ROOH Palo Alto — Restaurant in Palo Alto

Situated in the extended part of downtown PA on University Avenue, this was truthfully a wonderfully fantastic experience of the different flavors of India with choice specialities from the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western cuisines of India.

The restaurant is decently sized and is decorated quite tastefully (Photos will explain more) by Anu (the owner and manager) and Vikram (her husband, who basically is into IT, but pitches in to assist her), who are originally from New Delhi.

They have 2 magicians - Sujan Sarkar (Executive Chef) and Pujan Sarkar( Chef de Cuisine) , Bengali brothers (pronounced as "Sujoan" and "Pujoan" in Bangla speak back home), who are making a distinct mark in the culinary world By bringing authentic dishes from all corners of India including Mughlai and Parsee cuisine and marrying them with the fresh produce in the Bay Area, while keeping Expat tastebuds and sensibilities, front and center.

And then they have Chetan (my namesake) and Rohit behind the bar, conjuror of absolutely amazing cocktails for which we promise to come back separately again.

Finally and not in the least, they are so ably supported by Shri (Shrey or Srinivas) the head wait who won us from the moment we we were seated, by his friendliness and deep understanding of the needs of the Indian expats settled in the Bay Area as he worked his way through other places like Amber in Santana Row.

Let me get straight to the drinks and food we ordered: NOTE : All items were given 5 / 5 by both of us, and each drink and dish we ordered left us swooning in ecstasy and fondly recollecting forgotten tastes and flavors that we unconsciously miss so dearly.

Khub Bhalo ( translation "Very good" in Bengali ) - this mind blowing cocktail made from bourbon with Smoked pineapple juice embellished with hints of mango and ginger was a drink destined for the gods and traditionally served in a like-silver glass with karagari ( traditional metal artwork from India). And to top it, the ice cube was monogrammed with the restaurant's name, Rooh! Classy and avante garde! What more, could we ask for.

Jugaad ( translation " spot solution to a problem" in Hindi) - this wonderful cocktail made from mezcal with pickled Raspberry and centrifuge is very cleverly smoked with a bubble of smoke that sits on top of the drink. When you try the first sip the bubble bursts and smoke is released into the drink and around it, leaving you In the same wonder as kids watching a magic show. The better half wanted seconds just do to all over again! And again , so wonderfully different and tasty!

4 . The Pathrao ( translation "the Boss" from Konkani) - loved this cocktail !

Kulcha ( translation "Stuffed Bread from Punjabi) from the starters - this naan like creation was stuffed with peas and covered with goat cheese and truffles - such a simple dish done so well with all great and fresh ingredients found only in the Bay Area

Swordfish "Tikka" ( translation of "cutlet" from colloquial Hindi in North India) - From the grill, huge blocks of swordfish lathered in Bengal mustard, miso and black lime aioli over which I swooned exactly like Anton Ego does in the movie "Ratatouille" when tasting the movie namesake as served by Emile the great rat-chef!

Dahi-Puri, a modern take on an Indian street food, found in many Indian cities like Kolkata, Mumbai & New Delhi. Wife loved it!

Lamb Keema Hyderabadi - another classic from the Mughlai cuisine with flavors from Hyderabad in Southern India, enhanced with the addition of "Sev" fried bits of vermicelli made from lentils, that made this a most memorable dish.

Goat berry pulao - an authentic dish from Old Bombay served in Parsee restaurants in south Bombay like "Britannia and co". We took to to go but from the looks itself it was going to be feast continued at home.

While it is not a cheap place, we found great value for the price! Can't wait...

ROOH in Palo Alto in an interesting option. It’s desi food, but their menu is not the usual biryani, nihari affair. They call themselves “Progressive Indian”, which means their chef continues to experiment with interesting and new types of desi dishes. This can make for a really fun experience.

In terms of halal status, I confirmed from the Manager, who said that all chicken, lamb and beef is entirely halal.

We went there Tuesday night. Getting the reservation from their website was fairly easy - as they are hooked up to the OpenTable platform. We picked a little early time for dinner (6:15 pm) due to intermittent fasting constraints, so when we got there it was relatively empty, but in a very short time, the restaurant was entirely full and there was no empty table.

The interior decor is quite high-end, with lush red curtains, and art work.

We were just two of us, and we ordered the following:

a. Chilli Cheese Kulcha (appetizer) b. Chicken Malai Boti (small plate) c. Dahi Puri (small plate) d. Beef stir fry (entrée) e. Achari Salmon (entrée) f. Butter naan

The chili cheese kulcha was the bomb. Freshly cooked in a tandoor, it was served piping hot and very soft. Excellent start to the meal. The chili added a wonderful kick to the taste.

