more sweet for me but clearly that is my preference. Let's talk about the meals. VERY VERY GOOD. The three of us loved the flavor of our choices. In fact we each dipped a piece of Naan in each other's sauces and I will tell you this - I think I would have been happy eating either of these meals. Now to the crazy highlight - the Garlic Naan. Yeah the Garlic Naan. I've been to several Indian places and have to say this Naan was the best cooked and flavored than any previous places. Our server was a nice young fella and took care of us fairly well. Seemed liked he did get lost for a little bit but maybe he got busy in an area that I couldn't see. The one thing he did and he really didn't have to was - that my friend had a bit of sauce and lamb left over, she was just full. Our server asked if she liked to take that home and then the server noticed she had eaten all of her rice. When he came back with the To-Go box he also had another cup of rice for her to take home. He absolutely didn't have to do that. I mean I know that cost only a few pennies but that small thing made everything that more perfect and ensured that I would brag about this place. So let me say, when I come back to the area and have a desire for Indian again - I know I will eat here again. So I hope you choose this place and hope you have a great meal. read more

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This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Charlottesville! Olivia is a great waitress!

The rating for this restaurant is quite high, which is why we chose to dine here. As always, my husband and I are hardcore foodies. When it comes to indian food we always order more than 2 dishes because we like to have varieties of dishes when we dine in. **Cocktails** - Cinnamon Smoked Fashion: The picture didn't capture the smoke, but the aroma was strong and delightful. It's served with one large ice cube instead of small ones, which is the proper way to prepare an Old Fashioned. - Dus Ka Dum: This is a heavenly cocktail! The flavors are excellently balanced with mango, blood orange, and strawberry-infused vodka. Adding smoke to this drink would make it even more divine. Both of these cocktails satisfied our cravings for innovative and delicious beverages. **Main Dishes** - Paneer Bhindi Nayantara (Spicy): This dish was good, but I have had better versions elsewhere. - New Delhi Butter Chicken (Spicy): Ahhh! This is my long-time favorite Indian dish. The spice level is more like a 3 out of 5; next time, I should order it Extra Spicy, which represents a 4 out of 5. - Crab Baghara (Spicy): The flavor of this curry is hands-down delicious, though it reminds me more of Southeast Asian curry than traditional Indian. - Chicken Vin d' Alho (Extra Spicy): This wasn't very spicy, but the flavor was still quite good. - Garlic Naan: It's hard to mess up naan, and this one tastes just as delicious as at any other Indian restaurant. In the future, when we return, I would order all the dishes Extra Spicy, as the spice levels don't match their descriptions. Overall, I would give this restaurant 4.5 stars. The waiter is okay, no issue but not going to say she is excellent either. Since there are no half-star increments, I'll round up to 5 stars. This restaurant definitely deserves a 5-star rating! I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for Indian food. read more

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Third time I have ordered extra spicy only for the dishes to be flat. As if they added nothing. $50 is not a cheap dinner for one so especially annoyed to keep paying only to get it home (30 min drive do no bri gong it back). They always ask spice level only for the kitchen to ignore. read more

I visit Kanak everytime I go to Charlottesville- the Kadala Black Chickpea dish is my favorite and I always get it in combination with trying some new dishes every time. I have enjoyed everything I have tried! read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Kadala Black Chickpeas, Lamb korma, Jackfruit Mushroom Puli Munchi - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Delicious food, nice atmosphere reasonable prices, attentive, friendly service and staff.

This was a really great place, with an incredible lunch special. I came here for lunch and we were seated quickly and greeted with very friendly service. I was able to try a lot of the food, and am looking forward to heading back! The appetizers were just okay for me. The samosa was very large and absolutely meant to be cut and shared, but I love the crunch of a samosa, and the larger it is the less you have. The best thing about this place was the lunch special. It was a TON of food, for a great price. I had the house curry with paneer and the soup of the day, which was a coconut lime. It was the most interesting soup I have ever had: savory, rich, and full of flavor. I wish it was the soup every day! The curry was really good, and came with an additional dish as part of the lunch. I can't quite identify it, but it was tasty as well. I also loved the mango lassi, a great complement. I do wish everything was just a bit more spicy. I don't necessarily have the highest spice tolerance in the world, but I didn't get really any heat from either curry. Overall, I hope to return again and try some other dishes! Though, I will almost definitely be returning for lunch with those great prices. read more

