Khaki — Restaurant in San Ramon

Ok where do I start We went to this place with lots of expectations. We had great experiences at Nadu Chicago ( by Chef Sujan and Pujan Sarkar). Same goes with Curry up now here in bay area. So we thought Khaki being a collaborative experience between these 2 amazing teams would be great as well Boy were we wrong We had a reservation at 830 pm We reached the restaurant at 825 pm. We were finally seated by 850 pm. After being seated we were told not every item on the menu were available as they have ran out of stuff halfway into the dinner service. We booked a reservation at thia restauranr by looking at their menu listed on their website and were particularly excited to try out their wild alaskan code paturi and champaran mutton, but surprisingly in the menu provided in the restaurant, paturi wasnt even listed and they were out of champaran mutton. Had we known that their menu advertised is not completely available we wouldnt have gone tonight After sometime we were even asked to switch tables by the staff which we politely declined as we were already disappointed with the service and we just wanted our dinner at that point. Now coming to food we ordered the following and these are our honest review

Parsi Chicken keema : Tasted good, loved the concept of pairing it with jhuri aloo bhaja

Prawn koliwada: crispy fried marinated prawn, loved it

Lamb shank purdah biriyani: We had to wait a lot of time between our starters and main course. The biriyani was pretty uneventful, but we have to live with it as not all items listed on their website were there on the menu and even some items listed on the menu of that night were not available

Chicken ghee roast: there was no essence of ghee or roast in that dish that was served to us, tasted like regular chicken curry

We didnt even bother to look at the dessert menu of the night. When we were seated we were told some of the dessert items ( even basic item like tea) wasnt available, so we didnt want to dishearten ourselves by looking at the dessert menu and thinking about what ifs. So we decided to have dessert at a place where everything on menu is available

A restaurant claiming to be a fine dining indian restaurant, the poor service, unavailability of dishes, surcharge on food is very embarrassing to be honest

Wouldnt recommend going to this place But do visit Nadu if you...

Khaki is on the 2nd floor of a suburban mall. The decor is bright but decidedly casual - no tablecloths, no fabric to dampen the noise, brightly lit. At 7pm on a Friday, it was quite busy. And it showed in the slow service, as they were apparently short-staffed. This marred our experience quite a bit, as things were served out of order, or too late, or not at all.

Appetizers: Pani puri: Not great, the "ragda" filling and mango juice didn't do it for us Patta Chat: Good, "patta' was crisp and toppings tasted fine Tandoori Mushroom: Not great, as it felt too creamy and meaty Chicken Keema: Excellent flavors, crisp pao and potato toppings Shrimp Ghee Roast: Excellent flavors

Drinks: Ordered a few cocktails (wine list is minimal and only Modelo on tap!). They came after the appetizers (not best) and flavors were not balanced (ice was great, though!): Khaki 2601: Too sweet Sep 26, 1940: Too tangy Mr. Narayanan: Too pungent A Night in 2BHK: Decent, on the light side Pushpa Aunty: Best of the lot, like a "shikanji"

Mains: Champaran Mutton: Excellent, though heat was tad high and too many fatty / cartilage pieces Zucchini Kofta: Tasty, but very rich and did us in with its heaviness Meen Polichatu: Disappointing! They forgot the order so it came after a long time. It was cooked too dry. The gravy on the side was great, but usually this fish is coated with masala for flavor. Naans: Decent, but they "ran out" of Tandoori Roti (how?) Onions & Chilli: Nice, but why charge for it?

Desserts: Gulab Jamun Creme Brulee: Excellent, GJ syrup flavor on top Rasmalai Tres Leches: Decent, felt a bit dry and dense, not juicy enough Custard Apple Kheer: Disappointing! Felt like Boba...

In summary, the food was good in parts, especially the meats. Cocktails were forgettable. Service was friendly but too erratic. Vibe is casual and noisy. Not bad for a casual outing, certainly not fine dining, though you wouldn't know it from...

RAVE: Difficult not to write a story about this delightful new restaurant. -Immediate smiles upon arrival by Bria and a young lad with glasses. Wish I caught his name. -Owner Akash did a great job mediating between kitchen and front house staff -Most welcoming environment with a lovely tropical feel. Soft music in background allowing you to continue conversations -Staff was experiencing slight challenges with order placement system as kitchen quickly recovered delay getting food to tables -Bria was helpful with understanding menu items while Sarah maintained a super clean bar as she made delicious cocktails -Beef Lovers: Mangalorean was made to perfection! Tender meat bites in the most perfect salan with minimal oil. Flavors did not overwhelm the dish. Every bite allowed you to understand a simple yet complex profile. The aroma drew your heart to another place. My highest compliments to the ever so talented Chef Krishna and competent kitchen staff -True Vegetarians are not forgotten here. Tandoori Cauliflower again cooked to perfection. My only note is to serve with chutney -Between dishes Mr.Will, Bria and Sarah as well as Mr. Akash routinely observed each guest to determine how they can improve any little detail for the perfect experience. -Each dish we were presented with was so beautiful we took a few minutes to admire. Please be patient as this is a new restaurant. Relax, enjoy a drink or tea with my new favorite dessert Golab Jamun Crème Brûlée with a delicious custard. This too is an experience. Hope you enjoyed as...