Kanak Indian Kitchen - Charlottesville, VA
Summary
Kanak Indian Kitchen is an Indian Restaurant in Charlottesville, VA. They offer a selection of Indian Cuisine and affordable combination meals. Additionally, they have an attractive, modern, classy-casual dining experience. During my visit I tried the mango lassi and the chicken tikka masala lunch meal.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Mango Lassi
$4
The mango lassi is a mango yogurt drink. It was a moderate serving size presented in a cute milk bottle glass. I thought it was pleasant and creamy but the mango flavor was very light. It could have been more flavorful. The mango lassi is a good pairing with a spicy curry dish to cool the palate.
Chicken Tikka Masala Lunch
$15
The chicken tikka masala lunch consists of a platter of chicken tikka masala curry, dal, naan bread, and basmati rice served with a side soup or salad. I opted for the side salad with a citrus cracked pepper vinaigrette. I thought the salad was pleasant and fresh but pretty basic consisting mostly of lettuce. It is a small salad, but I found the size to be great for a lunch side.
The platter on the other hand is a huge serving for a lunch meal. Both curries were very flavorful and fresh. I ordered the hot heat level on a scale of mild, medium, hot, extra hot and found it had a kick to it but was not that hot. Tikka masala is a tomato and yogurt based curry while the dal is just tomato based. Consequently, the dal came across as hotter than the tikka masala. The naan was a bit doughy but tasted alright and the rice was cooked perfectly. Overall, I loved how comprehensive the meal was including everything you would want in an Indian meal: curry, rice, naan, and salad.
Overall Food
Overall, I enjoyed the food at Kanak Indian Kitchen. They have a wide selection of Indian cuisine and a great selection of lunch and dinner meals that offer a little bit of several dishes. The serving sizes were good with attractive presentation. Additionally, I thought the flavors were quite good overall though some were not strong.
Service
The service at Kanak Indian Kitchen was decent. They were very professional and mildly friendly but a bit slow. It took a while to be able to order and pay, but the food came out efficiently.
Atmosphere
Size
There are about 30 tables and a full bar.
Who Goes Here?
A wide variety of friends, coworkers, and couples were dining.
Overall Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Kanak Indian Kitchen is classy casual with crisp modern furnishings. The furniture is simple and comfortable. The tables are on the close side but not uncomfortably so. Everything comes across as quite new and clean. They do have classier elements such as fresh flowers on the tables and cloth napkins that elevate the experience. I think Kanak Indian Kitchen is a versatile dining experience that could be casual or semiformal.
Location
Kanak Indian Kitchen in Charlottesville, VA is in a good location. They are in a very nice shopping center with many other shops and restaurants and plenty of parking. It is also conveniently right off of interstate I-64.
Interested in finding places to eat in Charlottesville, VA?
Value for money
Kanak Indian Kitchen is a great value for your money. They have very good quality food in large servings. The lunch meals are very reasonably priced and offer way more food and better food than you would get for the same price at a restaurant like Panera or Chipotle. They also offer a very classy and comfortable atmosphere with professional service.
Overall
All in all, I enjoyed my experience at Kanak Indian Kitchen. The dining experience was casual but had a level of sophistication. Additionally, the meal was very tasty and served in large servings with a great variety of dishes. I would recommend dining at Kanak Indian Kitchen to anyone looking for a flavorful meal in Charlottesville, but go hungry!
