Expectations were high for the two new sister restaurants in Walnut Creek and Livermore. That’s in large part because of crossover ownership with the celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor–backed Yellow Chilli, the swanky Indian hit destination that opened in Danville in 2022. But it is also, I’d argue, due to the restaurants’ rather ambitious full moniker: The Essence—Redefining Indian Food.

Bold words indeed, but we’re happy to report that the food lives up to the flash at both Essence locations: a smaller one in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek and a much more expansive one on the outskirts of Livermore. Shivraj Sidhu, a co-owner at the Yellow Chilli, explained that he has separate California-based partners for his two new ventures, and they have no association with Kapoor and his Sanjeev Kapoor Restaurants group. Nevertheless, the main idea behind the Essence is much the same: filling a niche among the suburban East Bay’s growing Indian population for an elegant special-occasion dining experience.

Most important, the same quality and execution is evident in the kitchen, which delivers a delightful array of diverse dishes, highlighted by luscious curries that generally come off as lighter and fresher than the norm without losing the cuisine’s trademark spice-infused depth of flavor. The palak paneer, for instance, is an appealingly smooth puree of fresh spinach with a lovely heat courtesy of chili-infused tadka oil. Savory rectangles of fried paneer cottage cheese provide a meat-like heartiness to the vegetarian dish. Perhaps an even better example is the dal makhani. This absolute knockout offers a flavorful curry stew of slow-cooked Punjabi black lentils and kidney beans, redolent with onion, tomato, cumin, and a slight smokiness, boosted to lush indulgence with ample butter and cream. The fan-favorite butter chicken doesn’t disappoint, either, exhibiting its trademark rich creaminess balanced by a pronounced tomato tang and deliciously moist pieces of marinated dark chicken. For those who are a bit more adventurous, the goat curry acts as a perfect introduction to this meat common to Indian cuisine. The fall-apart-tender bone-in goat is sweet, succulent, just a touch gamy, and beautifully complemented by a more coarsely pureed spicy-savory curry. Enjoy it with an order of hot-from-the-tandoori-oven naan or fragrant long-grain basmati rice.

You’d be doing yourself a disservice limiting your ordering to curry, however. Fish-and-chips lovers should try the Amritsari fish fry, a delicious Indian take on the British staple, in which thin fillets of flaky white fish are coated with aromatic spices, most noticeably turmeric and red chili, which leave a pleasant tingle on the tongue for minutes afterward. It should also be noted that while Indian fare is a to-go favorite in many areas of the United States, several of the Essence’s dishes—especially fried ones like the Amritsari fish—are best enjoyed fresh from the kitchen. Fortunately, the atmosphere matches the food at both restaurants. The simple, pretty Walnut Creek locale is a pleasant spot to dine in, even if limited in ambition by its narrow downtown space on North Main Street. The Livermore operation, located in a shopping center near the Altamont Pass (you can see wind turbines out of the front door), has no such limitations. The interior is positively palatial and includes an open dining room complete with lounge-y seating and a flashy front bar, as well as two huge adjacent event spaces. The luxe decor, featuring plush royal-blue couches; moody lighting, highlighted by picturesque brass pendants; period artwork; and soft soundtrack (no Bollywood tunes here) evoke an appealing contemporary vibe through a historical Indian lens.

It was in this stylish setting that we relished a couple of the Essence’s most interesting dishes. The pani puri, a common Indian street food, consists of petite open-faced crispy-fried dough spheres packed with a potato-chickpea chutney. It’s served with a small carafe of cilantro-mint water.

Meanwhile, the Gobi Manchurian, an Indo-Chinese culinary hybrid I’d never tried, might have been my favorite of all. Perfectly deep-fried cauliflower florets are smothered in an addictively tangy, slightly sticky-sweet sauce reminiscent of Chinese sweet-and-sour chicken in its mix of chili sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and even sautéed bell peppers.

The Livermore location also has the benefit of that full bar (a liquor license is pending at Walnut Creek), which delivers a respectable list of beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails (mocktails are creative but a bit odd, to my taste, in their savory South Asian profile). As for the prices, they’re higher than most casual Indian spots, but ample portion sizes still offer relatively good value. Does that qualify the Essence as “redefining” Indian food? I guess that depends on your definition. Regardless, both restaurants provide welcome additions to the local scene. essenceusa.com.

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Curry & a Cocktail

What are signs of a contemporary turn in the Indian dining scene? A full bar, for one. Here are five spots to sip Indian-inspired cocktails in the East Bay.

Mortar and Pestle, San Ramon

At its next-door City Center Bishop Ranch cocktail bar, popular food-truck-turned-brick-and-mortar Curry Up Now leans into Indian-inspired drinks, including a Bangalore Old Fashioned with garam masala and Indian rum.

Savor, Livermore

Choose between a Masala Margarita, Turmeric Passion, and Indian Sunrise at this new downtown Livermore hot spot with front patio dining, a game room, and Bollywood Brunch with a live DJ every first Sunday of the month.

Taj Mahal Flavors of India, Livermore

This flashy newcomer in the San Francisco Premium Outlets mixes up signature cocktails that include a Taj Mahal with passion fruit and kaffir lime and a Mahal Mule with mango chutney.

Tigerlily, Berkeley

In addition to genre-bending dishes like turmeric buttermilk-fried chicken and waffles with tikka sauce, this sleek North Berkeley restaurant has daily happy hour drink deals.

The Yellow Chilli, Danville

Enjoy shots of vodka topped by crispy puffs of pani puri in addition to signature cocktails at this Danville restaurant.