Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen in Fullerton, CA

Dec 6

Despite Orange County's diverse culinary scene, Indian restaurants are relatively scarce; and when it comes to Pakistani and Afghani cuisine, the options are even rarer.

Enter Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen—winners of the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand award, located in an unassuming building with a brick facade in the city of Fullerton.

India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are countries containing an incredibly diverse set of cultures with a wide variety of culinary traditions. Before the Partition of India in 1947, all of these cultures and traditions were under one roof, and so was the food. Chef Ali created Khan Saab’s menu to honor that history and celebrate these multifaceted culinary traditions under one umbrella.

What to Expect

Mocktails - In keeping with halal tradition, Khan Saab serves a non-alcoholic drink menu. The mocktails here are expertly crafted—we especially enjoyed Dirty Sprite and Smoked Negroni.
Creative Presentation - Several drinks and entrees have a smoked presentation—perfect for your Instagram grid!
Delicious Flavors - Meat here is tender and the flavors are plentiful; it’s easy to see how Khan Saab impressed Michelin Bib Gourmand reviewers.

Popular Menu Items

Chocolate Samosa Dessert (served a la mode)

The Khan Biryani, a mixed rice dish, is Chef Imrani’s favorite entree. Biryani is widely enjoyed throughout the entire subcontinent for every occasion.

Fun fact: there are around 365 varieties of Biryani, one to be savored every day of the year!

Meet Chef Ali Imran Mookhi

How did you become a restaurateur?

I started as a dishwasher about 23 years ago and worked my way up, gaining higher positions in the kitchen while attending school.

In 2004, everything changed, and I was fortunate to collaborate with well-known chefs in my work area. Since then, it was always a dream to think outside the box and open a restaurant featuring the innovative flavors of Desi cuisine and, in 2020, it became a reality with the opening of Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen.

What is the significance of the name Khan Saab?

The meaning of 'Khan' is 'leader,' and 'Saab,' derived from 'Sahib,' means 'master.'

It’s an honor to be called 'Khan Saab' in my culture, and it’s very commonly used in the region of North Western Frontier Pakistan (NWFP). All of the ‘famous’ celebrities in that region also use 'Khan' as their last name.

Despite a relatively large South Asian population in California, South Asian restaurants make relatively fewer appearances on the Michelin guide--do you think that is changing?

Serving exclusively South Asian cuisine poses challenges in gaining recognition on a major platform, but I believe it's slowly changing. More and more upcoming chefs and restaurateurs are striving to preserve the fundamentals of Southeast Asian cooking methods and techniques while seamlessly integrating them with modern food trends.