Ettan

Critically acclaimed modern Indian restaurant from acclaimed chef Srijith Gopinathan offering a refined tasting menu and a la carte with a curated wine list.

Ettan makes a compelling case for Indian food shaped by California's seasonal ingredients. At this Palo Alto restaurant, pineapple-mint pani puri, Kerala fried chicken and corn kofta with sesame-coconut curry give familiar menu categories fresh directions. We like that the creativity still leaves plenty of approachable choices, including slow-cooked black lentils, vegetable biryani and butter chicken served with whey naan. Lunch adds its own possibilities, with chicken or paneer poee pockets and a lamb kebab wrapped in roomali roti. Details such as green-apple raita and fermented curry leaf make browsing the menu part of the appeal. The setting contributes, too: a glass dome, mezzanine and patio away from street traffic give the Bryant Street restaurant several distinct spaces. For contemporary Indian dining in Palo Alto, Ettan offers both a sense of occasion and plenty of dishes worth exploring together.