Chicken malai boti was ok. It was served as a small plate, but could easily be an entrée. Nicely cooked with some gravy.

Dahi puri is an interesting twist to a very popular street food. They take the pani puri concept, fill the puri, but don’t put sharbat in it. Instead they top it off with yogurt and then some crushed tomatoes. I put some tamarind chutney on top, and the resulting melting of tastes in the mouth was just amazing.

The star of the show for me was Beef stir fry. As we all know, very few, if any, Indian restaurants serve beef, so this was a bit unusual. But, man, did they cook it well. Very nicely marinated, with aroma and excellent texture. Loved it.

Achari Salmon is eclectic and very fun. The salmon itself was grilled, which is nothing unusual. It was served on a base of what they call khichdi - but was really moong-masoor ki daal, and interestingly the daal also had prawns in it (awesome!) And on top of the salmon, they put pieces of achaar. I had never eaten salmon this way, and must say, it was one of the best salmon dishes I have ever eaten. Full marks for creativity.

Butter naan. Here is my question. How do these high-end desi restaurants nail down soft AND thin naan? Many other desi/Pakistani restaurants where we go, the naan, which is literally their bread and butter are so inconsistent - sometimes too thick, sometimes burnt, sometimes not fully cooked. None of these mistakes in ROOH. The naan was perfectly cooked, light and soft. Loved it, even though I am trying to stay away from eating naan - still ended up finishing it all.

For dessert, we ordered cashew praline cake. In it's center was an ice cream scoop. Surrounded by cashew cake and then a base of firni mousse. I had never eaten such an amazingly inventive desi dessert. The cashew cake balanced the texture of firni and the icecream. And the three different flavors created a fun experience in the mouth.

All in all, a lovely experience. During the meal, at least two times their supervisor came to ask us if everything was ok, and the food is tasting good. Towards the end, I talked to the Manager for quite some time. Very friendly staff. Even the servers bringing the dishes had a great attitude, and would crack a joke or two, as if they are truly enjoying their work. Very different from the sullenness at some other places (I am looking at you, Lahori Restaurant 😂)

The place is not cheap, as you can imagine. For 2 people, including drinks and tax it was ~$200 plus gratuity.

Which means, “special...

Rooh Palo Alto offers a charming experience in downtown Palo Alto. With a spacious and cozy indoor area and a beautiful outdoor courtyard featuring twin mango trees, it has a unique vibe that feels like a modern family home. The staff is fantastic – for our large group of 14, they were incredibly accommodating, even switching our reservation from outdoor seating to a cooler spot indoors on a hot day. Service was fast and efficient throughout the night.

The restaurant boasts seasonal menus with fresh ingredients and innovative twists on classic dishes. They offer a set menu for large groups or the option to order a la carte. Unfortunately, the food itself was a bit of a mixed bag. While the presentation was beautiful, the flavors didn't quite live up to the hype, especially considering the price point.

We tried a variety of appetizers: the papadums were good, but the chutneys were uneven (one was quite sour). The paniyaram (rice and lentil fritters) were decent, but the dahi puri (sweet and sour yogurt cups) were overly sweet with a strong rose flavor that wasn't for everyone. The paneer chili rolls were tangy and enjoyable, and the tandoori chicken bomba could have used more sauce. The South Indian crab cake was just okay.

The non-alcoholic drinks were hit or miss. The pink guava drink with masala was fantastic. The masala flavor really elevated the drink. The watermelon cooler was just okay, not particularly memorable.

For mains, the butter chicken was a classic done perfectly – creamy, fragrant, and delicious. The lamb shank biryani was also good, with melt-in-your-mouth tender lamb. However, the laucki cheese kofta (stuffed vegetables) was just okay, and the branzino (sea bass) was a bit undercooked.

Desserts were another mixed bag. The mango tres leches was the absolute star – fresh, sweet, and absolutely delicious. I could have easily ordered another one (or two!). The homemade besan barfi (dense milk sweet) was nice, but the popcorn ice cream was a letdown – it wasn't popcorn flavored, just had popcorn crumbles on top. The chenna podda (cheese sweet) was decent.

One final note – gratuity is automatically included in the bill for large groups.

Overall, Rooh offers a lovely ambiance and fantastic service. However, the uneven food quality and high price point make it a 3-star experience. You'd be better off coming for the atmosphere and drinks and maybe sharing the delicious butter chicken and mango tres leches for a taste of what...