Kinara Fusion Kitchen — Restaurant in San Francisco

Re: Kinara Restaurant - San Francisco

We have been hearing a lot about this place, but last night was the first time we had an opportunity to try it out.

I didn’t realize it’s in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco - so the area is a bit dicey and it’s best to park the car in a garage, and not street parking.

The place was quite empty at 6 pm on a Monday, but gradually filled out by the time we were done. We got great service, because we were pretty much the only patron there.

We ordered the following

Pani Puri shots Chicken chilli cheese naan Mix platter Chicken Karahi Naan Gulab Jamun

Plus a couple of mocktails.

Pani puri shots are quite popular and totally lived up to the hype. They are a fun start to the meal. Very flavorful.

Chicken chilli cheese naan was more like a chicken pizza. Apparently it’s very popular. The naan was very soft. Taste was good, though a bit tricky on how to eat it, since the naan didn’t have the strength to hold the weight.

Mix Platter was the star of the night. Very flavorful and expertly cooked. It had beef botis, lamb chops and chicken pieces. Every thing was good. The surprising thing was how quickly the order was served. It was truly unexpectedly fast service, which is great if someone is in a hurry.

Chicken karahi. The dish was very flavorful. Though I don’t think it should be called karahi. It was nothing like karahi. It was more like a qorma. I will recommend the dish, but keep your expectations real. The chicken pieces were good quality.

Gulab Jamuns were served piping hot. They were good but nothing memorable.

Mocktails were very nice, though too much ice - which is the usual model, I guess. To enjoy the tajin on the rim, means these should not be drunk using straws.

By the way, as you can imagine, all this food is way too much for merely two people. Most of it was, therefore, brought home in to-go boxes. Total cost, including tip is ~$125.

Interior of the restaurant is very nice. Service is good and the food is really good. I recommend this place if someone is in the area. Great job!

Address: 607 Geary St, San...

First and foremost, I will say I had serious reservations about this place as I don't like fusion Indian food at all and prefer traditional menu items. My wife insisted we go try as she loves pani puri and wanted to try their pani puri shots.

From the start, the ambiance was great to walk into, refreshing to see a Desi restaurant clean, looking modern, even comparable to upscale lounges.

The servers were nice and attentive enough throughout our time.

The food: as someone who doesn't care for pani puri, even I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed them and they offered a great traditional taste but with a good spicy kick.

We then ordered the chicken 69 and I had the ribs and ordered naan, along with two of their mocktails. The chicken 69 packed a whollop of flavor with the right amount of spice and was fried to perfection! The short ribs were a whole new taste, almost like a desi version of sweet, tangy, and spicy ribs - truly a welcomed new flavor but also thankfully cooked perfectly tender and not done well done as sometimes desis might to do to red meat. The naan was also different, as the fusion element brought in almost different dough than expected. It's almost a pizza naan which was weird to see at first but incredibly fluffy and perfectly cooked inside and out.

I can't remember the mocktails we ordered but one was watermelon and the other peach flavored. Man, these were so damn good that I wish I could order again and again! It's a true mocktails and not just some club soda mixed with some lime. The presentation and flavor were all there. 10/10 on drinks!

Lastly, we finished off with chai that gets served in decorative cup and plate with a cake rusk to boot. The chai was not your typical fare masala chai, it was smooth and flavorful, and may just be me but had almost some undertones of rasmali milk but I could be wrong on that.

Overall, I'm so happy to actually find good quality, clean restaurant and incredible tasting food! I can happily say I walked in a hater and came out...

I went to Kinara for the first time last night on a tight schedule. We had a show at the Masonic at 7, so made a 5:30 reservation. We were running late, we called before the restaurant opened but someone answered and we were able to change the reservation to 6. We got there 5:40 but they sat us right away. They let is pick from two tables.

The service is the best I've experienced in a Pakistani/Indian place. You will not have rude or indifferent service. I think they have one guy assigned just to walk around and make sure the Kinara experience is up to standard. And the decor is beautiful. Reminds me of the decor of popular Asian tea/brunch places (chandeliers, cursive neon writing, lighting.)

This is definitely a place to take formal friends or dates. Or do a birthday or other celebratory dinners.

On to the food. We ordered the mix grill platter, chicken tikka masala, vegetable curry (forgot what they call it), tandoori wings for app, rice, Naan, and a garlic cheese Naan. I picked Kinara over Chutney (chutneys i still love you) that day just because of their Naan selection. I haven't had cheese Naan since I visited Pakistan years ago.

Everything was delicious. FYI: It is a little spicy, but was fine for husband and I They happily gave my sister plain yogurt when we asked. I would have liked to order the cookie desert but we were out of time. The mocktail selection is the most extensive I've seen but didn't try any. And they have trendy apps we will have to try next time.

Tip: this restaurant is walking distance to the Masonic. 15 min. Uphill. Or 4 min Uber drive.

Parking is typical for SF.

Bathrooms were clean.

Family friendly.

I'll pick Kinara when I want good desi food but want to...