Sakoon Restaurant

Sakoon invites you to embark on an extraordinary culinary journey of India. Nestled in downtown Mountain View, Sakoon offers diners a tantalizing blend of traditional and contemporary flavors representing multiple Indian regions.


Our chefs have created dishes that borrow from the past, yet are reinvented anew with vibrancy and modern flair. Named for the Indian word for "peace," Sakoon was designed to envelop diners in warmth and serenity. Upon entering the restaurant, you'll be greeted by the image of Buddha in hand-carved wooden panels, the glow from fiber-optic chandeliers, and the shimmer of a waterfall cascading into a pool of lotus petals. We invite you to join us for an exquisite dining experience.

Balkar S. Tamber

Born in Khanoor, a small town in Punjab, India, Tamber always had a passion for cooking. Even at a young age, he loved to create dishes full of excitement and surprise. He was never shy about expressing his culinary likes and dislikes, either. So much so that his mother soon grew accustomed to her youngest critic suggesting she add a little of this or that to her dishes.


Although his father worked in the trucking and farming businesses, Tamber always knew he would take a different path in life. Indeed, as a young man, he started a successful small roadside restaurant in Punjab.After immigrating to the United States in 1990, he worked as an assemblyman in an electronics company, and then for the U.S. Postal Service.


Through it all, he never stopped dreaming of opening a real restaurant.Six years later, he spotted the perfect location in San Mateo, Calif. to open Bombay Garden. The restaurant proved so popular, with lines out the door at peak hours, that Tamber opened a second Bombay Garden in Newark in 2000. Two more Bombay Garden branches followed, one in San Rafael in 2003, and the other in Santa Clara in 2006.Sakoon represents the newest bold step for Tamber – his first upscale, fine-dining establishment that promises to elevate Indian cuisine to the next level.

Alexander Paul Xalxo

Hailing from some of New York’s most prominent Indian eateries, Chef Alex Paul Xalxo first honed his culinary skills at India’s Hotel Juhu Centaur in Mumbai. Chef Alex spent 30 months learning every aspect of the hotel kitchen and catering operation.


After his formal training, he signed on as a permanent member of the kitchen management team and worked there for 8 years.In 2002, Chef Alex was courted by acclaimed Manhattan Indian restaurant Tamarind where he garnered positive reviews from Time Out New York among other publications. During his tenure there he hosted a variety of events including several James Beard Foundation-sponsored dinners.

President Bill Clinton was also a dinner guest during Chef Alex’s time spent there.In 2006, Chef Alex helped launch Earthen Oven in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and helped propel the venture into popular Indian eatery. By this time, Chef Alex was on the radar of New York restaurant critics. Chef Alex’s next stop was in Manhattan’s Financial District, opening Taj Tribeca for Earthen Oven’s owner Shekhar Gowda. As executive chef, Chef Alex handled all aspects of the kitchen including an extensive catering program. After a year at Taj Tribeca, Chef Alex returned to Earthen Oven to boost business and regain the trust of its customer base. Though Chef Alex is appreciative of his time spent on the East coast and its fast-paced cooking scene, he’s excited to learn about the West’s appreciation for fresh seasonal products and incorporating them into his menu at Sakoon.