When you’re dining at Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen, you’re not just there to eat a meal; you’re indulging in an experience. A blend of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan influences, Khan Saab in Fullerton serves up an array of dishes you don’t encounter on just any menu. Opened in February 2020, Khan Saab’s kitchen is run by award-winning chef, Imran Ali Mookhi.
Khan Saab sets itself apart from other restaurants in many ways, one of which is that its menu is 100 percent halal. Plus, all of the meat served is high quality, and the drinks are craft mocktails. We started with the mango mojito and the Peshawri Mule, both of which were enhanced familiar flavors. We also were treated to the Tower of Peshwar, which had a lovely, light mix of cucumber, basil and elderflower. These mocktails were so delicious, we didn’t miss the alcohol at all.
The menu at Khan Saab was very fun to navigate; everything sounded flavorful and noteworthy. For starters, the Pani Puri arrived in its own little wagon and was just asking to be added to our Instagram story. The dish is made up of stuffed puff pastries suspended on shot glasses full of tamarind water. We were instructed to pour the tamarind water into the pastry and eat the whole thing in one bite. This interactive appetizer is perfect for a date or during dinner with friends or family.
There is an entire section of the menu devoted to kabobs, so you know we had to try at least one of those! The smoked beef kabob was covered in a glass cloche and revealed to us upon arrival. The meat was extremely tender and absolutely delicious. Other kabobs to note are the tandoori chicken and the Kandahari lamb chops.
When it comes to steak, Khan Saab uses only the highest rated Australian Wagyu beef for cuts like the woodfired bone-in tomahawk (seen at top of page) and Kiwami boneless ribeye.
The curry section was even more expansive than the kabobs. We chose the Palak Paneer, a spiced spinach-Indian cottage cheese, and the Lamb Rogan Josh. We suggest smearing the Palak Paneer on top of a generous piece of garlic naan for the perfect bite.
One last main course must-have: the Khan Biryani. It takes 20 to 25 minutes to prepare and is worth every second. The combination of chicken, Biryani rice and Thai chili results in a spicy, flavor explosion in every bite. This one is not for the faint of heart when it comes to spice!
On the menu we received, the dessert section had a special story underneath it, explaining how important sweets are to the Indian culture. In fact, Indians were the first to refine sugar around 500 BC. Since then, desserts have become a necessity for celebrations, religious offerings or even as a greeting. In the story, they described Gulab Jamun as “fluffy pillows of warm, syrup-laden dough,” and we just knew we had to order that! Described as an Indian doughnut, the Galub Jamun was somehow even better than the description.
For more information about Khan Saab, visit www.khansaaboc.com.