Beyond the Buffet

Zagat calls it Houston’s Best New Restaurant of 2006.

Modern Luxury magazine says the currant-fig chutney will prove this is “not your normal curry house.”

We say: in a town with its fair share of Indian restaurants, “Kiran’s” stands out for all the right reasons.

Owner-slash-executive chef Kiran Verma’s culinary roots and training might lie in tradition (the Sheraton New Delhi) but her commitment to the experimental is clear (four words: Curried Venison Osso Bucco).

In Houston, desi fare has historically been relegated to suburban stripmalls, but Kiran’s brings upscale Indian dining downtown.

Critics praise the cilantro-shot aloo gobi, find the pulao “astonishingly fluffy, each grain hyperdistinct” and suggest capping things off with the saffron, pistachio and cardamom-infused crème brûlée trio.

The restaurant hosts dining events—like this Wednesday’s ‘Scottish Fare With Indian Flair.’ Go here to make a reservation.

— Hilal Nakiboglu Isler