Kinaara — Restaurant in Omaha

We went there for a Saturday dinner. Please make a reservation, the place is usually very busy on the weekend. The time of the year we went in, they were closed Sundays. Disclaimer: we are Indians, so anything I say about the spice level might not apply to everyone. Having said that, I'd say this place focuses more on the taste rather than making every dish unnecessarily spicy. You actually get good flavorful food here. Not just spicy, which you can get in almost all the other Indian restaurants in town. We ordered drinks (Moscow Mule and Familiar Realm beer). We felt the drink was a bit watered down. Couldn't really taste the alcohol in the Moscow Mule. The food on the other hand was excellent. We started with the Kebab trio. It is 6 solid pieces of chicken kebabs, two of each kind. Easy to share. Tasted good too. Our main course, which we shared, was the Grandpa Del's goat stew, was excellent. Very full of flavors and unique, the reason why we went to this place rather than several others. Highly recommended. We had our main dish with rice and Kerala Parotta. The other dish that we couldn't try due to dietary restrictions but you should if you can, is the Beef pepper fry (with the same kerala Parotta). When I first read the menu, I saw they had goat pepper fry and that was the reason I wanted to try this place out. Since they had changed the menu, I couldn't get to try it.

Even though this is an Indian restaurant, the chef hails from and the menu highlights the cuisine of a particular state of India. The goat and beef and some of the other menu options listed under "House Specials" are specific to that state. I'd strongly recommend perusing the menu to find those dishes and trying them. There are many other options, but those you'll come across in any of the other half dozen Indian restaurants in Omaha. Finally, if you like spicy, this is NOT the place to be. Yes, Indian food will be spicy to the average American palate. But if you focus on the spicy, if that is all you can think about, there is a chance you didn't select the best they have to offer. Ask the server about the house specials and pick the mildest version (heck, we are Indian and we often pick mild in many Indian restaurants). You'll be doing a disservice to the chef's hard work if "spicy" is all you take away from this place. Will definitely return here on our future...

I'd like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the chef who prepared today's thali. As someone from a South Indian background with a strong passion for food, I've visited numerous restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines, both Indian and non-Indian, in my quest to explore diverse flavors. Although I’ve experienced exceptional tastes with generous portions, nothing had ever left me truly satisfied.

My experience at this restaurant began with the captivating story of its owners, printed on the back of the menu. Intrigued, I ordered the thali for dinner, which I believe is available on Thursdays. As a traveler unfamiliar with the reservation system at this establishment, I didn’t reserve a table—my mistake! Consequently, the waiter seated me at the bar, which is not my usual preference for dinner. After a brief wait, I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial portion of the thali. Even with my hearty appetite, I found the quantity quite impressive. Everything on the plate appeared both interesting and appetizing.

I began by dipping the naan into the chicken tikka masala, which was perfectly executed. The flavors were well-balanced, and the aroma elevated the dish. Next, I paired the second half of the roti with the chicken curry, which I believe was a Kerala-style coconut chicken curry. While it was flavorful, I would have appreciated a bit more spice. I continued by savoring the remaining roti with the potato masala curry, which was outstanding. As a South Indian, I thoroughly enjoyed the rich blend of spices, and in between bites, I snacked on the papad.

After quickly finishing the roti, I moved on to the rice, pairing it with the remaining curries: paneer mutter masala, which could have been spicier, and okra sabji, which had a moist texture and a perfect balance of spices.

Though I typically skip the raita in a thali, I must commend the chef for creating a yogurt with just the right consistency and taste. Additionally, the chutney was phenomenal. With every bite, it was clear that the chef had poured their heart into crafting this meal. I want to take this opportunity to thank the chef for such an exceptional dining experience.

As for areas of improvement, I would suggest the inclusion of a dessert menu—perhaps with some authentic and unique dessert options to...

This was my very first time eating Indian Cuisine, so I was naturally apprehensive. My son got a recommendation for Kinaara from a coworker who had been visiting Omaha. (I love personal recommendations.) The signage on the outside is very (very) nondescript, but I understand in October 2022, Kinaara is moving to a new location (so probably a good thing).

Immediately upon entering Kinaara, I thought, wow, not a very big place, but tables and seats were almost all taken (a good sign). We were immediately greeted and seated. We did let the staff know it was our first time eating Indian Cuisine and asked for their recommendations. Our server, Ian, immediately placed on our table a water pitcher, and we happened to notice that all of the tables had ample water pitchers on their table, which is a win as we love water. At no time did our water glasses or pitcher go empty.

On to the food, our server gave an absolute amazingly detailed description of anything we had questions on. When we simply asked him for recommendations, Ian provided, again, impeccable detail and tantalizing descriptive details of his recommendations. It was very clear that Ian had actually tried and loved what he recommended!

We ended up ordering (on Ian's recommendation) the chili garlic naan and the cheese naan, and they did not disappoint. For our entree, (again, on Ian's recommendation) we ordered the butter chicken and the special of the evening beef coconut fry. We shared our meals to taste both of them, and again, cannot stress enough that Ian's recommendations were spot on delicious. We kind of thought we were done eating, until low and behold, the dessert recommendations came. No, really, we thought we were done, but so far, the restaurant's recommendations were spot on, and we had to order their sticky date pudding. O-M-G, again, Kinaara's blew us away til the very end. We all absolutely loved the pudding.

We will certainly be back to Kinaara's and cannot wait to share with family and friends the Indian cuisine. It was clearly on display the staff's impeccable attention to detail and to their customers. At no time did we feel rushed or pressured to hurry up and eat and get out of there. The staff worked amazingly well together as a team. Props to Kinaara (and cannot wait to...