Great ambience, awesome food and very friendly service. Got served with a birthday surprise as well. read more

Sakoon - Goat malabar - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

This is for takeout order of dum biryani and tandoor kabobs trio. The kababs were dry, chewy and looked stale. Biryani was basically a pulao with not much taste, and raita was partially frozen. This used to be our go to place for good quality Indian dinner. So disappointed that quality has gone down a lot read more

We had a party of 10 people at this restaurant and had great time. The food was excellent all the appetizers were delicious including Tandoori Vegetables and Chicken. Samosas and Paneer were tasty as usual. We ordered a variety of mains ranging from fish, dal and chicken. All delicious and the portions were large enough to satisfy us all. The service was very obliging and prompt. Raymon did a wonderful job in recommending, organizing and serving the group. He was just great. read more

Always a pleasure to come to this restaurant and try their yummy food. We have been coming here for a while and the fast hasn't changed. The only 1 less star is you can see a lot of dust on their furniture and lights but the food is amazing!!! We have also had great service all the times we have been here. read more

Extremely underwhelming food and service. Details: We were promptly seated at 1:10pm for a lunch buffet. Dishes such as rice, butter chicken, tandoori chicken , lamb curry weren't refilled for quite sometime and a large number of the guests at the buffet line basically went without these dishes. They refilled the dishes after quite sometime, about 20-25mins later. The dishes were pretty average items, and surprisingly they didn't even have biryani. The rice items were saffron rice & a tomato-mint rice, which sadly I was unable to sample as the 3 times I went looking for this rice, the pot wasn't refilled. For some of the other items, you can tell that the gravy of butter chicken was used to create 3 other dishes, so I wouldn't call this a bang for your buck when you have 4 very similar dishes with just a different protein in a buffet menu. Service was lacking- no one checked in to see if any drinks were needed for the entire duration of our meal. I definitely saw few other tables trying to flag down a server to order drinks, or get some naan, so poor customer service seems likely at this place. Honestly can't imagine paying 25$ pp, to dine in such a setting where the food is boring, and service is lacking. About ambience, the middle of the restaurant is so dimly lit, that even during day time, you would have a hard time seeing the dishes on plate. It may be "cozy" to some, but felt extremely dull given the downtown location. Saving grace: the gulab jamun, but honestly you can't save such a dull lack luster meal & lack of service with gulab jamun. We had heard many great reviews for this restaurant, but given what we experienced, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant. There are many fantastic restaurants in the Bay Area serving buffets with a much better menu & excellent service and more deserving of our support! Save your $. read more

Don't believe the 3.5 star rating on Yelp. The buffet here is 5 star...best in Bay Area with most options. Food is truly outstanding. The negative reviews seem to come from dinner where the value may not be as good. read more

Sakoon is one of my favorite places to go lunch with buffet , at the nighttime very nice sit down dinner have some bar with it food is tasty anything you will enjoy that. That's my guarantee. You should try once. read more

FOOD - Delicious! I went with a friend and we had the buffet for lunch. There were many vegetarian options and I enjoyed everything. I wish I didn't have such a large plate to start so I could have went back for more. AMBIANCE - We sat outside, so it was just Castro Street, which has been nicer since it was made into a third space. SERVICE - It was a buffet, so it didn't require too much service, but the waitor was very friendly and kind. Both of us liked him. PRICE - It was ~$20 for the buffet. Probably fair in these times? OVERALL - Had a great time. Enjoyed the food and would certainly go back. read more

