My partner and I both can't do food that is too spicy so we usually look for modern Indian restaurants 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. read more

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A step above your typical Indian spot. Jalwa is more refined, and gives a more elevated dining experience. The space itself is on the smaller side, but it is intimate, warm, and always buzzing. The staff is incredibly attentive and welcoming, making you feel taken care of from the moment you enter. Parking is street based, but there's a garage right across, and honestly, the area is very walkable so it's not a hassle to find street parking. They kick things off with a complimentary appetizer (crispy chips with dipping sauce); I ate before the phone -oops! The mango lassi is not your typical thick, yogurt heavy version, and the one here is lighter, smoother, almost like a refreshing mango smoothie - also not pictured, big oops! Why I LOVE the place after the first visit: the curries (ordered the paneer and chickpea)!! Unlike many Indian restaurants where dishes can feel overly heavy or leave you feeling weighed down, the curries here are light yet incredibly aromatic and full of flavor. You get all the richness of the ingredients and spices without that post meal sluggishness. Rice comes complimentary with the curry (always a win), and the naan is a must order. Both the garlic and butter naan were packed with flavor-- went very well with the curries! Note: It does lean a bit on the pricier side, but the quality, freshness, and dining experience make it worth it. Definitely a spot I'd come back to again to try other things on the menu. read more

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As we approached Jalwa, I could smell the Indian spices wafting down the block and knew I was in for a great meal. The restaurant was not very large, so the space was a bit tight. Thankfully, we were seated in a warmer corner a few tables away from the door, which kept opening and letting in blasts of cold air. The service was sparse, and it took a while to finally flag someone down to take our order. We decided to share both the yellow Dal Jalwa and the Kadai Chicken. The lentil dish was on the watery side and was under-seasoned; it really needed a greater depth of flavor. The poultry dish, on the other hand, was a hearty blend of wok-sauteed chicken, peppers, onions, and Indian herbs. It was rich, spicy, and delicious. The two dishes came with a Basmati rice for the table, though the Dal needed it more in order to soak up the thinner sauce. We also could not skip ordering any bread, so I indulged in the Peshwari Naan, which was stuffed with sweet raisins and bright red cherries. The dough was greasily covered with a load of ghee, but, aside from that, it was a tasty rendition of my favorite variety of naan. Overall, we found Jalwa to be rather tasty, though the service could certainly have been improved. read more

Delish indian food! Presentation was amazing. The taste was delicious. I love it. Taste store, antibiotic free chicken local jersey farm fresh produce. BYOB and Halal!!!! read more

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Stopped by today for lunch while in Montclair for the afternoon. The lunch special was the perfect amount of food! I chose the vegetable samosas, the chicken makhani, the butter naan, and enjoyed the soup of the day and gulab jamun that came with my meal! Everything was flavorful and delicious! The service was quick and we will definitely come back! read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Garlic Naan and Butter Naan - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Friendly service and delicious flavors await you at this little restaurant in Montclair. Came here for an early dinner and had a wonderful meal. Waiter was very helpful in walking us through the menu and selecting dishes we might enjoy. Appetizers were delicious, fig naan with eggplant was delicious and samosa chaat was spicy and tasty on a cold night. Entrees were flavorful and enjoyable. Also got the garlic naan for dipping with the entrees. Plenty of leftovers to bring home and will definitely return. read more

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Great spot for dinner - great service and nice variety of dishes to select. Ordered samosa chaat for a starter - the spice level on that was unexpected but it was very tasty and 3 glasses of water later it was all good. Ordered the naan with garlic and rosemary and that was loaded with garlic and pretty yummy and very large. For dinner I had the kadai chicken (which was not too spicy) which consisted of large chunks of chicken in a red sauce with peppers and onions and had a nice balance of flavor. A bowl of basmati rice came with that. Really enjoyed my dinner and the service was outstanding. Definitely recommend this place. read more

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2 words: Lamb Korma My favorite dish currently and I enjoy the garlic naan and mango lassi with it as well. The lamb is cooked tender too. I get my dish medium spicy. I've only ordered delivery and they do a good job packing the food neatly. read more

Very delicious Indian food and love the neighborhood so much that this restaurant is one of the places we like to stop

