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Saffron will be hosting a special Holi event on March 22, 2024. Courtesy Saffron. Photo by Hannah Pittel. 
Sunnyvale’s Pints of Joy created the thandai flavor specifically for Holi. Courtesy Pints of Joy. 
Aurum in Los Altos offers a special Holi menu that runs through the end of March. Courtesy Aurum. 
Desi Contemporary Indian Casual Restaurant and Gabr Bar will be serving a special Holi combo: saffron thandai and gujia sweet empanada. Courtesy Desi Contemporary Indian Casual Restaurant and Gabr Bar.
Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, marks the arrival of spring and a chance to start over. This year, the holiday lands on March 25, but it’s not uncommon to extend the party before and after the Hindu calendar’s official date. Reena Walia, co-owner of Burlingame and San Carlos’ Saffron restaurants, describes India’s vibrant spring festival as transcending cultural roots and becoming a global celebration of joy. “Streets in India erupt in joy and color as communities throw colored powder, symbolizing unity and the renewal that spring brings,” she said.
Those in the food business see Holi as an opportunity to transition from winter menus to spring offerings. We rounded up some Indian restaurants and food establishments on the Peninsula celebrating the holiday with special menus and flavors.
Saffron
Saffron’s menus illustrate India’s diverse food scene. Besides the quintessential Holi items, gujiya (fried pastries) and thandai, both Burlingame and San Carlos locations are offering laal maas, a fiery lamb dish from Rajasthan, crispy Parsi farcha chicken, and the aromatic Goan shrimp to coincide with the holiday. On March 22, San Carlos’ Saffron will be hosting a special Holi event with the above menu items and a DJ playing Bollywood tunes. Saffron will also be kicking off its new lunch menu that day. Look for colorful cocktails and mocktails in addition to wines from Russian River Valley’s Naidu Wines, an Indian-woman-owned winery run by Raghni Naidu.
Saffron, 209 Park Road, Burlingame; 650-910-6351. Open for lunch Monday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner Sunday-Thursday 5-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-10 p.m. San Carlos, 1143 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos; 650-593-4269. Open for lunch Monday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner Sunday-Thursday 4:30-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4:30-9:30 p.m. Instagram: @saffron_restaurants.
Pints of Joy
Sunnyvale ice cream shop Pints of Joy relishes in creating festive flavors that align with India’s holidays. Owners Ketki Dandekar and Arshiya Shaikh created the thandai flavor specifically for Holi. It is a riff on the traditional Holi drink and ingredients include fennel seeds, rose petals, peppercorns, almonds and poppy seeds.
Dandekar’s memories of Holi run deep: “I have childhood memories of gathering with friends, throwing color, spraying colored water from ‘pichkaris’ or water guns, and eating sweets like gujjia and drinking thandai to complete the festivities,” Dandekar said. The shop also uses the flavor in its jalebi sundae, layering it with the Indian fried sweet.
Pints of Joy, 717 El Camino Real Suite 6, Sunnyvale; 408-472-7403, Instagram: @pintsofjoyicecream. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m.
Aurum
Aurum in Los Altos offers a special Holi menu that runs through the end of March. These colorful dishes celebrate the sweet, spicy and sour of Indian cuisine. Appetizers include tandoori bharwan aloo (chicken, black cardamom and chaat masala) and crispy thread chicken (chicken plus madras curry masala with wonton wrapper). Mains include paneer tawa masala (caramelized onion, pimentos, tomato and spices) and shrimp pepper fry (tellicherry pepper, pimentos, tomato and curry leaves). A special Holi kulcha is stuffed with the sweetness of gulab jamun. Finish the meal with a thandai panna cotta. The restaurant is hosting a free Holi celebration on March 24 at 11:30 a.m. where you can sample food and drink from local South Asian brands. Learn more and reserve your spot here.
Aurum, 132 State St., Los Altos; 650-383-5221, Instagram: @aurumlosaltos. Open for lunch Monday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner Monday-Thursday 5-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-10 p.m. and Sunday 5-9 p.m.
Desi Contemporary Indian Casual Restaurant and Gabr Bar
The owners of Desi Contemporary Indian Casual Restaurant and Gabr Bar are big fans of Holi. Co-founder Archana Nagrath said, “Holi is a favorite festival for our family. My husband Mohit Nagrath hails from Uttar Pradesh, the birthstate of Lord Krishna. Holi is very big there and many businesses close for an entire week to celebrate.”
Beyond the surface-level fun of smearing each other with powdered colors and water, Archana reflects on the deeper meaning of the festival and said, “It’s a time to mend relationships, forgive past grievances and start anew. It’s a celebration of unity, love and the timeless bonds that connect us all.” The Nagraths will be serving a special Holi combo through March 28: saffron thandai with or without alcohol and gujia sweet empanada.
Desi Contemporary Indian Casual Restaurant and Gabr Bar, 501 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell; 408-429-8098, Instagram: @eatatdesi. Open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner Monday-Thursday 5:30-9:30 p.m., Friday 5:30-10 p.m., Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
