Jolpai Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in London

Thursday is often a busy time in the restaurant business, but fortunately for us, last night was extremely quiet at Jolpai. This meant that we had the full attention of the owner and his helpful younger brother. (This is very much a family restaurant.) I am a chef (now retired) and so I view restaurants through a slightly different prism from most people. Normally it’s a world where the customer is king — the cooks do what they are told. From time to time I turn that model upside down. And so, when they brought us the menus I said, “No, no. We don’t need those. We are not giving the orders tonight. We are your guests. You decide. You know your restaurant, you know your favourite dishes, you know what’s fresh and what is getting a little tired. So here is our order. We are two fairly hungry men, both of whom like meat, both of whom like our Indian food “medium spicy”. Now bring it on — surprise us*. Give it your best shot.” They clearly weren’t ready for this. They lacked a bit of confidence. They were too used to tugging the forelock. It took them a few moments to accept and appreciate what I’d said. While the brothers conferred, I nipped over to Lidl (2 minutes away) and bought some wine. Jolpai does not sell alcohol, but they tolerate it. BTW, unsure of my guest’s preferences, I bought two wines, a German Riesling and an Australian Viognier. My friend wanted Viognier, and so it was — a good choice. I recommend it. Jolpai is basically a very conventional London Indian (actually Bangladeshi) restaurant. The menu, which I only looked at much later, is a compendium of dishes from the entire subcontinent. It is impossible to be all things to all people, but that doesn’t prevent people (like politicians) from trying and inevitably not doing anything as well as they would if they’d really focused attention on what mattered to them. Next time I go to Jolpai, I will continue the challenge. I will say, “I don’t want “Indian” food tonight; I want Bangladeshi food. I want your food. I want the dishes you would make for your grandparents if they came to your restaurant. Surprise me.” And perhaps then the brothers will trust me (and themselves) enough to serve me not what they think I want, but what is in their hearts. That is where good food — really good food — comes from. It comes from the heart. So how did Jolpai do last night? Not at all badly , considering I had clearly taken them well outside their comfort zone. “7/10 — shows promise. Clearly talented, but lacks confidence. With encouragement is sure to improve. I can see great things ahead.” If I write 7/10 why do I also give them 5 stars? The 5 stars are for what they are doing now, ticking all the boxes; the 7/10 is for what I know they are capable of doing. *”Surprise me” is an allusion to my favourite restaurant movie: the Pixar/Disney masterpiece Ratatouille. If you’ve never seen it — and if you really care about food — you should correct that error as soon as you can. Oh, and why only 4 stars for atmosphere? Because the place could be anything anywhere — it’s fine, it’s “nice,” but it has about as much personality as an airport lounge. I am not in favour of putting up posters of Krishna and his flute, or statuettes of Ganesh. For one thing, the brothers are Muslims, and why should they pander about anything so important? I am not in favour of anything bogus. What I hope for is a more authentic reflection of who they really are. They will get there in time. I feel sure they will. I hope I am there...

I do enjoy this restaurants dishes!

I ordered lamb chops, salmon tikka, lamb biryani and a plain paratha.

The lamb chops are absolutely delicious! Very succulent and tender, literally falls off the bone with ease. Packed with flavour and spiced to perfection. The onions were also the perfect complement! My only pit is you only get two and I wish I got at least one more for the starter.

The salmon tikka was quite delicious, the pieces were quite meaty and didn’t have that fresh fish taste, you could taste the flavours of the combination of spices. I thought the portion was good for a starter, and again the sautéed onions were a great compliment.

Their lamb biryani has to be the best I have ever had. The star of the show is obviously the lamb - perfectly marinated and cooked down because the pieces were literally pulling apart as I cut into them. The rice was perfectly fragranced with spices and everything was perfectly combined! The vegetable curry had these beautifully cooked down slices of vegetables, including broccoli - which complimented the rice dish superbly! The only downfall is this wasn’t properly packaged and leaked in the bag a little.

This was my first time trying their plain paratha. It was honestly just quite simple but it did go down well with the vegetable curry - I probably won’t order it again as it was a little oily and I prefer naan bread.

I would definitely order...

I recently dined at Jolpai Indian Cuisine, and I must say it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The food is absolutely amazing, showcasing top-quality ingredients and fresh, vibrant flavors that truly stand out. Each dish is crafted with care, offering a delightful blend of traditional and modern Indian cuisine.

The customer service is fantastic, with staff members who are friendly, attentive, and eager to ensure you have the best dining experience possible. The extensive menu provides a plethora of options to choose from, catering to various tastes and dietary preferences, so there’s something for everyone.

I highly recommend Jolpai Indian Cuisine to an everyone great for families outings too. It's a perfect spot for a memorable meal. Plus, they offer convenient delivery services, allowing you to enjoy their delicious food from the comfort of your home. Don't miss out on this...