Went here for dinner with my team from work, and we had a pleasant time. We had made a reservation for the back room to have a little more privacy, so plus points for having that option. The service was really nice, although they did take quite a while for the tiniest things. Especially the wine! In terms of the food, we ordered the Paneer Tikka, Seekh Kebab and Lasooni Gobi. The individual pieces of all the items were quite large, and looked very appetizing! For the vegetarian entrees we got the Dal Sakoon which was quite heavy on the tomatoes and bright red in color, Paneer Peshawari and Saag Pasand Se (cheese). The online menu says the Saag dish comes with corn bread, but I don't believe we got any. We also got the Butter Chicken, Murg Sakoon and Gosht Malabar, which we're all good. Their saffron rice is also quite flavorful. For dessert we shared the Stuffed Gulab Jamuns, which werr a nice twist as compared to what you'd find at other Indian restaurants. They were stuffed with Almonds I believe, and were not overly sweet. One big disappointment though, was the mess they created with our Naan order. We asked for 6 garlic and 6 plain naans, and only received the garlic. We went to order more, and when I just happened to think about it, we realized the plain naan never came to the table. So we then had to wait with cold entrees on our plates until the naan got to us. Not the best part of the experience. They also got us the wrong wine, so docking a star for that too. read more

Sakoon - From Top Right: Saag Pasand Se, Gosht Malabar, Murgh Sakoon, Dal Sakoon, Butter Chicken, Paneer Peshawari. With Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

Had a gift card if been hanging on to for several years (cuz of covid) so we stopped in yesterday for an impromptu dinner around 6:30. First off: service and ambiance is awesome, I don't usually care about these things, but I had to mention it. We ordered starters: lasooni gobi, papdi chaat, and the tandoori mixed grill. Everything was absolutely delicious, the chaat was a bit mild for what I'm used to but the cauliflower made up for it in the other dish. The mixed grill had juicy smoky pieces of meat and the green chutney it came with was awesome. Lamb chop was super flavorful, seekh kebab was yum, chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the shrimp was perfectly charred. We filled up on these and ended up leaving stuffed with a promise to return to try the main dishes here. read more

Sakoon - Lasooni gobi (back) and papdi chat. - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

See all

Good place for larger groups when Indian food is preferred. The service here is good, interior is pretty nice and food is above average. The goan shrimp and chettinad chicken had tasty gravy and the kebabs were good as well. Drinks were nice too. Good place for larger groups. read more

See all

Service: 5 stars Food: 3 stars Rating based on food because that's more important to me than service. Had their $20 lunch buffet, which I felt was a little pricy for a buffet lunch but the ambiance made upon for the price. The restaurant is nice, clean, and the tables are lined with white table cloth covers and while a little dated, not bad. The service was impeccable! The host was pleasant and the server was extremely kind, informative, and attentive. He continuously refilled water glasses, cleared plates, and continued to check-in, despite being a buffet service. The lunch options offer a variety of chicken, beef, goat, and veggie options. It's not too many dishes. I would say I enjoyed the butter chicken the most but tandoori a little on the dry side for my liking. I tried a little of everything and what I did try, all were very spicy. The other options were just meh... Could be because the spiciness overwhelmed other seasonings. But have had much better Indian food. Their full bar is a nice option. read more

I like this restaurant a lot and was expecting to have a great experience once again when I came here with a friend. She really likes Indian food and we decided to go to Sakoon and she loved it as much as I did. We were here on a weeknight and didn't have to wait at all, which was surprising. Only when I went to use their restroom, did I realize how huge this place is! They have a huge seating area at the rear end which you might not notice if you don't use the restroom. Rating the following out of 5: AMBIANCE - 5 The ambiance is gorgeous as I mentioned in my first review of this restaurant. Perfect for date night too. FOOD & DRINKS - 5 Virgin Mango Mojito - 2 This was probably the only thing which wasn't up to par with the rest. Utterly sweet and I could feel the sugar crystals on my tongue. I have had a lot better than this. Meh! Monsoon Wedding - 4 My friend had this drink and she enjoyed it. Avocado Jhalmuri - 5 Oh! This was a delight to relish, really! So beautiful to look at and yummy! An outstanding app! Murgh Chettinad - 5 Tender and succulent pieces of chicken in a creamy sauce topped with fried Curry leaves. Different from the traditional Chicken Chettinad but still had a twist. Kesrai Chenna Malai (Dessert) - 4 This looked simply gorgeous! Bang on with respect to the presentation. I would have liked chenna to be a bit softer in texture but the taste of saffron-flavored cream base was good. CUSTOMER SERVICE - 4 WAIT TIME - 5 Usually, there is a bit of wait time at Sakoon but we were lucky this time and were seated as we arrived. HYGIENE - 5 PARKING - 2 Parking can be a pain since it is in the MTV downtown. We circled around for some time and finally parked behind the restaurant in a private parking lot. That is probably the best and safest place to park at. read more

