Kinara by Vikas Khanna — Restaurant in Dubai

Kinara Restaurant, Dubai: A Disappointing Iftar Experience! Our Iftar at Kinara, Dubai, presented a mixed experience. While the food quality and presentation were commendable, several service-related issues impacted our overall satisfaction. Key Observations: Delayed Iftar Start: We arrived precisely at Iftar time, expecting a seamless transition into breaking our fast. However, the restaurant was not even open, delaying our entry by five minutes. More importantly, there was absolutely nothing readily available to break our fast, despite our pre-booked Iftar menu. This was a significant oversight and a poor start to the evening. Service Inconsistencies: Service was slow and appeared inexperienced. Attentiveness Challenges: Gaining staff attention for ordering required noticeable effort despite the restaurant's low occupancy. Portioning Discrepancy: We ordered five Iftar menu sets, which were served family-style. While this was acceptable, the handling of the lemon prawns was utterly disappointing. The lady clearly stated two prawns per person in the menu; however, we received only one per serving. When questioned, we were told that the chef had provided "larger" prawns, justifying the reduced quantity. This blatant attempt to cut corners in a Michelin-starred restaurant was deeply disappointing and felt like a cheap tactic. Fazaa Discount Miscommunication: We had confirmed during our reservation that the Fazaa discount would apply to the Iftar menu. However, upon payment, we were informed that the discount was not applicable because the Iftar menu was already discounted. This discrepancy between the information provided during the reservation and the actual billing was big turn off. Food Quality & Ambiance: The food quality was good, and the restaurant's interior with an open kitchen was pleasant. Value for Money: The overall experience did not align with the perceived value for the price.

In a nutshell, Chef Vikas Khanna needs to actively monitor the service quality at this restaurant. The stark contrast between Kinara and Kashan by Ranveer Brar, which offers exceptional customer experience, highlights the significant shortcomings at Kinara. Big No for anyone who plans to visit there for...

One word. Overhyped.

Right from the moment we entered and were recieved by the host and hostess, they were in overdrive to sell the place.

They claimed it was fully booked and how lucky we were to have booked in advance and got a table! Wonder of wonders - we walk in and count 2 indoor tables occupied. All else empty.

We had requested an outdoor table. Again oversell. The hostess kept harping how she's snagged us one of the best outdoor tables, raising our already high expectations. We step out, and the first table of four which was almost in the way of all the passing servers and staff was the table shown to us!!

At least have the honesty to not hype a very bad location??

We said we'd prefer to wait and get a better table. Which they sort of reluctantly agreed to. In the meantime my wife and kid wandered around and found an empty table at a much better location. Actually two! Finally we got a table of choice, but the start didn't augur well.

We quickly ordered the fairly well advertised "shakarkandi ki chaat" and the Dahi ke kabab., To start off proceedings and in drinks, i went for the Bira and the wife chose the restaurant's signature cocktail, the Baba's Martini.

The dahi ke kabab were an interesting twist with the middle-eastern kunafa used as the perfect foil to the hung curd. So far so good.

Then came the famed "shakarkandi ki chaat" - portion size miniscule. A 2 inch cube of skewered and barbecued sweet potato, seasoned with bare minimum chaat masalas, sitting on a bed of yoghurt and boondi. Appearances were good but the dish fell absolutely flat in the taste department. Bland, dry and not gelling well with the yoghurt at all! I've had way better originals by the streetside in India! Paying a fortune for this was a crime.

Also ordered the chicken Momos, which too were a total disappointment despite the passionfruit gel pearls topping the little parcels.

We didn't risk ordering mains as the staff seemed too preoccupied with hotel guests to pay enough attention to us who had driven over 40km to get there.

The staff didn't even try to enquire as to why we ended our meal so abruptly, so there goes. All the money spent on training seems to be on...

My mom adores him, my brother has seen him, and I am just enamoured with his delightful smile and wit. While he wasn't in the kitchen, his name was above the mantle and so we made the long drive to the JA Lake View to visit this little kinara of "Dubai".

The restaurant is well apportioned with multiple seating styles and tables. We found ourselves in one of the large booths towards the back, where we were given an extension of Vikas' smile in the face of Aman, our server for the night.

The Shakarkandhi ki Chaat was a particularly interesting take on a dish known much too well to all of us at home and on the streets of Delhi and Chandigarh. It had the same the tangy pizazz, with the raita helping to cut the dryness that follows eating it on the streets. The Kurkuri Dahi Ke Pakode was a lovely take on a baklava-styled puff pastry, again executed with perfection.

For mains, we sampled the Dal Sultani, Quinoa Tikkis, Paneer Masala and the simply named Black Dal. Where the Quinoa tikkis excelled, it is truly the Black Dal that was the star of the night. It is a rather challenging dish to get just right. Few have come close to the legend of Dal Bukhara, and I dare say this one did - with no cream but a healthy dollop of ghee in the center. It was rich, creamy and yet perfectly softened so you didn't crunch through it, nor was it just a mash. It was just perfect.

What I found most satisfying about this dining experience though was the speed and efficiency with which the food made it out to us. One of the greatest challenges in most Indian restaurants is the delay between the emptying of a bread basket and a fresh order replacing it. Since our bread orders will vary, it is usually upon the patron to order ahead. However, I have to say that never have I seen bread orders replenished with the speed that we did at Kinara. All in all, a fantastic night out, and we walked out with the same smile that Vikas Khanna carries with him.

Ye kinara hume...