Jalwa is a Modern North Indian Restaurant based in the heart of Montclair. Come and enjoy great taste of traditional Indian cuisine to the community of Montclair in a relaxed yet sophisticated space. Drawing its inspiration from North Indian cuisine, offering a world-class a la carte menu. The menu pays tribute to traditional Indian dishes and recipes but crafted and delivered in a way that will leave you wanting to try more. What we tried Appetizers Chicken Bao Fish Tikka Honey chilli Lotus Main course Dal Bukhara( USP)Methi Paneer Malai Toast Goan Fish Curry Garlic naan Goat cheese naan RiceDessertsRasmalaiMalai Pista Kulfi With amazing modern interiors and such authentic food, Jalwa Modern Indian dining successfully carries the mantle of North Indian Province cuisine in the only way it can. With pride and traditions intact. Stop over some time for some robust flavours. Must visit place with family & friends read more

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Great service at this small but delightful spot in Montclair. We came first with a group of 4 that grew to 8 including a couple picky kiddos, but we still were treated so warmly. I am Indian and appreciated that Jalwa offered several inventive dishes not seen at "typical Indian restaurants." Sometimes a bit of flair, a little experimentation, adds a lot to those flavors we've known and loved for so many years! Dessert was the coup de grace (coup de grace, maybe!) as they served an incredible paan masala ice cream. You may not believe that ice cream and paan flavors can go together... but trust me and try it. It was the best part of my day! And that's saying a lot because the meal was wonderful. read more

Came here on a Wednesday for an early dinner for a party of two. We were greeted and got seated right away. The server/owner were really friendly at first but later had a slight attitude change after we ordered. Since we weren't very hungry, we got an appetizer, an entree, an order of naan, sparkling water and a mango lassi. Upon knowing that we were only ordering one entree to share and not one per person, the server/owner didn't look satisfied with our order. We felt awkward and uncomfortable with the attitude change but we enjoyed the food. The food itself was delicious and flavorful. As much as we love the food, we won't be coming back because of the experience we had with the server/owner. read more

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The tandoori chicken was the first good tandoori chicken I've had in years. It's probably a good option for someone who doesn't like spicy food. It has spice, just not hot. The portion was good enough for two people or 1 hungry person. This restaurant is probably best ordering family style. But we didn't and were happy. My wife ordered the lamb korma at medium heat. She said the she could not detect heat, but it was still nice and flavorful. The garlic naan was tasty and came out as a large single piece. My wife and I split it and were happy. V K Verma was especially welcoming. The service was excellent, better than I've gotten pretty anywhere else recently. read more

The family and I ordered take-out this time. So we were unable to review the customer service and vibe of the restaurant. We ordered through their site, but they still used DoorDash for delivery. The food came in about 30 minutes. Jalapeno Cheese Samosa (7/10) - These were pretty good--they served their purpose but would have wanted a bit more jalapeno. Also, the plum sauce it came with was very good but it was so tiny, we needed more. Saffran Butter Garlic Crab (9/10) - This has a good amount of crab and a lot of flavor. However, I did not taste much of the saffron. I did stuff this in the garlic naan and it was amazing. Truffle Oil Goat Cheese Naan (8/10) - The hint of truffle oil was just enough, but I wish there was more goat cheese in the naan. I do understand this is a dish to appeal to westerners, so I will give it a pass. Goan Fish Curry / Very Spicy (8/10) - Nice big pieces of fish and great spice level. I deducted two points because there was not enough basmati rice based on the portion which was pretty big. Also, it was extremely oily. The flavor was amazing. Lamb Vindaloo (8/10) - Many pieces of lamb in a delicious sauce. Again, too oily, and not enough rice. This was packed with flavor. Raita (10/10) - delicious cucumber yogurt sauce that we dipped our naan in. The entrees we had too much oil and did not come with enough rice for the portion size. We will order from here again and visit their place in the future. read more

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The restaurant was warm and inviting, with a couple tables filled despite it being in between mealtimes. Our waiter sat us immediately, bringing us waters and menus. We both ordered the lunch special, a great deal with an appetizer, choice of main dish, including vegetarian options, and a bread. We had the chicken korma and chicken makhani! Both were fantastic! The naan was fresh and warm, the vegetable samosas were piping hot! They even gave us gulab jamun for dessert! We can't wait for another visit! read more

