JALSA — Restaurant in New York

Go try this place for the biryani, keep coming back for everything else.

I went to this place with my friends in search of some legit Bengali food. Bengal is a state in Eastern India that lies adjacent to(and was erstwhile a part of) Bangladesh. The food of this region is dominated by influences of Islamic regimes (biriyani, chaap etc) and an abundance of water resources (malaikari, paturi etc). The food, if you do indeed try the Bengali dishes, should taste reminiscent of a lot of the stereotypical Indian fare, but still distinctly different with sometimes finer flavors, sweeter and more aromatic, and sometimes a culinary gut-punch of wasabi-esque gravy of mustard. Be prepared to be surprised and exhilarated.

We ordered the biriyani(biryani) of course. It is a medley of rice cooked with intense aromas of spices, meat, saffron and the humble potato. The inclusion of the potato along with the finer and sweeter flavor undertones define the biriyani of this region. Having ancient Persian roots, if you want the truest and more pure rendition of the Bengali variant in the entire tri-state area, this place is a must-go.

Amazingly, the stellar biriyani was given a run for it's money during my meal by the chicken chaap. This is an opulent and aromatic chicken gravy made from heavily reduced and perfectly softened pieces of chicken legs. Although a great accompaniment of the biryani, this dish truly shines on its own if you try it with white rice. Do not get apprehensive on seeing the fat and oil that separates in the gravy. Anything that tastes this good deserves an extra gym run.

We also ordered the paneer nizami and naan. To be honest these were supposed to be just fillers to stand as gastronomic back-ups to the meaty encores. As a pleasant surprise, the paneer was the most fresh and tender I have had in a long time. The dish stuffs the paneer with filling and cooks it in a thick creamy gravy. The soft naan made for the perfect foil. Again, perfection!

It is not always that you walk out of a restaurant ruing the wait till you come back again. This was one of those for me and my friends. The food was exquisite. The service was brilliant. The owner is very friendly and chats with customers. All of her recommendations from the menu were hits. She also offered us complementary appetizer chickpeas and taster shots of mango lassi. Oh yes.. the mango lassi. We ended up buying entire glasses each because it was so good with the food.

Now, a message to the restaurant owners, I really appreciate the earnest attempt to reach out to so many people who might not know about these special and amazingly tasty cuisines. I thank you for not compromising on the true tastes and flavors that hallmark the food. Thank you and...

Someone had tipped me off to Jalsa while I was speaking with him at the grand opening of Grizzly Coffee on Coney Island Avenue. While I was enjoying my coffee there, I told him that I preferred vegan Indian food. He immediately suggested that I check out Jalsa, which was just a few blocks away from Grizzly. A few weeks later, I met up with my cousin David who has been a vegan for much of his life. Our plan was to have dinner together at Jalsa to see what it was all about. Once we entered this restaurant, I noticed how large it was. We were escorted to our table, which was situated in a spacious room towards the back of the restaurant. Our waiter was also the owner. She was so nice to us and brought us a few sample dishes we had never tried that were complimentary. The menu was divided into three distinct groups: meat-based dishes, vegan dishes, and vegetarian dishes. There were many options for each group which impressed me. We were fortunate to visit during a week day night when it was not too busy, so we had the opportunity to have a nice chat with the owner. She told us that the kitchen uses separate pots and pans for the vegan and non-vegan dishes. She also mentioned that Jalsa is the only Indian restaurant in a neighborhood that has a high population of Pakistani and Bangladeshi people among many other ethnic groups. The vegan dishes we ordered were delicious to the very last bite. After we had finished, she brought us on tour through more of the restaurant. There was a large backyard space with a covered tent that catered to large parties. My cousin David seems to know every Indian restaurant throughout New York City, but not this one, and it's only a 15-minute walk from his home. We both agreed that if it wasn't for that man's suggestion at the cafe, we would never have known about Jalsa, for much of Coney Island Avenue is pockmarked by ugly car mechanic shops and it would easy to miss this place for that reason. I was happy to visit this amazing Indian restaurant and proud that I introduced it my cousin. We are now both hooked and will make a...

This place really is a hidden jewel that has lots of potential. I am an international student from India who has only lived a few years in the USA and ever since, I have been craving for Indian food. I tried many Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn (in the same neighborhood) And even in New Jersey but it was never the same taste as my home country. The places always lacked flavor and everything was too generic. BUT THIS PLACE WAS AN ANSWER TO MY CRY!!! The FOOD IS EXACTLY HOW INDIAN FOOD SHOULD TASTE LIKE! I tried the Dum Biryani, Butter Chicken and Rice. The food had so much flavor and taste. It was hygienic and less oily than other Pakistani restaurants around the neighborhood. It was exactly how I wanted my Indian food to taste like and the spices are perfect despite it not being too chilly or spicy!!! Hence it is enjoyable to the American customer as well. The ambience is great. The owner is a nice Indian lady who is trying to do something different. I tried her vegan chickpea salad that was so innovative and creative, it was a fusion of Indian and western vegan taste that I absolutely fell in love with!!! I just really hope that things work out for this place and more people come! They also offer Chicken Chaap which I HAVE NEVER FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE USA!!! And I hope they continue to introduce chaap and create a demand for it because chaap is loved by all Indians! The place is cozy, clean and nice. All of this for such an affordable price!! (Price is similar to the restaurants around the area that are not clean or taste as good as this one!!!) I really hope this restaurant becomes successful because this is real, authentic Indian food cooked here and this is coming from an Indian person who just...