After quietly changing hands last October, not much news has come out of Saffron Grill just off Divisadero at 1279 Fulton St.—and that was the new owners' intention.

Well-aware of the near cult following the restaurant had gained since it opened in 2008, Ashok Thapa and his partner Suraj Gurunj sought to keep the menu and quality the same as it had been while the restaurant was operated by Ageet Mehta and his father-in-law Ganesh Bankoti. 

"All of the menu is the same. The old chef taught our chef how to cook everything," said Thapa.

However, Thapa's connection to the restaurant's location spans beyond Saffron Grill. In 2005, his uncle Udim Gurung opened Kathmandu Cafe (Saffron's predecessor). Thapa was a server there, and he continued waiting tables when Saffron Grill first opened. 

Thapa moved to the U.S. from Nepal in 2001, and he felt at home serving Nepalese cuisine at Kathmandu Cafe. Thapa told us that there are also many similarities between North Indian and Nepalese cuisine.

"I'm learning the new details very quickly, but the ingredients are 95 percent similar," said Thapa. "All of the menu is exactly the same, but we added some new specials (pictured below). The old chef taught our new chef everything he needed to know about cooking the dishes."

Thapa recalls the restaurant being pretty empty back in the Kathmandu Cafe days, before Saffron Grill took off. He attributes that to the changes he's noticed in the neighborhood since he worked here back in 2005. 

"There are a lot more white people now, and all the other businesses around us are booming," he told us.

According to Thapa, business at Saffron Grill has increased since he took over last year, and the owners are eyeing a second location somewhere in the city. However, he tells us that the increase in customers has made it challenging to adequately accommodate every customer when there's a rush. This has been reflected in some poor Yelp reviews, but he says that he's hired new staff and decided to remain open seven days a week in response.

Yelp reviews aside, Thapa reports that he's been very happy since he's taken over. "I like the neighborhood, the customers, and the whole environment. It's very nice."

For those curious about where the former Saffron Grill owners ended up after leaving the restaurant, we've gotten word that they're planning to open a new restaurant on 10th and Clement in the Inner Richmond. A liquor license application under Ajeet Mehta has been filed at 908 Clement St., where My Thai currently stands. According to city records, the new restaurant could be called "Keeva Indian Kitchen."