5/5 Stars - Jalwa in Montclair Is the Real Deal. And Then There's Nayan…read more There are restaurants you enjoy, and then there are restaurants that rearrange something in your brain. Jalwa in Montclair is the second kind. The space sets the tone immediately -- upscale but unpretentious, modern without being cold, the kind of room that makes you settle in and order one more thing. The menu is a love letter to Indian cuisine with a contemporary sensibility: bold, aromatic, deeply flavorful, and -- remarkably -- one of the most vegan-friendly dining experiences I've ever had anywhere. Not vegan-tolerant. Vegan-excellent. Modifications are handled with genuine expertise, and the results are full, satisfying, and never feel like a consolation prize. We started with crispy vegetable samosas packed with spiced potato and peas, and a couple of other appetizers that hit like a warm, fragrant wave. The dal was rich and creamy with flavor that built beautifully with every bite -- the kind of dish you find yourself thinking about days later. The vegetable biryani was fragrant and perfectly spiced. The curries, customized fully vegan, were outstanding. The garlic naan was soft, pillowy, and genuinely addictive. Every plate was generous, nothing was heavy or oily, and spice levels were adjusted exactly as requested. It was Indian cuisine firing on all cylinders. But I have to talk about Nayan. I have to. In twenty-something years of dining out, I have never -- not once -- encountered a server who so completely elevated a meal through sheer force of warmth, knowledge, and genuine care. From the moment Nayan greeted our table, it was clear we were in exceptional hands. He walked us through the vegan options with the fluency of someone who actually loves this food. His pairing suggestions were perfect -- every single one. He checked in at exactly the right moments, never hovering, always there. His energy was magnetic without being performative. He made us try dishes we would have skipped and we were grateful every time. This is not hyperbole: Nayan is one of the best front-of-house professionals I have ever encountered. He doesn't just serve a table -- he orchestrates an experience. Jalwa is lucky to have him, and whoever is in charge of promotions there should act fast, because someone with his talent, instinct, and people skills has a very bright future ahead -- in this industry or any other. If I could leave six stars, the sixth one would be just for him. Book a table at Jalwa. Ask for Nayan. Thank me later.

My partner and I both can't do food that is too spicy so we usually look for modern Indian…read morerestaurants when we are craving Indian food. They have options to go for the mild choice if you can't do spice. This restaurant is situated within downtown Montclair - which is such a charming shopping block. We ordered: - honey chili lotus - saffron butter crab (generous portion size of crab)! - goat cheese naan - Goan fish curry Every dish was so good! The highlight was the saffron butter crab - that umami flavor was insane. The honey lotus was crispy and packed with flavor. The Goan fish curry was satisfying and not spicy at all which we both appreciated. I also enjoyed the 3 complimentary sauces on the table - none of them were too spicy. I highly recommend this place! The service was great as well.

We have mostly doordashed food from here. Also got food catered from here for an event. Food is…read moregood.. vada pao n kathi rolls are one of the best, everyone at the event loved these. Their chinese bhel, goat sukka, noodles, methi chicken are other dishes i have tried and all are good! Only complaint was their catered food came late and wasn't organised as instructed

Short review Ordered…read morethree Chicken Tikaa Masala's. Food Taste: Above Average for Indian food around Montclair. Not great, but above average. Amount of Chicken: POOR. Barely enough to almost fill you. Poor value for your money.

Stopped by to pick up a couple of meat samosas for a New Years tradition - they were amazing! Not…read moretoo spicy and a little sweet. YUM!!!

Small seating area but great food. Reasonably priced. Chicken Tikka Masala was fantastic!read more

Came here for lunch with my family and Chatni totally delivered. Their weekday lunch special (12-3…read morePM) is such a steal! $11 per plate, and you get to pick two veggie dishes plus rice. I let our server know the whole meal would be vegan, and he said no problem. We went with chana masala, baingan bharta, mushroom matar, and aloo gobi. All perfectly spiced! Flavorful without setting your mouth on fire (Chatni gets it). They swapped naan for roti (vegan option) and brought out the food fast. I did ask for the chutney and crackers after the meal came out -- last time they served it first, so now I know to request it upfront. No biggie to me! Everything tasted authentic, you can tell they don't cut corners. The decor has that real Indian charm too; idols, warm colors, the whole vibe. It stayed quiet during lunch which was actually nice. And honestly, lunch for two adults and a kid in Montclair for $23? In this economy?? Wild. The food looked and smelled so good we dove right in before taking photos (no regrets). I'll 100% be back, either with my family or solo when I need a good, comforting meal. Chatni's officially in my Montclair rotation!

Friday night. i'd just left another Indian joint that was supposed to open at 4 and i get there…read more4:14 and shut tight. posted on yelp and got immediate response criticizing me lol i didn't even enter the place! lol So i came to this other empty place in montclair one late Friday afternoon as the summer began with Memo Weekend. For me Memo Workend. Used to come here with my insane ex monster years ago. Food was not very good this time. Doughy cracker crusted lamb samosas and tepid white rice and unpleasant naan on the stale side. chai tea had a chewy film on top of the liquid like some sort of skin. Service was atrocious. Horrible. so bad it was almost a joke. i wanted one of the samosas wrapped for home (God knows why). Mr. Casual comes out and i kid you not: cavalierly tossed a sheet of tinfoil at the samosa. i asked "so i just wrap it myself and stuff it in my pocket?" So he left - not to get a container or a plastic bag as asked (rain) but just went in the back to get me off his non-working back with my horrid demands. place was empty. from time i mistakenly entered to time i gladly left. before that he brought out my coke - or was it? a can that said "Bro" on it. And when he sauntered out much later, post-samosa, i had to ask for a glass. I was supposed to slurp out of a can? after eating one doughy samosa and putting the dirty plate on the other side of the table, i watched as he later came to toss the rice bowl and chicken tikka marsala on the table. Doesn't remove filthy dishes (see pic) and i had to say "whoa hold on! Can i have a plate?" Annoyed, he turned to another of the all other empty tables, snatched a table off that and clatter dropped it on my table. Twenty years ago, that would have escalated to more than this post. So bland food and lousy service. Chianti can't ni seem to get either right for. $52. But at least my crazy ex wasn't there - just her irritating spirit,