See all

Cleanliness is not top of mind here, observe the fabric stains on the chairs towards head rest next time you dine there ! Flavor is ok not great read more

Used to me my favorite spot for years but was terribly disappointed dining outside today with two other friends. Never got a second look from the waiter and even asked for table spoons. Never provided. Then offered the final check with tip ratios circled in red as if to remind that we need to tip there. Almost wanted to give none but gave minimum anyway. Degraded service. read more

We call it a bug and they call it a cumin seed. This one star review is for 2 bugs we found in our food today when we went for team lunch. We called the manager and showed him this picture and he kept telling they had a inspection last week and no such issues happened for more than a decade already. Well that doesn't change the fact that there really was a bug. Also the manager was so rude to us instead of talking to us politely, he said "Do whatever you want ". That shows how bad the management is . Ofcourse not to complain about the food and the variety, which was by far the best. But basic customer experience sucks read more

Sakoon - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

Service 1.Restaurant was not busy at all but service was slow One guy was trying to do everything Food Food 1. Very bad. GOAT MEAT WAS HORRIBLE. VERY OLD FROZEN SND BOILED MEAT 2. Sakoon chicken had sweet gravy ( tomato sauce and heavy cream) 3. Naan was good 4. Tandoori chicken was burnt Cost 1. It was overpriced for the service and the food 2. For onion they charged $5 AVOID IF YOU CAN AVOID read more

Excellent food but please verify your order before leaving the place as they missed adding additional breads that I had ordered. I paid $20-25 bucks for that. read more

This is an upscale indian restaurant with an amazing ambience and food! We went here for dinner after a good hike and this place felt like heaven! Food: All curries, naan and rice were delicious. They were a little on the higher side in terms of prices, but I guess their buffet is cheaper. The portions were good too. Ambience: Perfect for a saturday dinner or lunch. The decor is really good and picturesque. Service: The servers and polite and smiling read more

I haven't had Indian buffet in a while, due in part because I'd rather pay more for variety and quality, than quantity, which I wasn't getting elsewhere. However, I recently came to Sakoon for a team lunch based on a co-worker's suggestion and really enjoyed it. There were several dishes I haven't had either, one of which was the Mint Chicken (Tikka?) and it was delicious. In addition to the variety of great entree dishes, there were a handful of salad, raw vegetable, and fresh fruit. With all of the heavy food, I really like having some lighter, raw food too. There are many Indian buffet options in the South Bay, but for the price, variety, and quality, this is one of the better places. read more

Sakoon - Lunch buffet ($14.95/person) - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

I'm not a frequent Indian cuisine eater but I thought the food was very good. They had a good buffet lunch selection including some fried finger food appetizers (eg spring rolls), and 10 different entrees (half vegetarian, half not). All of it was tasty. Some items a bit chilli but not too hot. And for dessert they had my favorite Gulab Jamun, which are like little doughnut holes swimming in sugary syrup. Service was fine; they were polite and served water and took away dirty dishes. Nothing spectacular. The ambiance was nice. The front room is relatively small and has a bar. But the restaurant extends way in the back through a small door in the rear. We didn't want to sit way back there. I would come here again. read more

This is our new favorite restaurant. Everything we have eaten here has been absolutely perfect. We recently took a group of 25 to dinner after our wedding, and used the private room in the back. Multiple people said it was the best Indian food they had ever had. When the waiters heard we had just got married, they brought us out an extra serving of halwa, shaped into a heart, with a candle, and sang us a song. So sweet! Everything was wonderful, and we can't recommend Sakoon highly enough! Their lunch buffet is excellent, too! read more

