ROOH Palo Alto
Indian restaurant · Palo Alto ·
Modern Indian cuisine with creative dishes, unique cocktails, and upscale ambiance
Modern Indian cuisine with creative dishes, unique cocktails, and upscale ambiance
"In Palo Alto, head chef Apurva Panchal says he has leaned more into the cross-cultural California-ness of his menu as a response to sourcing pressures: for instance, a cauliflower steak that used to use Indian red pumpkin is now made with local butternut squash — an "opportunity for innovation," he says." - Jaya Saxena
"Amidst a slew of upscale Indian restaurants descending upon San Francisco, Rooh rises to the top, thanks to an innovative menu that fuses the subcontinent’s myriad flavors with modern restaurant staples (oysters, pork belly, burrata). The bold India-goes-industrial décor is a bit paint-by-numbers, with vivid jewel tones and an oversized mural, but the vibe is engaging and the cocktails quite unique.Rooh's cuisine is approachable, but an extra degree of care and punched-up ingredient quality are reflected in the pricing. Opt for a meal of delicious small plates, like redolent bites of spice-marinated chicken under a colorful disc of crisp shreds of kataifi. Wrap up with unique desserts like a cashew praline cake paired with phirni mousse and thaindai ice cream." - Michelin Inspector
"This high-end restaurant located several blocks from Oracle Park is reimagining traditional Indian cuisine and mixing in ingredients and cooking styles from around the world with the precision of a lauded scientist. Simply put, Rooh is exciting and inventive, especially their small plates. Rich mawa-stuffed black morel mushrooms are slathered in decadent yakhni sauce. The spiced chickpeas topped with potato mousse and crispy salli shreds are hearty enough to double as the world’s best campfire meal. And the avocado-filled puri puffs topped with chilled yogurt mousse crack in your mouth in a satisfying way when you bite into them. The best part is you'll eat it in the presence of a fancy ayurvedic-inspired cocktail, and in a place that's jewel-toned, swank, and filled with velvet chairs." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong
"This high-end restaurant in SoMa is reimagining traditional Indian cuisine and mixing in ingredients and cooking styles from around the world with the precision of a lauded scientist. Rich koya and ricotta-stuffed black morel mushrooms are slathered in decadent yakhni sauce. And the avocado-filled puri puffs topped with chilled yogurt mousse satisfyingly crack in your mouth. The best part is you'll eat it in the presence of a fancy ayurvedic-inspired cocktail, and in a place that's jewel-toned, swank, and filled with velvet chairs." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
"This fancy Indian restaurant in SoMa clearly takes back support seriously. The sapphire bar stools at Rooh are more luxurious than most people’s couches, so it’s a no-brainer that they clock in at number one. The tops of the chairs curve in to hug your upper back, and the raised sides keep your legs from sliding off after a particularly exciting mouthful of dahi puri. Every other stool, take notes." - julia chen 1, patrick wong