Kohinoor is a restaurant in San Antonio that specializes in Pakistani food, making it a unique place in the food world in this city. If you’re amongst the majority of people who haven’t tried Pakistani cuisine, you’re in for a treat when dining at this restaurant.

100% Authentic Pakistani Food

This is a family owned restaurant, and as such, you can count on the food always being authentic and traditional. Not only that, but there’s a lot of love that goes into making this food, and it’s easy to taste the affection with which the food is created. Since it’s family owned, you can also count on an atmosphere that is inviting and comfortable, and plan on eating food that would be served if you were dining in a Pakistani family’s home.

Favorites at Kohinoor

Pakistani food is very similar to that of Indian, and they share many of the same dishes. For example, the Aaloo Samosas are a dish that you will probably find on a menu at any Indian restaurant, although they might be better at Kohinoor due to the high quality with which they’re made. The Tawa shrimp–marinated shrimp with onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, and ginger served stir-fry style is also incredible. Another favorite menu item here are the two non-vegetarian gravy dishes. The first, the Butter Chicken, has boneless tandoori chicken that’s cut into cubes and cooked in a tomato sauce; the second, the Karahi Chicken, has dark meat chicken that served on the bone, and cooked with a traditional Karahi, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger. The menu isn’t as extensive as a lot of other restaurants in the area, but it’s only because they make everything fresh and have a small staff. Plus, the items that they do have are so good that you won’t even care about the limited options.

Get Your Daily Serving of Vegetables

Both Indian and Pakistani cuisine is famous for its large numbers of entree items that feature vegetables, and if you’re a vegetarian, you’re going to love the options here. Try the butter paneer, which is cottage cheese that’s cooked with a creamy tomato base and spices; the daal, which is split peas seasoned and blended with house spices; or any of the breads, particularly the paratha, which is a homemade flatbread which is then lightly fried. It’s delicious!

A Place to Enjoy Your Meal

There are some complaints about the time that it takes for food to be brought to your table at Kohinoor, but we prefer to think of it as the perfect opportunity to take your time to enjoy your company, have a good conversation, and practice your patience skills. Don’t worry, the food will come eventually, and when it does, you’ll be sorry you complained!

Two more things to note about this place are that there’s an outdoor patio for seating, and no alcohol is served. Oh, and one more thing: the prices are great! Appetizers are under $4, and main dishes range from $7 to $13.