Unexpected gem! Stumbled upon this cute location and was pleasantly surprised by the delicious Indian food. The amicable service and charming atmosphere made it all the more enjoyable. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

5/5 Stars - Jalwa in Montclair Is the Real Deal. And Then There's Nayan. 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. read more

Talk about hole in the wall! We randomly found this restaurant, so small and authentic. We were looking for a great tasting butter chicken meal and we sure got it! Service was pleasant. Meals were so tasty! Crab cakes were so delicious. Prices were fair. Mango lassi is a must. read more

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I did a takeout from this place. Tikki chat was good although tikis were small but they put 4. I would suggest to add chutneys and make it more look like chaat item. The pindi cholle were good and had good smokiness to it. Daal was really authentic. Highly recommend this place. read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Inside this small store front is a modern decorated restaurant with lots of seating. They have not gentrified the Indian flavors or spicy levels. Plenty of mild, spicy and vegetarian options. Complimentary papad and three chutneys. Cuisine is served family style. Salmon bite appetizer was perfectly cooked with the amount of charr from the grill for crunch. I chose the hottest dish on the menu. Chicken Vindaloo , it gave me heat without loosing the flavor. The service is impeccable. I shared my dish and the person couldn't take the heat. The owner immediately put yogurt on the table. The three of us laughed for a few minutes. It was a great night. Street parking Parking deck read more

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This joint is so delicious, if you're in the mood for Indian food! Having arrived on Easter Sunday and noticing quite a few places closed, I figured an Indian restaurant was most likely open and luckily, I was right. My takeout order: Jalwa lamb korma, jalapeno cheese samosas, garlic naan. Honestly, portions were quite generous that this was way too much food for me. Staying at a hotel means no microwave so having leftovers is not ideal but what a 1st-world problem to have! The lamb korma was amazing, and pairing it with the garlic naan was perfect. Do get the garlic naans!!! They are so good. For me, I could've skipped the samosas...I think just the lamb korma with the garlic naans would have been enough. The samosas were ok...nothing to write about but I think they are great if you are a vegetarian. Would definitely come back when I'm craving Indian food again! read more

I came here on a Friday night and it was easy to make a reservation. The wait staff were very friendly and the place is very clean and modern looking. I'm not a huge fan of Indian food but what I got was really good. We got the samosas to start, and shared the palak panner, chicken tikka masala, the tandoori chicken, and the garlic rosemary naan. For drinks we got the mango lassis. The drinks are a MUST, they were delicious! read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Tikka masala, tandoori chicken - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The food is good. The problem is the waiter, manager. We have been here several times and he is always, curt, unfriendly, unwelcoming. I have never seen this man smile. This time we arrived for lunch at 11:30 am, when they open. We were the first people in the restaurant. He took us to a table for 2 right across from a set table for 8. We asked if there was a lunch party coming in and he said yes. So I asked we could have a different table, maybe in the back where it would be more quiet and we could talk comfortably. He said no, we had to sit there. So we had lunch next to a large party of 8, when every single other table in the restaurant was empty and remained empty for the entirety of our meal. We and the party of 8 were the ONLY customers and he refused to sit us at a different table. This kind of rude, unaccommodating behavior makes me think twice about returning. He needs an attitude adjustment if he wants return customers. read more

Slow Saturday? The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived for lunch. Large and varied menu. My party each ordered something different, along with a garlic naan. Everything was well prepared and flavorful. We liked everything we had with the slight exception of the vegetarian samosas, which we found to be on the heavy side and a bit gummy in texture. Didn't stop us from eating all of it though. I was thrilled to learn that they serve their chicken dishes with dark meat chicken (chicken breast is an option). I don't like white meat chicken and usually I can't order chicken dishes at restaurants because of it. Service was quick and efficient. Overall, a very pleasant experience and the leftovers were even more flavorful hours later reheated for dinner. read more