There are several reasons why I'm giving this such a high rating…read more Firstly, the food. Not only do you get a chance to try a variety of regional Indian curries, but they also offer a Seasonal 'emu of specialty selections that you may not think to try. I like that they offer these innovative or socially selections so people can try the real tastes of India. Addie talk to selection is the QUALITY! They clearly use real, fresh ingredients because I had no discomfort after our meal, which tends to be common after eating at many Indian restaurants. I am my scientific proof; food quality is top notch! The service. All wait staff were friendly and kitchen ran like a smooth operation. Given that the restaurant is a small space, it becomes more essential that staff are knowledgeable and coordinated, as was the case here. Everyone was on their A game. Space is small but charming. In Upper Montclair but not at that busy intersection. Parking is on the street, metered. Not ideal but it is what it is. Overall, you definitely get a top quality experience here and this place is totally worth checking out.

I grew up within minutes of the real brick lane in london's bethnal green and this place is legit!…read moreWell truth is, it is much better than 95% of places on brick lane! I had the lamb jalfrezi which was perfectly spiced with jammy tomato sauce. My husband has a saag that was also delicious. The servers seem to care so much about our enjoyment (also very un-British!). Will def go back.

Was in Montclair and stumbled upon this Thai restaurant. Basil Indian and Thai Grill is a quaint…read morerestaurant located in Watchung ave but the flavors are loud! When we walked in, the food that was cooking smelled delicious and filled the area. We were sat straight away and our food came out very quickly as well. I loved my lychee drink and ordered my pad Thai mild, to be cautious, but I definitely could have handled the medium. My husband and I will definitely be back as we were so happy with our delicious meals! Thank you so much for a fabulous lunch!

Had dinner at Basil Indian & Thai Grill last night and honestly loved it. The food tasted fresh and…read morefull of flavor, and it's nice having both Indian and Thai options in one spot. The butter chicken was creamy and delicious, and the Pad Thai was perfectly cooked with just the right spice.

Always an amazing meal when we go to Kashan. The staff is insanely kind, the food is delicious and…read morethe presentation is always gorgeous. we are obsessed with the mumbai mule it is the most refreshing cocktail ever !!! highly recommend sitting down here. it's casual and delicious !!!

First time there the place is nice very modern which is not normal for Indian restaurants…read more Our server was nice but a little pushy We wanted to try something new since they had a huge menu we asked the server for some recommendations and all the ones he said were the most expensive on the Meni We got the chili garlic naan bread and it was the best I ever had The rest of the stuff we got I can't spell but was very tasty I will go back again.

I called the establishment and they confirmed that the meat is halal. So I was very happy to order…read morethe goat vindaloo. It is absolutely rich and delicious. I had enough left over for another portion or two of meat and a portion of rice. The papadum (crispy bread savory) they give in the beginning as a complimentary start is an easy binge. The service didn't rush me which is nice. The ambiance is a cute intimate setting. Did you know that out of red meat and poultry that goat has the least cholesterol? It doesn't taste gamey when it's fresh and halal haha. You're welcome. Enjoy.

Wanted to give 3.5 but can't…read more To start we asked for 2 glasses of water but was given 2 3 dollars bottle of water wish I knew would have said no. The Samosa was good but the breading was a little thick The shrimp was very tasty but they left the tales on and since it was fried could not see till I bit into it The lentils was delicious and the lamb was good we asked for spicy but was kind of mild. If they fix a few things i will go back and give it a better review

I enjoyed my somosa chaat, plain naan bread and chicken tikka masala today. Hot, fresh, flavorful…read more- all delicious. Will definitely return! Only reason for not giving 5 stars - a bit slow during lunch hour. Will have to give myself more time for my next lunch visit.

Really enjoyed this place and would absolutely come back!…read more We had the dal Bukhara, the lamb kadai, the bhindi masala and chicken biryani. The dal was my absolute favorite, deeply seasoned and not too spicy. The bhindi masala tasted different to what we were used to but it was still delicious and had a bit of sweetness. Chicken biryani was good as well. The lamb kadai was too spicy for me so I think there was just some difficultly assessing with the waiter what level of spice works for different palates. We also got garlic naan which was great. The prices were good, the serving sizes were great and we had a good amount of left overs. Overall, I think this is a quality establishment and I would be curious to try some of the more popular dishes. The venue itself is spacious and parking is convenient. You could definitely go here with a family.

Kathiyawadi Thali- Served with 3 sabji's, Kadhi, Rajwadi Khichdi, rotla, Khaman Dhokla, Dhokla,…read moreSrikhand, khicha papad, chach, ghee and made with love by the owner herself! I started with the bajra roti... paired it with smoky baingan bharta... Swaad aa gaya ji! Dont miss the bold flavors of lasaniya batata... And that crunchy, spicy kaju gathiya is absolutely delicious! The kadhi with rajwadi khichdi is comfort food at its finest! And try the khaman dhokla and wrap up your meal with that thandi chach and the rich and creamy srikhand! If you're craving real Kathiyawadi flavors in North Jersey... Honest in Clifton is where every bite tells a story- Simple, authentic and full of soul! Will you try Kathiyawadi Thali?

Got their sampler plate as a takeout order. Everything was delicious and packed extremely well for…read moretravel- food was still hot and fresh when we arrived home!