Kahani

Amazing food, service and ambiance. Mango Lassi cake was an interesting dish. Tea was the grand finale! Thanks Pinak for your service and recommendations.

It was our first visit to Kahani, and what a lovely story it has become for us! We celebrated my birthday there, and everything was just perfect--the service, the food, the ambiance. As an Indian, I often miss the deliciously spiced dishes, but Kahani truly hit the mark! The flavors and quality of the food are absolutely top-notch, and it feels like the chef handpicks each ingredient with care.And can we talk about the chai? It's such a sweet touch to enjoy a cup after finishing your meal--it's their way of saying goodbye, and we loved it!

We are so thrilled to be here again and Larry accommodated last minute and seated us at a booth. We love everything about this restaurant!!

The food was so beautifully presented. The food had unique fusion.Service was astoundingly thoughtful. The restaurant was amazingly beautiful.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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..

Amazing food and ambiance. The chef came out and visited us and gave us an overview of the restaurant.