Hidden gem tucked behind Bloomfield Ave. While parking may be challenging, it's definitely worth a trip. The flavors are authentic and the owner is confident and friendly. His welcoming manner will win too over - no question! Shrimp curry, chicken curry, vegetable samosa and mango lassi were the choices for lunch. Even though they closed at 3pm we did not feel rushed at all. Delicious, fresh food. I will definitely return. read more

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Local outpost of famous Bukhara Grill restaurant & wedding caterers in Manhattan. Long overdue in Montclair. We weren't sure what "modern" meant, and were a little worried it would be bland & watered down or tiny plates. But everything was delicious and authentic! Kept to the Bukhara Grill standard. Goat biryani - we ordered medium spice, but it was still pretty spicy. Maybe try low spicy. Fish Tikka App - juicy Daal special black and yellow - tasty Bhindi okra - well cooked, not oily or slimy Raita Plain rice Khyber Naan - mint & onion Family size butter Naan Ras malai - fresh, not frozen Gulab jamun - hot Not too sweet. Everything was great! Good location. Friendly staff. Easy street parking. They said there is usually a line weekend nights. We made a reservation for Mother's Day lunch. read more

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Was craving Indian food so I decided to give this place a try. Ordered ahead of time so when I arrived I found a spot right in front. My food was ready I just had to pay and go. The staff was very friendly. I ordered the saffron blue crab, chicken khurchan, shrimp Tikka masala, paratha, naan and a lime soda. The saffron crab: was delicious had a good flavor a small spice kick but not bad ( I don't like spicy) Chicken khurchan: I thought this was the fried chicken tender type but was more like chopped stewed chicken. It was ok Shrimp Tikka masalad was good Lancha paratha: was just ok Rosemary and garlic naan : was good and had a good flavor. Lime soda: comes in sweet or salty option I got sweet it was still kind of bland. read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

This place is great! The staff is very nice, the food is DELICIOUS. We weren't sure where to eat lunch so we walked around just checking out menus. When we stopped to read the menu in the window, the friendly waiter came out and handed us a menu we could flip through. He was so nice and the menu looked great so we walked in. The lunch specials were very affordable, great selection. I had the chicken curry, my friend had lamb. The place is small (intimate), they only offered room temp water to drink. I asked for hot tea and they don't offer that. They only had bottled iced tea. The food and service was so good, we will go back. The garlic Naan was so freaking good! It's on a side street so you may have to go look for the place but it's worth it! Super nice owner. read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Lunch special with chicken curry. - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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My sister and I were craving Indian food while in the area and we're so happy we found Jalwa! Their lunch menu is what sold us on coming here for sure. Upon walking in, we were greeted and seated immediately. Our server was very kind, funny, and attentive. We were given the lunch menu and since we already know what we wanted it was easy to order. The lunch specials are available for dine-in or take-out Monday through Friday for $9.95+. All lunch specials are served with basmati rice and a choice of naan, roti onion kulcha, or garlic naan which can be substituted for $1. Oh, and you also get the dessert of the day. What a steal right!? From the regular menu, my sister and I ordered the vegetable samosas which came with an order of 2. They were perfect! Crispy, light, and seasoned. For our entrees, we ordered the palak paneer special which is served with the vegetable of the day and dal. My sister ordered the vegetarian special which came with aloo gobi, the vegetable of the day, and dal. We also ordered an iced tea and a soda. Everything in total was $35! Vegetable samosa, garlic naan, basmati rice, two entrees, and two desserts. I highly suggest visiting Jalwa! You can't beat their friendly service, amazing food and affordable prices. read more

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I'm almost always up for Indian food and was eager to see how Jalwa does it. My main go to, the Butter chicken actually has 2 different preparations here, a first I've seen so for this visit I stuck with the standard preparatiin, the other being Delhi style which encourages a return right there. To start we got the saffron butter garlic crab and the Hara Bhara Kabab which are little goat cheese and spinach bites. The crab was a bit bland after a few bites but the mango sauce that comes with the crackers when you first sit down spiced it up a bit. The kababs were better but some weren't quite as cheesy as others. So the apps could use a bit of improvement. The rosemary garlic Naan was good and hot, but had a bit too much spice. The Butter chicken entree was good. Different enough from others in subtley and I could even see some of the butter melting atop the gravy which was great. It wasn't however the best I've had. Overall Jalwa is OK. I'd for sure come back and see if the apps and entrees are fine tuned and try some other options. 3.5 stars. read more

