BASANTI - Indian restaurant in San Juan Capistrano - 27221 Ortega Hwy., USA

Did I just land in Mumbai? Basanti is as real as it gets. My local hangout and could eat here everyday - sometimes hitting this place up 3-4x per week (I’m not the only one - the number of Uber Eats guys who show up at dinner time is insane and at times, I’m the odd one out in a restaurant full of Mubaians). This place holds it own in a smaller community with no shortage of restaurants and located on the other side of the railroad tracks, literally, where many tourists venture/land given the train station and location of Mission SanJuan. Everything cooked to order (love that I can hang with the locals - authentic staff - and handle the same, if not more spice then they especially for a white chick from the Midwest) including no spice for little people, like my twin grandkids who devour the buttered naan and tandoori chick. The owner, first generation (I think) and the nicest most humble guy (he recognized me at another San Juan hangout then bought my glass of wine) just wants you to have the most pleasurable dining experience enjoying cuisine he’s passionate about. My favs: buttered naan, roasted beet salad, lentil soup, and chicken korma, extra spice. The world’s a big place so get out there…or at least venture to the other side of the train tracks or even stay home (#ubereats) and reap the same benefits of good food and good company!

Good food, hits the spot. Flavors could have been developed better. Dal was great! Nice staff.

Ok we just had lunch for the first time here and it was delicious 😋. We ordered the mix chicken tandoori , an eggplant roasted and , of course, the garlic Naan. Everything was so tasty and perfectly cooked. Also, service was on point. The waiter was polite and attentive

Wow! Basanti was really good! It was my first time dining in there. The place was packed when we got there so we had to wait a bit but that was fine. It’s a small place. The smells of the different foods while we waited were amazing! The wait wasn’t long just a few minutes. We ordered an appetizer dish, a lamb dish, and tiki masala. It was all really really good food! I will definitely be going back there again!

Loved the indian food, a little bit less salt on all the food. Otherwise, it was a great experience overall. The staffs are accommodating and polite.

So glad we found this on google maps! FOOD- Tried the onion bhaji (fritters) & momos for appetizers, both were flavorful. For entrees we had Shrimp masala curry, bhindi masala & daal makhani. Totally loved it all!!! SERVICE- Pretty fast & frieny staff. AMBIENCE- Nice & chill, love the decor. SUGGESTIONS- Could add more non-alcoholic drink options.

WOW! BASANTI is a must go in South Orange county. Simply delicious, hot, fresh, flavorful and with many options to choose from. You won't regret coming with all your friends and family. Lunch menu has many options that come with a large flavorful salad, large bowl of rice, huge bowl of naan and your entree. I ordered the chicken Tikka masala off the lunch menu and my husband ordered the tandoori chicken from the normal menu. It was to die for Delicious. The staff was super friendly and helpful.

I really liked the food it tasted amazing. I really admired the Basanti salad. The chicken tikka kabob with proper salad gave me the richness of soft moist chicken with freshness of the salad giving some acidic punch at the back. The chicken tikka masala was great too. The naan was nicely cooked in a traditional oven made of clay pot.