I came here for dinner with my family. My parents are visiting over the holidays and we enjoyed eating dinner at Sakoon. Sakoon's ambiance and dining experience was pretty good. If you are wondering, if your clothes will come out smelling like Indian food, you do not need to worry. You can enjoy eating Indian food without smelling like the food. My parents are vegetarian, so there were many choices for vegetarians and non-vegetarian dishes. Also, it seems like they have private seating area in the back and upstairs, it seems like there's a bigger dining area, bar, and TV. I was amazed how large the restaurant was. My sister says that at lunch, it gets pretty packed. For dinner, we had these dishes: Appetizers: Samosa-3 samosas per order Avocado-served chilled Cauliflower gobi-a bit hard, but tasted good. Rosemary naan, butter naann, and pesto naan Okra--spicy (but delicious) Eggplant-spicy (small little eggplants with sauce) Spinach-non-spicy, but good. Parent's favorite. Cheese-cheese/tomato sauce-non-spicy, but good ***Ask for yogurt to accompany the spicy dishes. The whole family loved the dishes! YUM! read more

See all

My man planned for a low-key Valentine's Day... indian food for Valentine's Day???!! yeah.. so random.. but I've been teasing him about eating indian food so he thought this would be a "surprise"... and yes, I was surprised that he took me here! Anyway, the restaurant is certainly a lot fancier than most indian restaurants I've been to... the patrons are mostly white, the decors scream "fine (r) dining" ...certainly not the usual Indian restaurant. Service was friendly and polite but a bit on the slow side and not always consistent. We had our reservation early (6PM) so the restaurant was only 1/3 full when we arrived but it filled up quickly a few minutes after we sat down. Thankfully, we did place our order before the crowds started to flock in as I noticed that service was getting slower and inconsistent as the crowds are getting merrier. Fiance's soda only got refilled when waiter was flagged... and so was my water. I also noticed that a few tables nearby got a bit anxious as they sat for a while before receiving their food. We ordered the sakoon samosa, a lamb curry dish, and chicken tikka masala along with one naan and one order of plain rice to share. Certainly there was enough food for both of us and we were glad that we didn't decide to order more as it would have been too much (even though we are big eaters). Chicken tikka masala was not as creamy as what I've had but was still very flavorful. The chicken meat had the tandoori smokey flavor which I really like and they even threw in some bell pepper in the curry..I never had this at other restaurants. Lamb curry was also good and but both curries had very similar flavors except the chicken curry had slightly sweeter sauce.I didn't care for the shredded fresh ginger that was sprinkled on top of the lamb curry though... but it was probably just me. Each entree cost around $15-$20 depending on what you get.. certainly a premium price for indian food but this is a nicer looking restaurant so the price matches the decor and ambiance. However, no matter how fancy you want to present an indian restaurant.. the place still smells like curry and you might smell like curry too once you finish eating hahaha! For Valentine's day they gave a single red rose to the female diners which I thought was a nice gesture :) Good food but knowing that I could get cheaper same quality delicious indian food nearby with lower price...Sakoon is probably not going to be my go to indian restaurant (sorry, just being honest!)...I guess it comes down to what you are really looking for. If you want to impress someone and making a point that you're "cultured"... this maybe a good place to go to. read more

Sakoon - a single rose for valentine's day - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

While tasty, the lunch buffet seemed to leave a bit to be desired. In comparison to the array of similar restaurants in Davis, this one seemed a bit cleaner albeit with fewer selections. Update: Went for Father's Day, 6/19/16, with a few women. Prix fixe ($18.95) that day, but nothing extra served. It's a good Indian buffet, but I'm afraid I've built it up in my head a little too much. The buffet is spectacular looking, but I wanted a little bit more flavor. Maybe that's because my idea of the food I thought this place had was better. Don't get me wrong- they're good flavors. Just not sure I am going to have the desire to return so soon. read more

See all

Incredible food, go for the lunch buffet!! Every item on the menu is delicious and the waitstaff are so helpful and kind and funny, love coming here. The ambiance is luxurious yet not unapproachable. read more

isgusting food & service: Waited for 45 minutes to get menus, with outside seating which is understandable, but heaters not working, when asked if any tables available inside, no response at all, other people were seated inside Have to ask three times to refill water, still till the end no water was given No napkins read more