The short - Kanak feels like an "elevated" Indian restaurant with its modern decor and menu items, but it does feel like they fall short in a lot of important ways. Let me start off by saying that Kanak does do a lot of things well. They give a starter of complementary snacks that taste kind of like veggie straws/potato chips that were unassumingly good. Their adult drink menu is also quite varied, but I will say that the water they provide (shared bottle for the table) was room temp, which for me personally is a peeve (I like my drinks cold or hot and not really anywhere in between). The menu *looked* good. We ordered Korma with shrimp, the Tandoori chicken, and a side of garlic naan bread. The Korma dish had good flavor, but the shrimp almost didn't feel done enough so that was a little concerning. The garlic naan had good flavor and texture, but it was a lot thicker than a lot of naan I've had before. The tandoori chicken came with a sauce on the side, but the chicken itself lacked much of the tandoori flavor and was dry. For what it's worth, the wait staff was attentive and kind and we enjoyed how pleasant he was. I do think Kanak has a lot of potential, but from a food standpoint, we were left kind of disappointed. A lot of the dishes lacked the types of flavor we've grown used to when we have Indian food and I'm not sure if it's a matter of cooking techniques or recipes, but it didn't quite hit the same as the dishes we normally get elsewhere. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Delicious! We got Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala. The garlic naan is one of the best I've ever had! And my drink was really good (Dus Ka Dum). read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Couldn't decide on a place for dinner. We landed here. The place was cute and was relatively busy. The service was good. So glad we found this place. Everything was so delicious! read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Samosas - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The food was decent. The big chunks of chicken was a bit tough. The lamb dish was ok with the seasoning flavor. Small portions. The service was a bit off. We spoke to the owner prior to ordering our drinks and it took 15 minutes because they had forgotten..ugh. The ambiance seems more focused on task of cleaning and staff sweeping. We arrived at 8:30 pm. At around 9:15, staff started moving tables. At 9:30, some staff had drills in their hands and the manager told them to fix the table with loud drilling with no respect that we were eating. We had to quickly stop eating and requested takeout boxes and the bill. How rude. I told the manager that it was disappointing after we paid a large bill of over $100. We were visiting the area. read more

The food was decent, I guess locals like it but I come from Los angles and have had better Indian food . Besides the food the girl that waited on us didn't understand a word we said and we had a hard time ordering. At the end it really got to me because after she took the orders , she left the table with a very bad attitude , head shaking and whispering like she didn't want us there. Overall I had a good lunch with my friends. read more

I'll preface this review by saying I absolutely love Indian cuisine. That being said, this place fell through in some areas. I decided to order takeout for two meals this evening and was told 30 minutes. I arrived back to pick it up over 40 minutes later and it still was not ready. I ordered chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken tikka. Unfortunately, the vegetables were not cooked and the meat was very dry and lacked any flavor. The naan was good and I'd give that a solid 4 but it came with only one piece cut in half which I thought was too small of a portion given it's an extra cost. The ambiance was nice and I didn't have any issues with the staff. I found the host to be helpful and friendly. Overall, I wasn't happy with the lack of flavor and food quality but maybe they were having an off night. For reference I ordered my food "medium" spicy and did not think it was spicy at all. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Outside view - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Last night, we tried Kanak for the first time and it was awesome! We got kadala black chickpeas, Chana masala, chili gobhi, samosas and roti. Everything was great and their vegan options are clearly marked. I asked for the black chickpea dish to be made extra spicy and they definitely fulfilled my wish! The roti is automatically vegan. Generous portions! (2 of us shared 2 entrees and 2 appetizers and had plenty of leftovers for dinner the next night) read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Kanak has been our go to Indian restaurant for 3+ years now. It is by far the best Indian in Charlottesville and is better than the highly recommended ones in Washington, DC. Tonight we shared the Chili Mili Gobi appetizer, followed by the Saag Paneer, Masai Lamb curry, Tandoori Chicken with a side of garlic Naan. As usual it was amazing. We arrived around 5:20 and had to wait until about 6:10 for our food to arrive. Many guests appeared to be waiting for food when we left. Even with the extended wait, it was worth it. read more

I don't know where else to go in Charlottesville for Indian food, but this place seemed to be held in high regard by the locals, and was well-attended on the midweek night I was in town. The menu offers a bit more interesting options than the baseline standard. I ordered indulgently, and got a chickpea curry with coconut and South Indian spices which I asked for hot. It wasn't an immediate chili hit, but more of a slow burn that did give me some hiccups. The paneer bhatura I ordered was even more ludicrous than I expected; the fried bread with cheese filling was just drowning in oil. I intentionally ordered the most filling things available because I hadn't had a bite all day, but the bread was too much and I couldn't finish it. The chickpeas were filling too, and I couldn't quite finish those. So to recap, I came on an empty stomach, ordered one vegetable dish and a bread, and the only thing I actually finished was my chai. Can't fault them on portion size, I suppose. I would not order the same things again (and I was a bit disappointed that the okra on their online menu was apparently not on the dine-in menu when I arrived), but I would order again for sure. read more

