Located a stone’s throw away from the majestic Gateway of India, Jia is not a place you will easily miss. The restaurant offers an oriental experience on your plate with much style. It is spacious, spread over two floors and the polished granite tabletops strategically placed under the spotlights ensure that the place has a constant sense of glitter. The glass-walled sushi/sashimi/temaki counter here offers a window into the making of your meal and you can continue to stare brazenly while the smiling chefs go on with business as usual. The cleanliness of the counters is striking, especially if you’re a stickler for it.
We are ushered to our table on the first floor and greeted by the server for the evening whose recommendations we blindly ordered — without any regret. Although oriental cuisine is predominantly meat oriented, Jia offers an interesting array of dishes for the vegetarian palate. Mushrooms, tofu and pak choi find a place of pride on the menu having been integrated into a variety of dishes.
We ordered the roast duck salad with its lotus root, tangerine and the drizzle of pine nuts. It was fresh, juicy and delightful. We followed it up with a vegetarian sushi and a crispy prawn Cheung Fun. Glazed with mayo, its portion of eight pieces is a meal in itself.
We must make a special mention of the lobster roll in black pepper sauce. As the name suggests, the dish is lobster cut, cleaned and rolled into a pretty spool sprayed with sauce. The presentation is a work of art.
Main course consisted of fragrant jasmine rice along with sautéed mushroom and water chestnuts. A classic, one cannot be expected to go wrong on this.
The service is exceptional. When we requested for sangria that was not on the menu, in a matter of minutes, the bartender was at our table bringing to us a customised drink.
The dessert menu however, is limited, with no exceptional offering. So we stuck to the classic the chocolate mousse and experimented with the Tres Leches cake, a milk-based sponge cake served on a plate amidst a pool of sweet condensed milk. Both desserts were rich and the portions, generous.
All in all, the place is indulgent, offers a great spread and is expensive. But then, good quality and exceptional service have never come cheap.
Rating: 3 stars
Cost for for 2: Rs 3,000
Address: Jia, Unit No. 2, Dhanraj Mahal, C. S., Colaba Causeway