I came here with a small group. Chicken tikka and butter chicken , and lamb curries are my favorites. Their garlic naaan is also really good but keep in mind it is extra as opposed to regular naan. read more

Better than Amber India. Lunch Buffet, Dinner Dum Biryani. Dum Biryani, cook with minimal heat with ceramic bowl sealed by dough. The idea is to put the ceramic bowl in heat, create steam and let the steam cook both the rice and meat so the flavors all absorbed and no steam escapes resulting in a much richer flavor. Making chicken soup using a sealed steam source: http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/882/qiguoji-yunnan-steamed-chicken-soup.html results in a much more intense and cleaner flavor. More details on flavor concentration using sealed steamer technique: http://saucyskillet.blogspot.com/2012/08/julias-kunming-connection-sundaysupper.html Difficult to get the timing right because you can't peek inside. Most restaurants don't serve it because it takes too much time to prepare. read more

Sakoon - Dum biryani lamb - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

Great option for Indian buffet on Castro street. Loved the food. In appetizer there was Pani puri, Dahi Vada and aloo Tikki. Pani puri was better than most Chaat places. Lots of veg and non veg options. One of the dessert was Lychee Halwa. It was quite good and had pieces of Lychee in it. For $20 it was a great deal. We were seated in the rear section. Plenty of parking near Castro street. read more

I'm a big Bombay Garden fan, so I'm always skeptical when trying out a new Indian Buffet and they always get compared to Bombay Garden (BG). So forgive me if I mention that a few times. Sakoon definitely delivered! What surprised me most is that they have fish! Two different kinds, both good, but the pepper fish was to die for; Really delicious! I don't usually see fish at most Indian Buffets and was really glad to see it here. Especially since it was more than satisfying to eat. All the food was good, and there was only one that wasn't as good as BG, which was the Butter Chicken. It was good, but not great. As well, they don't have as much of a selection as Bombay Garden, but still more than enough good food to get full on. Believe it or not, the thing I missed the most was the free self serve Chai Tea and Mango ice cream; they didn't have any of that and I really enjoy those two things at BG. For the restaurant itself, it's very clean and very nicely decorated. I love the optical lights hanging from the ceiling. The other thing I noticed is that it's HUGE! TK noodle used to be there, but it only had the front part of the restaurant. Sakoon as rented the whole length of the building! I got up to go to the bathroom, and walked and walked down a long hall, lined with booths, to get to the bathroom. Once I got to the bathroom area, I looked further and there was even more seating sections! And there were people in all the sections. This is one popular place I'd say. Thing is, all that popularness makes it quite noisy as well, but we could still hear each other talking (three of us). Btw, the bathrooms were also quite nice and kept very clean. So, I'll certainly be back for some more of Sakoon goodness when ever my destination is Castro Street in Mountain View. read more

Sakoon - Sink in the Men's Bathrrom - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

Best Indian food place I have discovered the other day. Quality service and food. Their garlic naan was fresh, soft, and crispy at the same time. I am still craving Indian food and will be back this week again. read more

We went to dinner at Sakoon to give it a try. It's Calif. fusion Indian food that's different from your typical Northern or Southern Indian restaurant. They are on OpenTable. I got my 100 pts. We got: FREE Indian snacks like hard cookies w/ Indian flavors - just ok. Beer $2 - Happy Hr price. They have a bar. Dum Aloo soup $6 - we shared it & got it in separate bowls. Poured from a teapot, in the bowl were some potatoes & other stuff. I liked it ok. Tuna bar bite $7.5 - Happy Hr special price, on the menu said $10. Happy to see the lower price on receipt. Six slices of seared ahi tuna w/ pear chutney in the center of the plate. Mint chutney & tamarind sauce served on the side. Kerela fish curry $18 - it's just coconut curry w/ some seafood in it. Some fish fillets, shrimp, scallops. Bland, needed some heat. Basil chicken tikka $15 - B. liked it. I thought it was just ok. Boneless chicken breast & chicken leg (de-boned). Rice in the shape of small pyramid. Roasted garlic naan $3 - didn't taste any garlic. Rice $3 - huge amount of rice. Enough for 2-3 people. Bathrooms - Separate way, way, way in the back. I'd recommend it if someone else is paying, I'll probably not go back. read more

