Gourmet Lani, Indian Kitchen

Walked in and this place is poppin. The food is well priced and really tasty! The woman running the front of the store was moving fast and I waited no more than 20 minutes for my food even though it was lunch rush. Curry was spicy but a little watery. ⁴⁄₅ would recommend.

Friendly help. Pretty fast. The door is currently broken so it slams every time someone comes in and that’s hella annoying but we did take out so meh. I had the Achari Chicken with Vegetable Korma, and my friend had the Lentil Curry with Vegetable Korma. We really liked the food but. It was HELLA SPICY. I mean. Burn my mouth burn my stomach my hands are sweating my nose is running spicy. And I really like spicy stuff so I’m not a weaksauce when it comes to that. And nowhere in the description did it say anything about being spicy. In fact the Lentil Curry was described as mild. I get that Indian food is often spicy but. Even when I go to Thai restaurants they warn you. So. Here’s your warning. :) I might go back but I won’t be in a huge hurry.

Unequivocally, the best Indian restaurant in town, and one of the best, period. I realize other similar restaurants, such as Café Maharani or Himalayan Kitchen, are tremendously popular, but the food at Gourmet Lani tops the list. Chef imports all spices, grinds herself and makes her own spice mixes. Everything is fresh and made to order. Cuisine is from the Punjab region of India — well seasoned, excellent breads, and a mango chutney that is incredible. Menu changes with daily specials and Chef maintains a great variety of dishes and favors. Because it is fresh and made to order, it can take some time to prepare, but you can call ahead or order online to save time. Fresh, full of flavor and spice. Everything on the menu is exceptional.
Chef and her daughter are a great team, very friendly and welcoming. Lunch here is always the best part of my day.

Nice people, clean seating area. The Tandoori chicken was disappointing as it was simmered in sauce, not grilled. The yogurt sauce is really off the charts good. Fresh, creamy. I wasn’t going to eat it, but glad I decided to taste it.

Not bad — not the best Indian food I’ve had. I was expecting a lot more spice! I would like a lot more spice! I ordered the vegetarian curry and the vegetable paratha. The curry sauce was a little sour tasting — it needs something? Good enough when you work downtown and have an Indian craving.

I went here with a co-​worker today for lunch. Very friendly staff, excellent service. I had the Tuesday Lunch Special. Chicken Malai Kabob with Basmati Rice and Potato Spinich. I also had their homemade Masala Iced Tea, non-​sweetend, no lemon. We shared some Stuffed Cheese Paratha. Everything was exelent especially the Potato Spinich. Nice quiet, we could carry on our conversation easily. One of the better Indian Restaurants on Oahu.

Excellent food and service, and very clean inside. Too bad it’s only open for lunch.

Food is okay but the person how receive order is very unpleasant. She changed her word (ready time) often time. Make customers confuess.

Small, quiet, delicious, friendly.
The food is made with good ingredients. Not railroad curry, all their personal family recipes, and there’s not a single thing on the menu I haven’t loved.
Give it a try, even if you don’t know if you like Indian!

This place is definitely my new favorite lunch spot in downtown. My boss took me down here about a week ago and I’m sure glad he did.
I highly recommend the Chicken Malai Curry along with the Lentil Curry as a side. It can be a little spicy for some people but the heat is just right for me.
They’ll either do dine or takeout and it’s an $ 8 minimum for credit cards.

Gourmet Lani definitely lives up to its name! The Indian dishes served here are so delicious that my girlfriend and I always go to Gourmet Lani during our lunch break whenever we are in the mood for Indian food. They serve very generous portions at an affordable price, and I have never left this place without feeling completely satisfied with the food. Although everything on their menu looks good, I always order the tikka chicken plate with a side of cheese paratha, and it never disappoints!
The restaurant has a good amount of seating inside, so it’s a nice place to sit down and eat during your lunch break. It does get pretty busy during lunchtime, so I would suggest calling in your order 20 – 30 minutes in advance to avoid waiting a long time when you get there. But trust me, the food is worth the wait anyway!

Unilocal 100 Review Challenge 2015: ³³⁄₁₀₀
Thanks to my coworker, I have popped my Indian-​cuisine cherry!
I have to admit, I don’t do «spicy»…this includes «Korean Spicy», «Buffalo Wing Spicy» and now I apparently can’t handle «Indian Spicy».
I literally ordered by asking for the LEAST spiciest menu item which I was told was the Tandoori Seekh Kebabs (~$ 9). I don’t want to offend anyone, this was my first time eating Indian food, so I was surprised when the food arrived and it reminded me of char siu chicken on yellow rice with blue cheese dipping sauce. For people who can’t handle spicy, like myself, stick to dipping the chicken in the yogurt sauce!
TBH my nose started running half way through our meal and my coworker began to form sweat droplets on his forehead! But in terms of the customer service and amount of food provided, it was worth the price.
Indian cuisine may just not be my cup of tea.

