Review of the Indian Vegetarian Dishes at Jhol Restaurant
Jhol is a new entrant into downtown Bangkok’s ever-changing upscale dining scene. The restaurant’s “coastal Indian cuisine” concept is created by chef and global restauranteur Hari Nayak and offers a playful and creative take on local flavours and dishes found on Indian’s West (Konkan and Malabar) and East (Chettinad, Pondicherry and Bay of Bengal) coasts.
Located in the heart of Asok in Sukhumvit Soi 18, Jhol is easily accessible by BTS (Asok station) or by car. The restaurant’s exteriors and interiors are modern, warm, and unassuming with a unique juxtaposition of white walls, colourful floor tiles and arching entrance ways leading deeper into the restaurant. There’s a happy balance of elegance and ease in everything Jhol — a term used colloquially in Mumbai to express ‘mischief’ –has to offer from the ambiance, decor, service and, most importantly, the food and beverages.
The menu has clearly marked sections — vegetarian & vegan, fish & shellfish, meats & poultry — making life easy for everyone when ordering. I also appreciated that the dishes are not overcomplicated in concept and appear like comfort foods but with Jhol’s unique twist.
Here are the dishes I ordered and my brief thoughts on each.
To kick things off, my group was very kindly offered a complimentary amuse bouche of Aloo Chaat presented on a bed of pebbles with ‘smoke’ pouring out from underneath; it was quite tasty and a nice tart treat to wet our palates. Then from the menu we ordered the Bhel Puri, Pani Puri and the Masala Maska Bun. The twist in the Bhel Puri is that all of the ingredients for the bhel salad are sourced locally from The Royal Projects and mixed live at the table. I enjoyed this dish but for me the star starter is the Pani Puri. Stuffed with avocado and jicama (Mexican turnip) and served with a jackfruit ‘pani’ (dipping liquid), the Pani Puri offers an explosion of flavours and textures in one single bite. It is delicious and I definitely wanted more. The presentation of the Masala Maska Bun is interesting because the large bun actually breaks off into individual pieces and a masala is baked into the centre, served with a Pav Bhaji-infused butter on the side. While I commend the playful nature of the dish there was something lacking in the flavours for me.
After stuffing ourselves on the snacks and starter course, we indulged in a wide selection of the mains. The host at Jhol recommended the Dosa with Gobi 65 as a vegetarian alternative for another dosa dish on the menu and it was really tasty. Gobi 65 is a twist on the classic paneer 65 dish popular in India; it is essentially cauliflower fried in a flavourful spicy sauce comprising of chilli, garlic, ginger and garam masala. The spice is nicely balanced with the cooling mint green chutney and simple dosa. The Jackfruit Kofta and Yellow Daal Tadka are also tasty but I think they were less playful and innovative than the dosa dish; they are better suited for anyone who prefers more traditionally-flavoured dishes.
Another dish I really enjoyed is the Roasted Pumpkin “Menasakai”, which is a tasty and slightly more sweet sweet pumpkin curry served in an actual pumpkin with a side of ghee rice. Personally, I love pumpkin and don’t mind a sweet flavour profile in some of my foods so I knew I was going to enjoy this — and I did. The rice is fragrant and simple and balances out the stronger notes of the pumpkin curry well.
For dessert we tried the Mango Kulfi and Tender Coconut Kheer and I think out of the whole dining experience the dessert course is where I felt a bit disappointed. The Mango Kulfi is served with white chocolate, kaffir lime cream and fennel; I found the dish too sweet and the flavours and textures didn’t quite flow together. I did enjoy the Tender Coconut Kheer and commend the effort to switch out the rice component of a traditional kheer with young coconut shavings but again just slightly too sweet for my liking.
Overall, I really enjoyed my dining experience at Jhol. Each dish is well-thought out and the presentation and flavours are very impressive on the whole. I enjoyed the restaurant’s elegant yet laid back vibe and I highly recommend Jhol for special occasions with family, friends or loved ones.
JHOL RESTAURANT
Address: 7/2 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Bangkok 10110
Tel: +66 2004 7174
Website: www.jholrestaurant.com
Hours: 6:00PM – 10:30PM every day
