JotMahal Palace of Indian Cuisine
| Address: | 1543 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA |
| Phone: | +1 510-848-9664 |
| Site: | jotmahalberkeley.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Robin Hall
People always ask me where a good is and this Indian resturant people has won me over. It is now my go to Indian restaurant. Though Berkeley has no shortage of Indian restaurants (I know this because I have tried most all of them), it is difficult to find that authenticity and consistent flavors. And Jotmahal did not disappoint. The food was all delicious. The naan was soft almost melted in your mouth. We ordered saag (which let any Punjabi tell you is so hard to find good saag) and we couldnt believe it, maki de roti (resembles a corn torrita rolled by hand). The saag was as good as my moms and that says a lot because my mom makes the world best saag. We also ordered Baingan Bhatra and being a cook myself I have tasted many Baingan Bhatra and people always leave out the step of roasting the eggplant to give it that authentic smoky flavor. This Baingan Bhatra was roasted and cooked with a delicious blend of spices. My sister who hates eggplant but couldnt stop eating this. We also ordered Mala Kofta and the sauce was so yummy. And the Karhi Chicken. The chicken was tender and juicy. We also had chai which was a delicious blend of cinnamon and cardamom. The raita was also delicious. This place is a family run business and I love supporting mom and pop businesses which are getting to be a rare jewel nowadays. We were given desert on the house and it was what I thought to be a perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Our host was a sweet young man. He was very helpful and had a wonderful smile. He was very polite and helpful the whole time. At the end of our meal the chef came out and greeted us. He asked us about our meal which was very good. He was a very kind man who has been in the resturant business almost his whole life. You can really see this passion for food carry into the food. Ill definitely be back and tell everyone about this place.
YV
Yvonne Burgess
Just stopped in this new family run place opened recently by former chef of Kabana. Sat on the front "tree-house" balcony, opened the windows overlooking roses and tree-lined street while the sun set - beautiful and relaxing. Ordered Saag with paneer which they added for me no extra charge. Rice was light and chai was hot though the best treat was finding Gajar Halwah on the menu OMG! Since visiting Delhi, this dish is a favorite of mine, but takes 5 hours to make (Ive done it) so though I always look for it, rarely find it on a restaurant menu. As appropriate it was served warmed - fabulous! Spoke with Gornam, who was "encouraged by my children " to follow his dream ... "I do my best I can do ... havent taken a holiday in years ... all organic veggies and spices." I told him I was so happy to see my favorite dessert which he said was added at the request of another guest. So grateful! An added benefit, since I was dining alone, was people watching from second storey balcony; was able to greet and chat with a neighbor who walked by, and every now and then when someone would look up, Id wave to them like a kid in the back seat of grandmas station wagon, too fun! Since Khana Peena on Solano closed, JotMahal is my new neighborhood Indian food place.
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Amber W
FIVE STARS! For quality organic - fresh food used in the vibrant, fragrant colorful and delicious Indian food. The Bay Area has the best Indian food - hands down. However, there is a lot of competition for restaurateurs. Ghobi - the owner and Chef, prepares his dishes with decades of experience. The pistachio ice cream is AMAZING!! There is hints of cardamon and rose... the serving size is tiny but the flavors sent me straight to Google Places to share and recommend JotMahal Palace. They have vegetarian dishes and are mindful of varying eating preferences while retaining the authentic tastes of India. I totally recommend this place and am so grateful to have met Ghobi and his daughter, Jot. Great people, great food and great place!! EnJOY!
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Magnus
Arrived at Jotmahal a friday evening. The place itself is not very cozy, but the most important part is the food so we ordered. The waitress took our order, but soon forgot everything. The drinks took forever to get, half our meal didnt come before we asked again where it was. And it didnt seem like the waiter(2nd one) had any idea what we had ordered. We had boneless chicken tikka, a chicken korma and tandoori chicken. We had naan breads and some rice. The nanbreads were good, but the chicken was really dry. It was not a lot of sauce and for the most part it was not exceptional. The chutney came in such a small amount it was a joke. Overall the food was under average, and way under what we expected from the other google reviews.
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Amarpal Gill
Very good food I have eaten a lot of indian food since i am indian, some places just have spicy but no actual flavor some are flavorful but not quality ingedrients this place you can taste the quality and also you can ask for special instructions i had my toddler with me so asked for "regular indian spicy" meaning medium in my opinion it was perfect try it out and it seems the staff are there if any issuea they insisted that we take some indian ice cream home. We were already full but its a nice place i enjoyed the calmness also.
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Max Chanowitz
Really really good Indian food at great prices, run by an adorable and supremely friendly family. Its not well known in the area yet so it lacks the crowds that this quality of food deserves. Get in there while you can! Everything Ive had so far has been really good, well seasoned and flavorful. Oh yeah, and the restaurant space itself is really cool, a cozy wood and glass treehouse-like atmosphere elevated up above street level. The Chole Bhature is a great dish thats not listed on the menu. Get it! Get everything!
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Felisa Leonard
I thoroughly adore this place and the family that operates it! The family-run atmosphere and unique building amplify the delicious food. The pricing is more than fair considering the chef strives to keep all the ingredients organic and they offer quite the variety of dishes and Indian breads. I have always left this restaurant happy with both the food and my interactions with the staff.
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Aaron Magnin
Dont recommend this place. The food was okay, but service and atmosphere were both horrid. Would it kill them to replace the broken windows, change the old carpeting, or invest money in something other than a security system. Really hard to write this, but I feel like its unusually highly reviewed....they must have lots of friends in the area.
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Manu Sethi
Awesome matar paneer, chana dal, kheer! I have eaten a lot here and continue to do so! You can never go wrong with anything you order at this place. And the food is organic and healthy which is why I eat almost everyday here. Also the family that runs this business is very kind and loving. Definitely authentic Punjabi food!
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Gagandeep Deol
Wonderful experience! I loved their service and the food was delicious and perfect for my taste buds- not too spicy or bland. Their veggie korma, biryani and paneer tikka was really good.. i am definitely going back for another mouthwater meal. 5 stars from me!
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Judit Zádor
Best new Indian place in Berkeley! Highly recommended. Tasty, mostly organic, very welcoming atmosphere. The chef is outstanding, and my Indian friends are telling me that its the real deal. I loved that despite being very tasty, it wasnt too fatty.
