Khabar Magazine. August 2023 print.

On most weekends and evenings, you can see thousands of locals and visitors biking, running, and walking along the paved trails of Atlanta’s BeltLine, making their way past various restaurants, parks, and street art. With several cuisines to choose from, the hardest decision they make is where to settle down for a quick meal between outdoor pursuits.

For those looking for Indian flavors, Jai Ho was the first Indian concept to open in the Krog Street Market. It originally opened in 2019 as a sister restaurant to the full-service Jai Ho Restaurant that boasted an airy location adjacent to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. But owner and chef Anish Nair closed the sit-down location during Covid and turned his attention fully to the casual market that was more conducive for deliveries and take-outs.  

Originally from Chennai, chef Nair grew up in a military family and traveled around India tasting the vast culinary subcultures. After studying hotel management in India, he worked as a pastry chef at American restaurants. He also learned to cook international cuisines, though his first love was Indian food. He now operates Jai Ho, OLE’ Cuban Kitchen, and Melt Kitchen in Atlanta.

The approximately 420-square-foot food stall adorned with a wall of spice jars may appear to be a small and humble space to churn out over 50 madefrom- scratch dishes, but with proper  planning and timely execution, Jai Ho is up to the challenge and guarantees your meal in 10 minutes or less. Depending on your preferences, you can  opt for the North Indian, South Indian, or fusion selections on the menu, with portions to serve an individual or a family. Nair, who doesn’t really  identify with any regional cuisine, offers a rotating selection. Check the digital screen at the order counter for pictures of rotating daily specials. 

For appetizers, try the Bang Bang Gobi— tempura-battered and deep-fried cauliflower pieces tossed with sweet chili garlic sauce, and topped with green onions and cilantro. It is sweet and spicy, similar to what you will find on Indo- Chinese menus. The potato and green peas stuffed samosas hit the mark for their crisp pastry and freshness, accompanied by flavorful tamarind and mint chutneys.

Entrees include an array of traditional Indian curries. The slowbraised tender lamb shank in a mild yet well-rounded buttery curry falls off the bone and pleases the palate. The popular butter chicken has boneless pieces of delicately grilled chicken simmering in a sweet, creamy, and a tad oily tomato sauce. You can get it a la carte with rice or butter naan. Add a chopped habanerotopped spicy bullet naan if you can endure the heat. The shrimp curry offers southern Indian inspired flavors of coconut in a light and brothy gravy that is best paired with steamed basmati rice. Orange threads of fluffy rice fragrant with saffron, roasted cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin come together beautifully in the biryani rice dishes with options of chicken, lamb, or vegetarian.

Diners with dairy free, gluten free, or vegan needs have many options on Jai Ho’s menu. Many of the curries are made without cream and yogurt, and the street foods like chaat and pani poori are cooked using oil instead of ghee. The vegan thali with chana masala rice, roti, and samosa reminds you of simple home-cooked dinners. While most dishes are prepared “mild,” you can ask for the spicy habanero sauce on the side.

The Smoked Gouda Chicken Tikka Naanwich reminded me of the homemade Indian pizzas I grew up eating in Mumbai. Pressed between two thin naans, diced pieces of spicy chicken tikka are tossed with sliced onions and bell peppers, sweet mango chutney, and oozing melted gouda cheese. The handheld quesadilla-style breads are messy but well worth it. Other popular twists include panko breaded butter chicken burger on a brioche bun and loaded chicken 65 fries with peppers and cilantro.

For drinks, there is the standard mango lassi, without artificial ingredients, as well as freshly made hot and iced chai. Desserts are rather limited and the home-style pistachio kulfi has more of a frozen sorbet texture than a creamy luscious ice cream.

The food hall setting of Jai Ho doesn’t facilitate the intricately-plated dishes and cocktails it once offered at its now-closed full service restaurant. Here you can expect to get your food and drink in disposable plates and take-out containers that you can take home or eat at the communal tables. Prices are also quite affordable, and the more expensive lamb dishes are only $16. Unlike other fast-casual Indian concepts that have recently popped up at independent and food court establishments, Jai Ho maintains its authenticity by offering largely the same recipes and quality of food as it did before. But now there are also some added fun twists that are worth trying during your next visit to the Inman Park neighborhood.

~ Written for and published by Khabar Magazine. All rights reserved.