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First time trying this Indian spot since it's new to the area. I love Indian so easy excited to hear about this when it opened. It is BYOB as most places in Montclair are so that is always nice to bring your own wine. They have a great selection of appetizers and the menu is divided between vegetarian and meat choices. It makes it easy to choose if you have a vegetarian or vegan in the group. First app we had was the spinach and goat cheese , which was good once you got to the cheese. Some of them had less cheese than others. The other app we ordered was the blue crab with saffron butter. Now on its own this dish was a bit on the dry side but once you too it with the mango chutney they give on the table, it becomes delicious! The crab seemed very fresh. For my entree I had the vegetable jalfrezi which I didn't realize was vegan but is good if you don't want something too heavy or creamy. The sauce was nice, basically just a tomato sauce and the veggies were plentiful. I loved the naan with garlic and they have a few specialty naans to choose from! Overall the service was very good and the food was pretty quick to come out. They will give you refills on the rice if you need more. read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Vegetable Jalfrezi (Vegan) - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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The food is excellent and the service is great. The restaurant is small and quaint, I recommend the chicken Korma

Love this spot!! We came here for a Friday night dinner with friends. We asked to sit outside and the restaurant was very accommodating and set us up right away. Plenty of options to choose from and since there were 4 of us, we decided to get a variety of dishes. My favourite out of the lot was the butter chicken. It was so nice and creamy, not spicy at all. The other dishes were nice too. The manager recommended the cauliflower dish for appetizer and it was a good call! Delicious! The place offers BYOB and there is a liquor shop a few doors up. Service was prompt and friendly. So glad to have tried out this place. We'll be back soon! read more

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We went to the Jalwa restaurant on Saturday February 21st. - 2 adult couples The food and services were reasonable good. But we should warn you. Please check you bill, because we were cheated on $16 total , or $8 each couple when we split our bill between 2 cards., I can attach the receipt to proof my statement , but the restaurant has a copy and can verified. It's let then 10% of the total bill , not big dial, but feeling that are cheated is total different Thank you M. read more

Excellent food from the owners of the famous Bukhara Grill. Had Dal Bukhara, kurkuri bhindi, palak chaat and a few other favs. The naan is simply awesome. They could add masala chai to the menu which would hit the spot after a nice meal. Will be back! Cozy atmosphere and good lighting with attentive staff. read more

The food was absolutely delicious and a great value! We had our leftovers the next day for lunch. We cannot wait to return!

This place is owned by the same ppl who own Delhi ascent in Ridge wood. We came here for lunch to celebrate Diwali and we're happy with the food. The ambiance is ok not the greatest but the food and service was good. We ordered methi malai paneer toast, garlic naan, raita, Palak chat, beetroot tiki , pindi Chole. Out of all we ordered I was not a fan of Chole otherwise everything else was delicious. Beetroot tikki was delicious and was definitely a fav, Palak chaat was great as well a bit too sweet for my taste but I savored it. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for good high quality Indian food. read more

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Flavorful food with generous portions, good service, and a relaxed ambiance. The only downside is that it was freezing cold the night we were there and every time someone opened the door, cold air would fill the restaurant. They should add a curtain or something during the winter time. read more

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Souce served with Papad..... food was ok and for me ambiance was too dark not my kind of place. I still regret I went all the way there instead on NYC. read more

Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining - Souce served with Papad..... - Indian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

The restaurant was nice. I didn't appreciate the $200 deposit hold for a table for 9... but that's what they said HAS to be done to guarantee our attendance. The $200 which they taxed and charged 3 days before the actual service was then added to the final bill. I've had authentic Indian food before and this establishment was good but not great! I'm Latina so I can handle spice but not authentic Indian spicy so I asked them to make it mild. I didn't think mild was no spice at all. The flavors were still fantastic! My group and I had a great time. Service was elite, everyone there was helpful. I'd come back (maybe, the $200 got me heated) and ask for spicier food. read more