Tucked at the end of Dutch Valley in Midtown, Jai Ho Indian Kitchen and Bar is truly a hidden gem in the heart of Atlanta. With scratch Indian-inspired cocktails along with divine dishes that are big on flavor, they have dynamic staples like hearty Aloo Gobi and Chana Masala to inspired mains like the Lamb Hind Shank and even pizza! Don’t go to Jai Ho without trying one of their signature, made-fresh cocktails like the Jai Ho Colada and the Cilantro Martini. Who’s hungry?
Upon arrival, we were greeted with two wonderful cocktails, the Jai Ho Colada and the Cilantro Martini. The Jai Ho Colada has a ton of tiki inspiration with a little bit of booze up front and juicy pineapple on back. This drink literally reminded us of biting into a fresh of the tree pineapple. We were impressed with its simplicity and fruitiness. As for the Cilantro Martini, one thing we never thought we’d say together was cilantro and martini. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, this green cocktail mixes vodka and an array of fresh ingredients, but the star is the cilantro because it gives the entire drink an earthiness that ends with a slight booze and the lingering tang of lemon. Either of these are a good choice!
On the vegetarian side, we sampled the Aloo Gobi and Chana Masala. With perfectly seasoned cauliflower and tender potato, the Aloo Gobi flavor bursts off the plate with earthiness and heartiness. So tender, savory, and rich, this is always a favorite dish of ours but this one was so good, we might have cleaned the plate. We ate this without anything to accompany, it doesn’t need it. On the other hand, the Chana Masala starts hearty and earthy as well but as you eat the heat builds on this stellar dish and you end up grabbing your water. This one is a perfect pair for the rice because it helps cut through some of the heat. Also, we ended up mixing the two and it just elevated the flavors from all the dishes and became a hodge-podge of earthy, spicy, hearty, and savory. We’d recommend doing this to anyone.
Something we didn’t expect to see on Jai Ho’s menu was pizza! It’s an innovative way to bring interest to the menu and to use the naan you have around the restaurant. The one we got was the Chicken Tikka Pizza with tender chicken and savory sauce mixed with the right amount of cheese and crunchy onion. It ended up being savory, sweet, creamy, and tangy. Did not disappoint!
Now that we have your attention, let’s talk Lamb Hind Shank. We gasped with delight when the lamb came to the table because this beautifully plated gorgeous piece of lamb has it all! The meat itself is tender and cooked just right to not give off any gaminess. Then, slathered in a Masala sauce with earthiness, spiciness, and rich savory explosion of flavors that envelop the tender meat. Our tip for this dish is to get a ton of the meat off the bone, mix in the sauce and the rice and you have one dynamic plate. Get this no matter what else.
What would you like to try? Perhaps a cocktail and some lamb?