Indian Fine Dining Restaurants Aim for Awards in the Southwest | Eater

"Born from the Ritz‑Carlton Laguna Niguel’s blowout, six‑figure Indian weddings, this Dana Point dining room lets Mumbai‑trained chef Sanjay Rawat showcase his extravagant menus full‑time since opening in late 2023. I walk past colorful Indian artwork that now shrouds the remnants of the former steakhouse and find a menu melding seasonal California cooking with pan‑Indian classics: ahi‑tuna‑studded bhel puri and spiced burrata with cherry tomatoes and strawberries as lighter starters, while Chennai sea bass arrives atop rounds of roasted delicata squash and a bean ragu. Most nights the room fills with Orange County South Asians celebrating special occasions — many driving in from Los Angeles or San Diego — and Rawat says only about 20 percent of diners are hotel guests, with regulars proudly bringing visiting family and friends to show off a standard‑bearing Indian restaurant." - Matthew Kang