‘Jalsa’ means making merry and having fun, it also refers to trying out variety of food and when you add the glitter of ‘Gold'(read Royalty) to the fun, it makes up for a lavish dining experience.  We were at the newly launched ‘Jalsa Gold’ for a lunch meetup to try out their menu variety.  Located on the 2nd floor and with a lift to take one up there, it opens up to a beautiful ambience. The rest of the floors are also of the same brand but are themed a bit differently, this review is for the wonderful fine dining floor.

The ambience is all gold and glittering. Beautiful decor, the lighting, the art, the couches, the tables are very eye pleasing. The cutlery also adds to the charm setting up a royal environment for the food to follow.

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They have both a sit down buffet and ala carte option and the place offers a multi-cuisine menu with a modern Indian fusion touch to it. Let’s get to the food part now —

Non-Veg Appetizers :

Murg Sukhlal Tikka – What stood out in all the dishes here is the impeccable presentation.It was something different and unique with each dish , the way it was presented. Murg Tikka was so yum and Juicy. Had all the right elements and spices in and hugh on Taste.

Mutton Seekh kebab – Good texture and taste.The Kebabs were to the point and per expectations. Not tried to do something different which is perfect.

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Chicken Swan – Unique way to present and as the name states it is a swan, the idea of which is to break the swan and scoop the Chicken like a spoon and eat, ofcourse the swan itself is edible but if you eat it as a whole, it will leave a biscuit taste rather than tasting the chicken unless you scoop and eat. Chicken tastes good but not a big fan of the swan as a whole though the idea is nice.

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Vegetarian Appetizers –

Lal Mirch Paneer Tikka –  Full marks on the presentation. Nice soft pieces of paneer, well marinated and a pinch of red chilli. Not too spicy and is good to satisfy all pallets. Garnish with onions and coriander adds a nice touch.

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Veg Tart – I have never seen or eaten such a tart. Something unique and a burst of flavours in the mouth with every bite. Colorful indeed , wonderful presentation and crunchy tart that binds all the elements well.

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Karela Salad – Now this dish had two things that I usually stay away from Karela ( Bitter Gourd) and Salad. It was not very convincing and I was hesitant to taste this but an assurance from chef that it will not be bitter and its their speciality made me have a dig at this. Must say – I was surprised, crispy fried karela with onions and tomatoes mixed with tamarind sauce. Perfect ingredients to offset bitterness and gave it a sweet , tangy taste and was refreshing as well.

Bhindi Kurkure – Shredded okra deep fried with coating of chickpea flour and tossed with dry mango powder. Good presentation again and fried just perfectly. Goes well as a side with literally any dish.

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Papaya Spinach Tikki – This was my least favourite of the lot. Though the tikki was good and can identify the spinach texture, could not taste papaya. Full marks on the presentation with a mirror base being used for quite a few dishes

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Paneer Tikka Volvevan – A unique dish again. The bread was thick crusted and a hard bite but the layer of paneer gives it the smoothness.

Wood Fired Thin Crust Pizza :

Queen Margarita Pizza – Vegetarian classic cheese pizza. Nothing extravagant just cheesy goodness and not too heavy.

Chicken Pizza – Again just chicken, loads of cheese , Indian spices and thin crusted

Main Course

Gosht Nihari – Nawabi delicacy with pieces of Lamb cooked in a rich gravy with a rich aroma and taste.

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Murg Nizami – A rich creamy chicken delicacy that ticks all the boxes. Tasted yum.

Methi Paneer – Mughlai style paneer recipe cooked with fenugreek leaves. It was too sweet for my liking and the methi flavour was somewhat lost. If it is treated as a malai curry then it works.

Dal Makhani – A dish on every restaurant’s menu and one that can be grabbed over and over again. Fantastic texture, good color and a touch of chef’s creativity.

Also got to taste their Chicken and Veg Biryani. The masala and spices blended well and what stood out for me in the chicken one was that the meat came easily off the bone which is a rarity in many of the biriyani’s that I’ve tried. There was a touch of lucknowi style to it.

Desserts :

Very impressive line-up of desserts and a presentation that speaks volumes of the chef and the kitchen staff’s creativity.Some of my favourites were cheesecake and the Gulab jamun with Rabdi Malpua

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Overall a place to go and experience fine dining at its best amidst a glitter of gold and a royal experience