Junnoon Restaurant

Name: Junnoon Restaurant
[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Saturday, June 9, 2007, 9:30 PM
Guests: Lani, Alex, Jennifer and me
What we had: "Lemonito" pitcher (Jen and me), Coriander Fennel Chicken bites (Jen and me--appetizer), Tapioca/potato fritters (Alex and Lani--appetizer), Goat cheese Naan, Black Pepper steak (Jen), Prawns in coconut mustard sauce (Alex, me--separate portions), Rice flaked sea bass (Lani).

Jen had ordered a different nonalcoholic beverage that it turned out they were out of, so we got a pitcher of "Lemonito" to share; it's basically a nonalcoholic Mojito with Sprite in place of rum. Lani had club soda and Alex stuck with water.

We shared the appetizers around the table and both were quite good. They were each served with a different sauce, one minty and the other a bit spicy. Unfortunately both were heavily laden with cilantro so Jen couldn't enjoy either one. The goat cheese naan was warm and soft and cheesy.

I didn't try Jennifer's black pepper steak (it was a bit odd to find a steak on the menu at a supposedly Indian restaurant, but it's more Indian-fusion with emphasis on the fusion) but she said it was very good; she wasn't as thrilled with the potatoes. Alex and I both enjoyed our prawns in coconut mustard sauce, and I especially liked the flavorful charred bits that flaked off the tails. I neglected to ask Lani how she liked her rice flaked sea bass, but she finished it so it couldn't have been too bad.

We passed on dessert as the kitchen was about to close.

Service: Good but a little odd. Our initial server described the specials and answered questions, and then introduced another guy who would be taking over for the rest of the meal. Okay, we figured, he's done with his shift and going home. No, he was still working other tables and even helped serve our table. Maybe our guy was on break when we were seated? No real problem, anyway.

Would we go back: Yes.

Junnoon Restaurant

Name: Junnoon Restaurant
Address: 150 University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 329-9644
Web site: junnoon.com
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, November 7, 2006 7:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: "Just Junnoon" (passion fruit/apple martini) (Jen), "Manic Masala Mary" (me), Tangy Semolina shells, warm shrimp & arugula salad, Tamarind glazed duck (Jen), Malabar chicken stew (me), rosemary olive naan, snow peas poriyal (me), molten chocolate/ginger cake. Jennifer had a class of Pinot Noir with her dinner, recommended by our server.

This was probably the best first-time restaurant experience we'd had in quite some time. Everything we tried was, without exception, wonderful and unusual. We didn't try each other's drinks, as they would not have meshed well, but Jen liked her "Just Junnoon" martini and my "Manic Masala Mary" was good, spicy and rich. The Semolina shells were slightly crisp and filled with chick-peas, mint and tamarind chutney, and topped with a grated cheese. We both liked them and the portion size of six was more than we expected for an appetizer. We also shared the warm shrimp and arugula salad, which is served with a spicy red pepper vinaigrette; tangy and flavorful.

I don't usually like duck, but I tried a bite of Jen's and it wasn't bad; she loved it. My Malabar chicken stew was perfect; the chicken was tender and the coconut-milk broth was simultaneously sweet and spicy. The rosemary olive naan was nice but not exceptional, but the snow peas Poriyal (mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut) were just superb. Again, the portion size was unexpectedly large (especially since Jennifer didn't want more than one bite) so I took half of this dish home along with half of my chicken stew and some of Jen's duck.

There were no seasonings (salt & pepper) on the table, which is usually an annoyance for me but in this case they just weren't needed.

The molten chocolate/ginger cake was extremely rich and gooey. Our server said it was the most-ordered dessert on the menu.

Service: Varied between slightly overbearing and a little distant, but on the whole better than average. Water was for some reason served without ice unless you asked for it, but a busser brought that quickly.

Would we go back: Yes, wholeheartedly.