Aaha Indian Cuisine

Had a great experience at Aaha Cuisine. The food was delicious, the service was warm and attentive, and they truly have the best dosa in SF—perfectly crisp and full of flavor.

This place is the real deal and I know because 1. a local restauranteur introduced me and 2. every single person I’ve brought here says it’s some of the best Indian food they’ve had 🤯 This food from Aaha is wonderfully spiced and prepared fresh. I’ve had the classics: chicken tikka masala, filled dosas, tandoori chicken. All 🔥. Slow braised goat and curried fish are some recent favorites. Huge plus is that they stay open late.

My wife introduced me to this restaurant and it did not disappoint - the Vijayawada Fish Biryani and the Tandoori Pomfret are must-haves! The variety of South Indian cuisine on offer at Aaha is unparalleled in San Francisco because of their non-vegetarian selection. Most people don't realize how diverse South Indian food is (it is more than just idli and dosa) and Aaha does a fantastic job serving it up.

Came on a weekday and there was only a few tables open. Only one guy was serving but he took his time to banter with us. We ordered chai and they waited to give us with the samosas because it is a more traditional way to have them (per the server). Roasted dosa was really crispy and filling. Butter chicken was a tad sweet. Daal palak was new to me and had great spice.

Very good food, great service, and amazing ambiance! Go here if you want good Indian food in a nice sit down atmosphere with drinks. Will definitely come again soon.

I'm so glad we stopped by Aaha on a whim because we couldn't find anywhere else to eat Indian food late at night. Everything about Aaha was excellent, from the food to the service. Because I have a tree nut allergy, I was concerned about how many dishes contained cashews. Not only was the waiter considerate when I informed him, but he also brought out the manager/owner(?), who made excellent recommendations for all of the dishes that did not contain tree nuts. Once the pomfret (baked fish) came out, I knew we made the right decision. I have never enjoyed fish skin this much. The manager mentioned that this was a recipe he grew up with that was popular near Mumbai, and that you could eat everything except the head. Next came the Gongura Chicken, wow!! The unique tart flavor of the gongura was unfamiliar and absolutely delicious. We were told that they only can get this ingredient from India every few months, so it felt even more special. Would highly suggest it!! On top of these two dishes, the freshly baked naan was top tier. I’d love to lay on a heaping pile of them if it didn’t make me break out.

Great food. Fries were surprisingly really good so i recommend it. Had a goat dish which was a little hard to eat as the meaty flavor was overwhelming compared to spices which isn’t bad, but not what i was looking for. Still good

The food here was absolutely tasty! We liked all our dishes here! The pomfret fry was so delicious that we still drool over thinking about it 🤭 Came here during our west coast holidays and missing such tasty south indian food at home in Switzerland! Only the atmosphere (interior, service) was a bit off but thats not a reason to not go to this restaurant! Absolutely delicious, thank you for this wonderful experience!

Absolutely the best south Indian food in SF. Everything was wonderfully spicy and authentic. Its great to see a restaurant like this in San Francisco. I’ll definitely be back.

+1

Well… what can I say. It rarely happens that I love EVERYTHING on the menu. And not only me. Was there with my friend and her fiancé who is from India and all of us were in food heaven. He actually took us here. The best dish is the eggplant 🍆 Bagara Baingan. Insanely creamy and delicious and vegan!! But the dosa is actually sharing the first place with the eggplant. Just everything was amazing. Sorry, didn’t take any pictures before because we couldn’t stop eating after we tried the first bite. Too good. I wish I was living closer… but actually no. Otherwise I’d gain 100lbs coz I would eat there every day.

+1

Introduced to Aaha from my south Indian friend who swears by it, and she was right! The okra fritters and goat soup were incredible! It’s also BYOB but you’re not allowed to bring your own goat soup, which is totally fine because they serve goat soup!

