SAFFRON NOLA

"Saffron’s well-received debut on Magazine Street was years in the making: Prior to its opening, the Vilkhu family served a menu of modern Indian food in a West Bank strip mall, on weekends only, for five years. Devoted diners eventually convinced the family to go all in on the business, and the result is a modern, dazzling space with a buzzing energy and multiple James Beard Award nominations. Among the many menu highlights, which at times fuse Indian and Louisiana cuisines or North and South Indian styles, are the lamb chops, Kerala seafood curry, any of the shrimp dishes, and the paneer pudha." - Clair Lorell

"The best things at Saffron, a consistently excellent Indian restaurant on Magazine Street, are the dishes that seamlessly incorporate Southern flavors into their food. We’re talking about the comforting seafood gumbo loaded with tender okra, perfectly cooked gulf shrimp, and plenty of curry spice, and the roasted oysters sprinkled with curry leaves and served with fluffy naan. The restaurant works best for a special occasion, where you can drink a couple martinis, lean back in a cushy booth, and chop it up with the chef after dinner when he’s making his rounds in the dining room." - chelsea brasted, zella palmer, carlo mantuano, megan braden perry

"This James Beard-nominated restaurant and Eater New Orleans 2017 Restaurant of the Year deserves all the accolades. Against a stylish backdrop, diners can sample a complex cocktail program, informed by Indian spices and herbs, some of the best char-grilled oysters in town (maybe it’s the curry leaf?), and feast on sophisticated dishes that marry Indian gastronomy with local ingredients. And be sure to try the Saffron old-fashioned to see what it’s all about — it’s the top-selling menu item at the restaurant." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell

"One bite foods are so wonderfully satisfying, Take Saffron’s salmon pani puri, for example. Silky Ora King salmon tartar is served with shallots, ginger, green chilies, and citrus broth in a shatteringly crisp semolina shell ideally gobbled in one bite. Can’t have just one." - Beth D'Addono

"Chef Arvinder Vilkhu is a first-time nominee in the Best Chef, South category; Saffron was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant shortly after it opened in 2018." - Justine Jones