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📍 Jalwa:Modern Indian Dining, 215 Glenridge Ave, Montclair
🎧 Hear the full episode (above)
There’s a warm, fragrant little spot on Glenridge Avenue, just off Bloomfield, called Jalwa; a modern Indian restaurant serving North Indian comfort dishes that are both soulful and bold. It’s owned by Chef Uday, who opened the place in 2021 during the middle of the pandemic.
Mike & Farnoosh arrived at Jalwa, after celebrating their victory at the Signal Awards the evening before, and were ready to dive into the legendary lunch special at Jalwa.
What we ate
Montclair foodies are known to be passionate about restaurants and at Jalwa “we are providing them authentic North Indian food — our chicken makhni, pan masala… these are very crazy in this area.” said Uday.
To start, the pod crew ordered the chicken tikka kebab and a vegetable samosa, along with two vegetarian dishes — palak paneer and the malai kofta. It wouldn’t be an Indian dining experience without copious amounts of garlic naan added to the order too.
“This is really good. Juicy, really tender. I love that chicken.” raved Farnoosh.
“Oh my God. The cheese is so good… It’s like the cheese has a salty sweetness to it.” fawned Mike.
“This is a good lunch portion… Indian food, let’s be honest, it’s very filling.” shared Mike. Expect to take home leftovers.
LEGENDARY VALUE
Jalwa offers bang for your lunch buck. For less than $20, you get your choice of an appetizer, an entree, rice, bread, and dessert. Farnoosh’s two cents? “Don’t change the price, please!”
chicken 65 surprise
Mike asked a hard hitting menu question, “Are you open to fried chicken [on the menu]? I’m crazy for fried chicken.”
Uday confirmed “In future we are adjusting our menu. It’s like chicken 65 – it’s a fried chicken. We have recently sampled to some of the customers. They loved it, so we are introducing it soon.”
One thing we learned quickly about Uday is that he truly listens. Montclair diners talk, and he pays attention!
You heard it here first. Indian fried chicken is coming to Jalwa!
You’re welcome, Montclair.