Incredibly well-seasoned and delicious food. Definitely going back here the next time I’m in SF. Highly recommend this place for anyone wanting to try South Indian food

Review for AHA Restaurant – Mission Street, San Francisco We visit AHA almost every day — it’s one of our favorite restaurants in the Mission area! The food tastes great, and we really enjoy almost all the dishes they serve. The place is especially popular among the Muslim community, and many of us dine here regularly. The only concern we have is that the restaurant is not HAFSA Halal certified. Most Muslim customers look for the HAFSA certification (H-A-F-S-A) before eating meat dishes. Because of that, we usually only order fish and vegetarian items. If AHA becomes HAFSA certified, we’re sure even more people from our community will come and enjoy the food here daily. Thank you so much for the great food and service!

We love this food place🫠 Tried Gobi manjurian,Chana masala,Dosa,Mutton chukka,chicken 65,tawa pomfret,tandoori Paneer, vada,Biriyani,cheesy garlic naan,Parotta.Really good.Their service was great.Amazing food.Kids really enjoyed it.

+4

Coming from Dallas I really appreciated the service and the quality of the food here. Food is on point, cleanliness, the staff, and ambiance. It’s cute little dhaba style restaurant. We ordered the following and my ratings on each: Chai - on point! 5/5 Paratha - fresh and yummy 4.5/5 Dal / rice - AMAZING!! Must have here for sure! 5/5 Masala fries - super yummy and tasty! 5/5 Fish- AMAZING! 5/5 Masala Dhosa - fresh and crispy! 5/5 Meduvada- yummy! 5/5 Bhindi - it was okay not what we would like. 3/5 Butter chicken - excellent taste 5/5. Our server, Vishal, was amazing. He got us super comfortable and got us our food fresh and hot. I’ll be back here again next time we come back to SF! The owner and servers are super n their A game. Would definitely recommend 100%!!!

+6

Best Indian food I’ve had in SF! The tandoori chicken was out of this world and their paratha bread is my kryptonite. Mango lassi was too thick for me and butter chicken too strong on the tomato but still good. Great value for money. Ambience very casual. Attire casual. Best for dinner with friends or an impromptu weekday dinner. Similar level to Zareen’s. Much better than the overpriced Copra.

Love this place in the mission. Got the chicken pepper fry and chicken chettinadu and chapati and chili garden naan. All was great, loved how many spiced and chopped onion are in both dish. Chili garlic naan is life changing, best naan I've ever had

Today I visited Aaha Indian Cuisine on 17th Mission, and the experience was amazing! We ordered the Pomfret Fish and Chicken Tikka Masala — both were absolutely delicious and highly recommended. A special shout-out to Anil, who provided exceptional service. He was incredibly caring, attentive, and made sure we were comfortable throughout our visit. I truly appreciated his hospitality. We highly recommend this place — definitely worth a visit! ⭐️🍽️

All the food was so tasty! Anil was super helpful in helping us order the best items. The gobi manchurian was my fave out of everything!

Finally a South Indian restaurant that lives up to the hype – and then some! We stumbled upon Aaha by accident after a long day, and it was a revelation. So many 'highly recommended' South Indian spots have let me down in the past, but Aaha broke that cycle. The staff was incredibly kind, happily accommodating our kids who wanted less spicy options while we indulged in fiery, authentic flavors. Every dish was fresh, hot, and perfectly blended with the right ingredients. The menu is truly well-curated and competes with specialty spots. Their parotta was best in class, genuinely better than ones I've had in Virudhunagar. The mutton chukka? Superior to Konar Kadai in Madurai. And the meen polichathu transported me straight to Kerala. Even our kids' paneer and naan were outstanding.We're already planning to go back today to try their tandoori chicken For a Chennai native now in Dallas, finding this level of authentic, top-notch South Indian food at fair prices in the Bay Area is a dream come true

The atmosphere was pleasant, although we had to wait a bit longer than expected for our food. However, the delicious masala fries made up for the wait. Additionally, the garlic naan was simply incredible and a must-try. We highly recommend the butter chicken and chicken soup, but be warned that the food is quite spicy.

Solid delivery on wide variety of Indian curries and biryani, extensive vegetarian and egg options. Upon entry, an excellent sign when seeing young South Asians dining in large parties. Okra Fritters, a unique and crunchy appetizer to start — battered in chickpea flour for a protein-rich crunch. Egg Biryani, yum. Paneer Tikka Masala, standard but slightly sweet. Good for a centrally-located, urban curry.

