After a successful debut in Edinburgh, a new Indian restaurant has opened its second branch here in Stirling: meet Kahani!
Located on Upper Craigs Street, the restaurant is hard to miss, with stunning floral ornaments decorating its entrance.
This theme follows you into the open space, where floral decor, elegant designs, and big tables bring guests into a welcoming space.
The award-winning restaurant specialises in assortments of Indian street foods, bringing traditional recipes to life with modern flairs.
Now onto the best part: the food!
The Menu
Kahani’s menu hosts many traditional Indian dishes with choices to suit every customer. These plates are accompanied by modern twists and platings, enhancing their ideals of serving modern Indian street food.
The drinks menu was short but sweet, offering a variety of non-alcoholic drinks or hot drinks. They don’t offer your typical classic mocktails, but this gives customers a chance to try something new!
Kahani also offers a BYOB system of wine or beer without a corkage fee, so you can bring your own drink without any additional charges.
The large array of appetisers to choose from offer an option for everyone, from many vegetarian dishes, to meat and fish-based dishes, and even vegan too, although a little limited.
As for the mains, there were again multiple options for all palates. Customers will be able to choose from an array of curries to tandoori specials, and more.
And finally, you will also have options for sides, which include rice, bread, salads, and dips to accompany your meal.
My Review
Image Credit: Emanuela Scalia
Firstly, the staff were very accommodating and helpful when taking our drink and food orders, which continued throughout my entire visit.
Although I am no food critic, I will also give you my honest review on the plates.
I personally tried the Onion Bhaji and the Yeti Ghee Roast (Mangalorean-style prawns) as my starters. As someone who loves onions, the bhajis were absolutely phenomenal, but that wasn’t just for the taste!
Their plating was vibrant and inviting, and it displayed the chef’s artistic vision.
The prawns were also very flavourful and tangy. Since each plate is paired with a traditional dip, the chosen one for the prawns was sweet which paired nicely with the dish.
The presentation of a dish can make or break your feelings towards it. In this case, each starter was brought out beautifully arranged on captivating colourful plates, which shows the chefs dedicate their time in providing you the best possible experience with each plate.
As a main, I tried the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Chicken Jhalfrezi, which were both delicious. They were just the right amount of sweet but also spicy, yet not overpowering and still flavourful.
Kahani prides itself in ‘using fresh local ingredients’ and I could definitely taste the freshness in the vegetables and in the cream-based curry sauces.
To top it all off, the portion sizes were the right amount for each plate, if not generous! This truly means you are getting your money’s worth out of each dish.
Location and Atmosphere
This is a perfect place for all types of lunches and dinners, whether romantic, friendly, or even for a solo-night out to treat yourself after a long day of studying.
With Kahani, there are also no secrets to your food experience: the kitchen and bar area are both open to customer viewing, with glass panels separating the kitchen from the tables.
They also offer a larger, more private area which hosts larger party sizes– the perfect place to host a birthday dinner or graduation ceremony celebration.
Would i recommend it?
Long story short- yes! I would recommend Kahani to anyone who loves Indian food or would like to try something new.
Their food style is not something I have seen in Stirling before and truly puts a twist on going out for dinner.
Kahani also offers takeaway, so if you’re not in the mood to leave the house, you can still enjoy their food from the comfort of your own living room.
As mentioned on their website, “It’s not just a meal; it’s a story worth sharing,” so I would like to share this with you.
You can find more information on their website at Kahanistirling.co.uk or book by calling their phone number at: 01786643204.
Kahani now also offers a ten percent student discount on all meals.
Featured image credit: Kahani
Aspiring Journalist
Fourth-year Journalism Student and Sports Editor of BRIG Newspaper at Stirling University
