From family home to funeral parlor to restaurant: Gardenia is the latest business to open in this historic Los Gatos mansion
If you believe in and are afraid of ghosts, this new Los Gatos restaurant may not be for you. French Asian fusion restaurant Gardenia has opened in a Queen Anne Victorian mansion that was formerly a funeral parlor (although it’s housed restaurants since 1976 so I personally wouldn’t get my knickers in a twist).
If you love French and Asian food, coffee and aesthetic design, Gardenia will likely be for you. Brunch and happy hour menus feature fusion dishes like smoked wagyu brisket French dip and duck confit spring rolls, the coffee program is developed in part by celebrity barista Morgan Eckroth, and the interior even features a princess corner with a chandelier, pink walls and other cutesy decor.
In addition to Gardenia, this week I also wrote about California Cafe in Palo Alto and Kitchen Therapy in San Bruno. Created by the owners of personal training gym Palo Alto Fit, California Cafe aims to foster a community-centric atmosphere similar to that of the former Printers Cafe (and purposely is not offering Wi-Fi!). Kitchen Therapy aims to heal the soul, mind and body through food, making bento boxes and sandwiches with housemade fermented ingredients.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Gardenia opens in historic Los Gatos mansion, offering French Asian fusion cuisine and specialty coffee
A former funeral parlor is now home to a French Asian fusion restaurant with a coffee program developed in part by celebrity barista Morgan Eckroth.
Anniversary offerings, wine events and upcoming closures
- California Cafe opened Aug. 24 in Palo Alto, replacing Printers Cafe, a California Avenue mainstay for over three decades.
- San Bruno has a new – and somewhat hidden – cafe selling Japanese bentos, sandwiches and desserts, as well as a variety of crafts from local merchants.
- Oh Honey Macaron in Mountain View recently launched drinks and patio dining and will be celebrating its fifth anniversary on Saturday with complimentary tote bags with qualifying purchases.
- After four years in downtown Redwood City, family-owned La Cocina de la Abuela will have its last day of service Oct. 25, citing “economic challenges.” The Mexican restaurant will be hosting an “End of Era” celebration Oct. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- A Slice of New York, with locations in Sunnyvale and San Jose, is offering $2 slices and 20% off baked goods on Thursday in celebration of the pizzeria’s 18th anniversary.
- Both downtown Campbell and downtown Los Altos are hosting upcoming wine events: The 2024 Fall Wine Walk is on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the Downtown Los Altos Wine Stroll is on Friday at 6 p.m.
- True Ethiopian Cuisine Catering in San Carlos has announced that it’s permanently closing on Sept. 29.
Dinner at Khazana
There’s no shortage of upscale Indian restaurants in downtown Palo Alto, and Khazana is the latest to join the scene. It’s a restaurant concept created by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who rose to fame through his TV cooking show “Khana Khazana,” running an impressive 649 episodes over 19 years. For context, that’s 115 more episodes and two years longer than “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”!
While the chef was scheduled to make an appearance at his newest restaurant earlier this month, a family emergency called Kapoor back home to India. I talked with COO of SK Restaurants Pradipto Das last month for an article about the restaurant’s opening, and the way he described the food was so enticing, I couldn’t help but make a reservation and try the food for myself during its soft-opening phase.
The drinks menu was relatively limited and only listed two options for craft cocktails, both priced at $18. They were out of the saffron negroni, so I opted for the goji bourbon, which was strong with a subtly sweet, fruity flavor and topped with goji berries.
Following the recommendations of Das, I ordered the edamame panipuri with kokum and coconut nectar ($12) and the baby lamb chop kabargah ($28). With such a beautiful visual impact, I was shocked at how bland the panipuri was, especially because the majority of panipuri I’ve had before burst with flavor so I had high expectations. On the other hand, the baby lamb chop kabargah was a real winner. The meat was extremely juicy and tender from the sous vide with a smoky crispiness from the clay oven, and the marinade with saffron and fennel packed a punch of bright flavor. The green chutney it was served with tasted extremely fresh and complemented the rich lamb perfectly.
That same green chutney also was served with the smoked ricotta galouti ($17), which melted in my mouth and was well-seasoned, but I couldn’t taste any rose petal, which was supposed to be found in the dish. The Makhanwala paneer ($21), which I opted to pair with garlic cheese kulcha ($9), reminded me of a comforting bowl of tomato soup with grilled cheese in the best way possible. The cottage cheese was smoky and creamy, and the tomato sauce was sweet, rich and luscious. The kulcha tasted like a super soft cheesy garlic bread.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the food at Khazana, but I will say the portions are relatively small for the price, and although the first dishes came out very quickly, the paneer and kulcha came out almost an hour and a half after being seated (although I’ll attribute the wait time to it being in the soft-opening phase).
To watch my review, click here and follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.
Khazana, 339 University Ave., Palo Alto; 650-384-6411, Instagram: @khazanapaloalto. Open Tuesday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
How two Sunnyvale mompreneurs are bringing innovative Indian dessert-inspired ice cream to the Peninsula
Gulab jamun and salted guava are among the unique flavors that can be found at Ketki Dandekar and Arshiya Shaikh’s ice cream shop
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