I eat spicy food Requested to make it more spicy but haven’t got the food spicy but there food has good taste and flavor

The gobi manchurian was my favorite dish here, followed by the tandoori paneer. The gobi had the perfect crispy texture combined with the savory manchurian sauce. The biryani was also some of the best I’ve had in California. They didn’t go light on the paneer in it either.

Asma khan1245

Today I visited Aaha Indian Cuisine on 17th Mission, and the experience was amazing! We ordered the Pomfret Fish and Chicken Tikka Masala — both were absolutely delicious and highly recommended. A special shout-out to Anil, who provided exceptional service. He was incredibly caring, attentive, and made sure we were comfortable throughout our visit. I truly appreciated his hospitality. We highly recommend this place — definitely worth a visit! ⭐️🍽️

Raman

All the food was so tasty! Anil was super helpful in helping us order the best items. The gobi manchurian was my fave out of everything!

jeeva K

Finally a South Indian restaurant that lives up to the hype – and then some! We stumbled upon Aaha by accident after a long day, and it was a revelation. So many 'highly recommended' South Indian spots have let me down in the past, but Aaha broke that cycle. The staff was incredibly kind, happily accommodating our kids who wanted less spicy options while we indulged in fiery, authentic flavors. Every dish was fresh, hot, and perfectly blended with the right ingredients. The menu is truly well-curated and competes with specialty spots. Their parotta was best in class, genuinely better than ones I've had in Virudhunagar. The mutton chukka? Superior to Konar Kadai in Madurai. And the meen polichathu transported me straight to Kerala. Even our kids' paneer and naan were outstanding.We're already planning to go back today to try their tandoori chicken For a Chennai native now in Dallas, finding this level of authentic, top-notch South Indian food at fair prices in the Bay Area is a dream come true

Madhuri Tummala

I eat spicy food Requested to make it more spicy but haven’t got the food spicy but there food has good taste and flavor

Christopher Chung

Solid delivery on wide variety of Indian curries and biryani, extensive vegetarian and egg options. Upon entry, an excellent sign when seeing young South Asians dining in large parties. Okra Fritters, a unique and crunchy appetizer to start — battered in chickpea flour for a protein-rich crunch. Egg Biryani, yum. Paneer Tikka Masala, standard but slightly sweet. Good for a centrally-located, urban curry.

Dhruv Patel

The gobi manchurian was my favorite dish here, followed by the tandoori paneer. The gobi had the perfect crispy texture combined with the savory manchurian sauce. The biryani was also some of the best I’ve had in California. They didn’t go light on the paneer in it either.

Aarthy Jeeva

We love this food place🫠 Tried Gobi manjurian,Chana masala,Dosa,Mutton chukka,chicken 65,tawa pomfret,tandoori Paneer, vada,Biriyani,cheesy garlic naan,Parotta.Really good.Their service was great.Amazing food.Kids really enjoyed it.

Kavya Gupta

I am writing this review while eating here because I couldnt wait to review later LOL! A lot of Redditers had great reviews for this place so my husband and I decided to try it out. Honestly - this was the best "desi" food I have ever eaten! We ordered Malai Kofta - such a yummy delicacy!!!! Paneer Tikka - amazing!!!! Aaha Special Veg Biryani - top notch!! Parota - so buttery soft just like it should be!! Chicken 65 - I am vegetarian but my husband says it was the best he has ever had in Bay Area. :-) Will be coming again! Definitely try their Chai - the perfect tea that we're used to at home. :-)

beyza simsekoglu

The atmosphere was pleasant, although we had to wait a bit longer than expected for our food. However, the delicious masala fries made up for the wait. Additionally, the garlic naan was simply incredible and a must-try. We highly recommend the butter chicken and chicken soup, but be warned that the food is quite spicy.

Barbara Cash

I love this restaurant! The menu has so many choices. I usually eat the Butter Chicken with either Naan or Chapati. I can taste each spice. The chicken is juicy and the serving is just right. On every table, I see things that I would like to try next time. The trick is getting here early. This place fills up fast. The interior is cute. Very friendly service.