Healthy alternative to Indian food? I’m all in!
I’ve eaten here about 6 times and I’ve yet to be disappointed.
My usual order consists of the chicken tikka rice plate. It comes with chicken tikka (kind of spicy, loaded with Indian spices. Yum!), saffron rice, raita (dill yogurt sauce) and a mixed green salad with the best vinaigrette dressing ever. I pair my meal with the cheese paratha, which is almost like a huge cheese quesadilla. I dip the paratha in the raita.
The downside is that there’s only one server (the owner) and one cook (owner’s mom?). I suggest calling your order in advance for either dine in or take out. Otherwise, your order could take 30 mins to come out. Take heed!

I hate to be a debbie downer but my food was pretty bland. I ordered the saag paneer and it took ages to prepare my take out order. I asked for extra hot but the saag was not spicy at all. Also I couldn’t get the complex flavors of a good saag (I’ve been to India and make my own saag as well). The chutney was ok, but it could’ve used a bit more pickling to get that oomph of a good chutney.

One day I was eating lunch at my desk at work and an overwhelming smell of deliciousness took over the air. I love Indian food and I could tell that my cubby hole neighbor was eating something awesomely Indian. I asked her where she got it from and we quickly became regulars at Gourmet Lani, Indian Kitchen.
This restaurant is run by a mother (Monica)-daughter (Savannah) duo who are efficient, friendly, and very good cooks. The restaurant is only open for lunch. It is very clean and there are several tables at which to sit. The portions are generous but not huge. It can get a bit hot in here but there are a couple of fans blowing so its breezy. I love the authentic feel, from the décor to the lively music. Actually, I really love the music!
I have to admit I haven’t explored the menu as much as I would like to have before doing a review, but the coconut curry is incredibly good. This is REAL curry! The Tandoori Chicken Tikka plate and the Tikka masala were also both excellent.
All of the plates come with yellow rice, fresh house chutney & your choice of 1 veg side:
Black Chick Pea Salad, Mixed Veggie Korma, or Lentil Curry. I have tried all the sides and I like them all.
Each time I come here I discover new menu items such as the incorporation of salads to the menu, and most recently, sandwiches. I tried the tandoori chicken salad and it was delicious. Just a basic salad but the Tandoori chicken was flavorful and tasty — and the dressing was a perfect compliment.
The paratha is also awesomely delicious! It is made to order so when you get it, it is fresh and pipping hot. I have also tried the Lassi which was pretty tart and tangy which I really loved.
If are in the downtown area and like authentic Indian food, check out Gourmet Lani, Indian Kitchen!!!

It is definitely hard to find good Indian food on the island– but I think I found my new spot! I really enjoyed the food and service here– and it’s in a very convenient location for those who frequent downtown. The place is by Aloha Salads, near the corner of Bishop and Hotel Streets. It’s very clean and has lots of tables– but I think a lot of people opt for takeout. The service is very friendly and they have daily specials. Today, I ordered the chicken tikka masala– asked for extra spicy and a side of lentil curry. DELICIOUS and a generous portion that comes with rice! If you are like me, you like spicy food, but also accompanied by something to cool off your mouth. I highly recommend the mango lassi– super creamy and delicious. It’s wonderful on a hot Honolulu day! Prices are comparable to other places downtown. If you like Indian food, give this place a try!

Everything here is homemade and fresh. Mother/​Daughter restaurant, very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant is extremely clean with an open kitchen, you can see everything they are doing in the kitchen. Did I already mention it is extremely clean?! It is. And I love it.
Gourmet Lani is only open for lunch, there are different daily specials. Chicken tikka masala is excellent, and the garlic/​cilantro naan is amazing. The portions are big, so I took some home. Heated up the next day, even more amazing.
This restaurant hits all the marks for me, it’s authentic, fresh, quality, home made, clean, and an amazing value. Would recommend gourmet lani to anyone looking for good Indian on the island for lunch.

Do your taste buds a «flavor» and eat here.
Be aware that this is not «fast» food. Your normal wait time is between 10 – 15 minutes because they make everything fresh! YES, FRESH. You will get fresh, tasty high quality food here. The prices are competitive and portions are large. If you are dining in, be prepared to ask for a take out container — you get a lot of food!
There are several tables and chairs so you can dine in, or you take out. You place your order at the counter, whether it be for take or dine in.
The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and you can tell they are proud of their food, which they should be.
I’m no expert on Indian food — but based on my limited experience, this place is off the charts GOOD.

My leftovers from yesterday awaited, packed into a tupperware all mixed together: mixed veg and coconut chicken curry with a smattering of rice.
The normal situation when opening up such a container of day-​old takeout would be an encounter with a top layer of congealed oil/​fat on the top, right?
What a pleasant surprise to find nothing of the sort! I found just delicious, non-​oily, non-​congealed curry! I think the flavors of the curries had improved from yesterday as well.
I’m a huge fan of day-​old Gourmet Lani food. :Db

A smart man once said that «Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.» ~Conan O’Brien
I believe him. I gotta give props to this place. This mother-​daughter team work their butts off every day to try to serve quality food with a genuinely friendly service. I do enjoy their food and have made frequent trips for lunch or just a quick order of mango lassi or masala chai. Both of which are excellent! The spices in the masala chai is like a cozy blanket in a cup.
Dishes are made fresh to order, which means it’s no fast food. If you want that, just go around the corner to McD’s. There’s limited seating inside and it can get warm in there. The specials rotate daily.
Go on, give it a try if you like Indian food!