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Went in closer to closing time.... one person, not a huge order. I was seated fairly quickly and then.... eeewww!! The waiter assigned to me was rolling silverware and wiping his runny nose on the napkins he was rolling. I have no idea how the food is. I got up and walked out. Gross!!! read more

Solid restaurant here in Charlottesville. The food here was great, and the service was amazing. We were seated outdoors at the table farthest from the door of the restaurant, yet service provided was frequent and attentive as if we were seated indoors. Ordered three dishes: Patia w/ lamb, Black Dal, and Tikka Masala w/ chicken. Patia was on the sweeter side, creamy almost, and rich in flavor. Lamb cut in small chunks and was very soft. On the other hand, Black Dal is on the more earthy, beany flavor with the lentils. This particular dish is traditionally slow cooked, and Kanak apparently follows suit and slow cooks/roasts the Black Dal dish for like "10-11hrs." You can tell when you realize that the dish has a distinct smoky flavor to it. Tikka Masala fell in between the two dishes just mentioned: rich in flavor and sweet but not as sweet as Patia. Tikka Masala or butter chicken is usually a go-to dish for most people. Soup and salad were good. Salad doesn't seem like much, but for some reason, it was still pretty addicting to eat the cucumbers. Almost acted like a palette cleanser. Dressing for salad wasn't too strong or bland. However, red onions were the best part of the salad. You'll know what I mean when you try it. Samosas (comes in 2) were also ordered, no picture provided since they were devoured early. Came with two different sauces both of which I was very fond of. Tangy, almost sour? Complemented the samosas very well. I do not have much experience with samosas, so I wouldn't be able to tell you whether they were traditionally accurate or not. They were good though! TIP: Lunch time is best IMO. Cheaper, quantity is still very adequate, free side of salad or soup. read more

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I love Indian food, but nobody ever wants to eat it with me! However, that hasn't stopped me from eating it on my own. Curling up on the couch in my pajamas, watching a rom-com, and eating a nice plate of butter chicken with garlic naan is one of my simple pleasures. That's why I looked forward to my rare night of being a recluse-- to order takeout from Kanak. I'm so glad I finally tried Kanak. It is so so good. A new favorite Indian restaurant for me. The food I ordered tasted amazing. And when I went to pick up my food, the atmosphere inside the restaurant was nice, modern, and casual. The Samosas were large and tasty. They tasted great dipped in the two sauces. The Garlic Naan was flavorful, soft, and had a nice bite. It tasted awesome and paired quite nicely with the butter chicken. The New Delhi Butter Chicken was so creamy and flavorful. The spices and cream gave the dish an amazing depth of flavor that had me licking the bottom of my bowl. Overall, the food I had at Kanak tasted amazing. I can't wait to come back and try other dishes. read more

Kanak Indian Kitchen - Samosa - Indian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I came to eat here recently and I did not enjoy my experience. I was kindly sat and taken care of by a friendly waitress, but my food took 40 minutes to come out and it was not up to par with other Indian restaurants in Charlottesville. I would recommend taking your business elsewhere if you want Indian in the area. read more

I go to Karnak once a month and generally it is very good. Today not so much. Soup was lukewarm, gobi was also like warm seemed like left over. Main meal was good. Service unfortunately was extremely slow. I hope this was a one off. read more

fabulous dinner last night. Service was xlnt. lighting was comfortable. Music was background music and subdued (a plus). We ordered chicken tikka and butter chicken, and garlic nan. All was great and we had much to take home. highly recommend read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants! The food is always perfection. If you like really spicy food don't let them talk you down in spice level. I originally picked a 5 in 1-5 range. The server said it's Thai spicy idk if you want that. I chickened out but I'm no bitch, I could have done a level 5:) Highly recommend read more

Been trying to eat here for so long and was finally able to try it! They're always busy but we came here as a large group and made a reservation 2 days in advance so we were seated right away. There are popped chips on the table to start you off as you order. I tried the mango lassi and it's so good we got another. The garlic naan is super delicious and I love the sauce of the vin d'alho. I got chicken for that and also tried some of the kesar malai lamb. I didn't like the sauce as much but the lamb was good. Both came with a big serving of rice. Highly recommend especially if you like Indian food! read more

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The food and service at Kanak as always very nice. I can't go over the top, although it has a beautiful ambience because the food is just nice If you're looking for food, it's nice. It's not off the chart, but it's nice. The staff is always friendly and it's always a nice time to be here If you just happen to be in the area i Indian food stop in. read more