Had a great experience here as always. The Gongura Chicken Biryani was recommended to me and it was excellent full of flavor and cooked just right. Consistently good food and a place I’d easily recommend to anyone who enjoys Indian cuisine.

Ordered the Gongura Chicken, Masala Dosa, Tandoor Chicken, Palak (Saag) paneer and Garlic Naan. Everything was delicious and flavorful - I especially enjoyed the Gongura Chicken which has a rich and slightly tangy flavor.

I recently visited Aaha Restaurant, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The Banjara Chicken was perfectly marinated and full of smoky flavor — tender, juicy, and seasoned just right. Both the Goat Biryani and Chicken Biryani were outstanding. The rice was fragrant, the spice level was perfect, and the meat was cooked beautifully. Each bite had that authentic biryani aroma and depth of flavor. The Pomfret Fish was another highlight — fresh, well-grilled, and seasoned perfectly. Overall, every dish we tried was flavorful, well-prepared, and served hot. Great service, great taste, and definitely a place worth recommending. I’d happily visit again!

Absolutely loved my experience here! The flavors were so authentic and comforting — the Tandoori Pomfret was perfectly cooked and bursting with spices, and the Goat Soup was rich, soulful, and incredibly satisfying. You can really taste the love and tradition in the food. Special shoutout to Anil, who was extremely sweet and made the whole experience even better with his kindness and attentiveness. Can’t wait to come back for more! ✨🍽️

The food is so so so good here! My go-to recommendation for folks looking for great South Asian food. My parents loved the uttapam and lamb dosa. My personal favorite is the tandoori pomfret. The rasam with the vada blew us away too, tastes just like my Nani made it growing up. 10/10. Always worth the wait!!!

The Fish Biryani here seriously stands out. The rice was perfectly cooked long-grain, fluffy, and layered with real flavor instead of just color. The fish pieces were fresh, tender, and not overcooked, which is rare for biryani. Every bite had balanced spice flavorful heat without overpowering the dish.

Absolutely love the many options on this menu which would satisfy all kinds of palates. This place is a true representation of South Indian food in San Francisco Food: love the dosas and biryani. Everyone should try Gongura at least once - such a unique Andhra flavor. I always get the tandoori pomfret which is not easily available on Indian restaurant menus. Service: Anil was fabulous! Attentive, reassuring and effective. He really enhanced the meal Ambiance: this is a classic Mission restaurant. Great for small groups / families with kids. 1 block from BART. We love coming to Aaha - can’t wait for my next meal there

We ate in the restaurant, came in by 9pm and they let us come right in. The servers were very sweet, the food was actually pretty good. It’s definitely authentic that’s fs! And it was pretty affordable as well for the Bay Area! We ordered chicken korma and I loved that! And also the chicken gogura biriyani was very good as well!

Stacy Podimannil

We ate in the restaurant, came in by 9pm and they let us come right in. The servers were very sweet, the food was actually pretty good. It’s definitely authentic that’s fs! And it was pretty affordable as well for the Bay Area! We ordered chicken korma and I loved that! And also the chicken gogura biriyani was very good as well!

Sahaana Das

Absolutely loved my experience here! The flavors were so authentic and comforting — the Tandoori Pomfret was perfectly cooked and bursting with spices, and the Goat Soup was rich, soulful, and incredibly satisfying. You can really taste the love and tradition in the food. Special shoutout to Anil, who was extremely sweet and made the whole experience even better with his kindness and attentiveness. Can’t wait to come back for more! ✨🍽️

Satish Reddy

Had a great experience here as always. The Gongura Chicken Biryani was recommended to me and it was excellent full of flavor and cooked just right. Consistently good food and a place I’d easily recommend to anyone who enjoys Indian cuisine.

Dewang Sehrawat

Aha Indian Cuisine serves delicious, authentic Indian food with rich flavors. The dishes are fresh, well-spiced, and perfectly cooked. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Highly recommended for anyone who loves Indian cuisine!