See all

Not like how it used to be before the pandemic. Came here for admin appreciation day in which we had reservations and was sat before the rush. Plenty of seating during lunch time but be mindful of the rush lunch hour, it can get pretty packed since they have brought back buffet style. Server came to get our drink orders yet completely forgot who ordered what and gave all of us the wrong drinks. Didnt even bother to check up on us through out the time we were there. Check your silverware, I was able to catch the dirty fork on my table. Plain naan is complimentary where Garlic Naan is extra charge. Noticed more veggie options than meat and they cut down a lot since the pre-pandemic. No samosas or gulab jamun. What brings this to a 2 star is not only the limited options but the fact that the hostess girl was trying to kick us out and said she needed the table for the next reservation, yet there was plenty of seating on the other side and in the back. Sad to say we will not come back here. read more

always good buffet food , better than most of the other restaurants in the area. They keep on experimenting with one or two dishes every weekend, but mostly it's the same. It has good ambience too. The only two issues I see : they mostly mess up with regards to waiting time on weekend buffet and end up giving wrong tables/tight tables to people who want bigger ones. The tall guy server somehow always serve old/cold naans and infact if you tell him can we fresh ones, he indirectly says thats the best they got. I think that's the attitude problem. Also they have limited appetizers, if they can have pastas/dosas and/or more variety of pakoras, then sakoon is always a to-go place. read more

Stale Kababs! I've been a regular here for the last couple of months, thinking higher prices would mean better quality Indian food. But this week was the last straw! They serve cold, semi cooked kababs, and this happened more than once. Taste wise I'd give it a 3. Quality is s#it! read more

I'm going to have to be a bit disappointment. I didn't feel the food was up to par with the AMAZING decor of this place. Maybe the decor hyped up my expectation for the food. It was fair. However, I would still come back for the ambience and to try the lounge area. read more

Sakoon - Interior - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

Very popular Indian place that has quite a buffet spread for lunch. We went for their weekend buffet and were surprised to get seated almost immediately. If you want to sample everything then strongly recommend the buffet. For vegetarians, they had plenty of veggie apps and entrees - we sampled almost all and here are our recommendations: 1. For app, go with bhel puri - da best. Veggie spring rolls are close second 2. Black lentils and cauliflower+tomato dishes were finger licking good. Paneer dish was quite good as well. Rest were so-so 3. Gulab Jamun was the best. Freshly cut fruits, of course, was another great option. 4. Breads are served fresh as you dine. Place gets busy and you need to get their attention to get refills. 5. Hey had a couple of rice dishes - did not sample. Looked steaming hot! Friendly staff overall and great outdoor dining, weather permitting. For nitpicking, they need to fix their booster seats for children - few to begin with and the two left for us to use were broken. read more

See all

Sakoon excellently executes all the hallmarks of an excellent Indian restaurant! Delicious mulligatawny soup. Great shahi paneer, and with the pesto naan was superb. Also a terrifically moist tandoori chicken, and an amazing green mint chutney sauce. Even their rice is divine. AND the portions were generous - what's not to love?? Will definitely return!! read more

Yet another lovely evening at Sakoon on Castro Street. This is one of the nicer Indian restaurants in the area, with consistently good food and friendly service, and I know I'll be back several times. I've been here for their popular lunch buffets and quiet dinners and usually had a good experience. For dinner, I like some of their unique dishes like Avocado Jhalmuri, Dahi Kabab, Shaam Savera, and the Rosemary Naan. This time we tried the Vegetable Dum Biryani, and that is quite a treat! The service is chaotic during their lunch buffets, and I wish they could organize the dishes in a better layout so that people aren't waiting in long queues nor bumping into one another. It's an extremely popular stop so definitely make a reservation before you get here! read more

Sakoon - Dum Biryani, Sham Savera and Paneer Peshawari - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California