Rumesha Ahmed

Absolutely love the many options on this menu which would satisfy all kinds of palates. This place is a true representation of South Indian food in San Francisco Food: love the dosas and biryani. Everyone should try Gongura at least once - such a unique Andhra flavor. I always get the tandoori pomfret which is not easily available on Indian restaurant menus. Service: Anil was fabulous! Attentive, reassuring and effective. He really enhanced the meal Ambiance: this is a classic Mission restaurant. Great for small groups / families with kids. 1 block from BART. We love coming to Aaha - can’t wait for my next meal there

Anjali Parvathreddy

I recently visited Aaha Restaurant, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The Banjara Chicken was perfectly marinated and full of smoky flavor — tender, juicy, and seasoned just right. Both the Goat Biryani and Chicken Biryani were outstanding. The rice was fragrant, the spice level was perfect, and the meat was cooked beautifully. Each bite had that authentic biryani aroma and depth of flavor. The Pomfret Fish was another highlight — fresh, well-grilled, and seasoned perfectly. Overall, every dish we tried was flavorful, well-prepared, and served hot. Great service, great taste, and definitely a place worth recommending. I’d happily visit again!

Yognandani Maharaj

The food is so so so good here! My go-to recommendation for folks looking for great South Asian food. My parents loved the uttapam and lamb dosa. My personal favorite is the tandoori pomfret. The rasam with the vada blew us away too, tastes just like my Nani made it growing up. 10/10. Always worth the wait!!!

Food was ok. We ordered chicken biryani chicken 555 and mango lassi. Biryani was good but still a scope of more flavors and spices. Lassi was nice and thick. We didn’t like chicken 555, very greasy and it too lacked flavors. Overall experience was ok. We might visit again to try their other biryanis.

One of best Indian food restaurants in SF for sure. Recommend by friend so wanted to try not at all disappointed. I already been to this restaurant twice. I really liked there tandoori chicken, its spicy, juicy, really yum. Another dish worth mentioning is mutton sukka, its was delicious too. Tried Aha and vijaywada biryani, they are good but may be not the best. Aha biryani is milder but vijaywada biryani is towards very high spice level. We also tried parota the flaky ones which is usually not available in other restaurants and it was good. Next time on my list is dosa and fish which looked great but yet to try.

+2

Was really craving Indian food and came across Aaha Indian Cuisine — it looked interesting, so we decided to give it a try. Went in for Punjabi-style food and ordered three curries along with a mix of different breads. We got Butter Paneer, Butter Chicken, and Chicken Chettinad. The Chicken Chettinad was the highlight — super flavorful, with the perfect kick of spice and South Indian-style richness. The Butter Chicken and Paneer were just okay — both tasted too tomato-forward and didn’t have that deep, buttery flavor you’d expect. Taking one star off for that. Now the breads — absolutely outstanding! We ordered Chili Garlic Naan, Cheese Garlic Naan, Cheese Chili Garlic Naan, and Onion Kulcha — and every single one was fire 🔥. Soft, flavorful, and very close to what you’d get back in India. We also tried their Chapati/Roti, which was decent but not great — the edges were a little hard and dry, so I’d definitely recommend sticking to the tandoori breads. The vibe of the place was casual, nothing fancy — a decent spot for a laid-back meal. Liked the open kitchen concept, but I do think they could be a bit more organized with the space — there were some unused boxes and clutter that could be cleaned up to improve the overall experience. Overall, solid place if you’re in the mood for Indian food — especially for their breads and Chicken Chettinad. Would go back, but probably skip the butter-based curries next time

Not a bad choice while in San Francisco. I did not particularly like the ambience at this restaurant. A little too crowded and way too loud. The guests are also yelling in their conversations. Loudest restaurant I’ve been to. The best dish is Sambhar Vada and Rasam Vada. Count chicken biryani too. Other biryanis have too much currry than rice in it. Don’t bother with the Manchurian, they’re too sweet for my taste palette.

One of the exquisite dining places for Indian food in the middle of popular Mission street with reasonable prices. The highlight dish, chicken kebab, was absolutely delicious with its succulent and flavorful chicken pieces. We also tried Vijayawada biryani and shrimp chili, which offered a medium level of flavor. The servers were quite friendly and delightful. Overall it was positive experience, we had a nice time and would definitely return.

Tanmay Desai

Was really craving Indian food and came across Aaha Indian Cuisine — it looked interesting, so we decided to give it a try. Went in for Punjabi-style food and ordered three curries along with a mix of different breads. We got Butter Paneer, Butter Chicken, and Chicken Chettinad. The Chicken Chettinad was the highlight — super flavorful, with the perfect kick of spice and South Indian-style richness. The Butter Chicken and Paneer were just okay — both tasted too tomato-forward and didn’t have that deep, buttery flavor you’d expect. Taking one star off for that. Now the breads — absolutely outstanding! We ordered Chili Garlic Naan, Cheese Garlic Naan, Cheese Chili Garlic Naan, and Onion Kulcha — and every single one was fire 🔥. Soft, flavorful, and very close to what you’d get back in India. We also tried their Chapati/Roti, which was decent but not great — the edges were a little hard and dry, so I’d definitely recommend sticking to the tandoori breads. The vibe of the place was casual, nothing fancy — a decent spot for a laid-back meal. Liked the open kitchen concept, but I do think they could be a bit more organized with the space — there were some unused boxes and clutter that could be cleaned up to improve the overall experience. Overall, solid place if you’re in the mood for Indian food — especially for their breads and Chicken Chettinad. Would go back, but probably skip the butter-based curries next time

thespacejockey

Not a bad choice while in San Francisco. I did not particularly like the ambience at this restaurant. A little too crowded and way too loud. The guests are also yelling in their conversations. Loudest restaurant I’ve been to. The best dish is Sambhar Vada and Rasam Vada. Count chicken biryani too. Other biryanis have too much currry than rice in it. Don’t bother with the Manchurian, they’re too sweet for my taste palette.

Food was okay. Sweet lime soda is good. Mutton curry dosa was good. Ghee masala dosa were okay. Dosa batter seemed a bit stale. Sambar tasted very good but there were no vegetables in it. The chutneys barely tasted okay. There are better authentic restaurants according to me. Probably I didn't get the best dishes. Will try again later.

One of my favorite biriyani spots in San Francisco. However, my recent visit was disappointing. The appetizer was good. The sambar lacked salt, and the chutneys were bland. The biriyani, on the other hand, was excessively salty.

Ha we tried Aaha, again by pure chance and no planning. We liked the inviting look of the place, it was busy with lots of individuals from south Asia, which is often a good sign for a great eatery. We only ordered 4 dishes, 2 appetizers chilli chicken and fried okra, a side of naan and a main lamb. I like the fries okra, nice crisp easy finger food great while we waited for the rest. We watched as some amazing looking Dosa were served up left and right. In hindsight we should have ordered that. 2nd up was the chilli chicken appetizer. That was a disappointment. The chicken was smothered in sauce and left a metallic taste in the mouth that stayed with me for the rest of the evening. That was rather disappointing. Next up the side of plain Naan and the Lamb Rogan Josh. The lamb was very nice tasting, smooth melting on the tongue. The Naan unfortunately, while thin and crispy was dry and lacked that chewiness on the inside while crisp on the outside. We left with mixed emotions wondering if we just ordered the wrong dishes. The chilli chicken for sure did not make the list in my book. If I go back I give the Dosa a try as I did look stunning.

R M

Ha we tried Aaha, again by pure chance and no planning. We liked the inviting look of the place, it was busy with lots of individuals from south Asia, which is often a good sign for a great eatery. We only ordered 4 dishes, 2 appetizers chilli chicken and fried okra, a side of naan and a main lamb. I like the fries okra, nice crisp easy finger food great while we waited for the rest. We watched as some amazing looking Dosa were served up left and right. In hindsight we should have ordered that. 2nd up was the chilli chicken appetizer. That was a disappointment. The chicken was smothered in sauce and left a metallic taste in the mouth that stayed with me for the rest of the evening. That was rather disappointing. Next up the side of plain Naan and the Lamb Rogan Josh. The lamb was very nice tasting, smooth melting on the tongue. The Naan unfortunately, while thin and crispy was dry and lacked that chewiness on the inside while crisp on the outside. We left with mixed emotions wondering if we just ordered the wrong dishes. The chilli chicken for sure did not make the list in my book. If I go back I give the Dosa a try as I did look stunning.