Didi N.
Yelp
I just tried this restaurant tonight and I'm still in a food coma from it! We've been wanting to try this restaurant for ages now since multiple friends have raved about it. I'm now screaming at myself for not coming here sooner! This has got to be one of the best, if not the best restaurant here in Jacksonville. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by multiple friendly faces. As we sat down, owner/chef Saji came and talked to us about her passion and menu. We could tell how passionate she is about her Indian cuisine and she explained to us that she uses only the best cooking oils like coconut oil, ghee, and palm oil. It was very lovely chatting with her and we felt right at home! The atmosphere was lovely and I loved the lighting and the modern décor. The restaurant was also very clean and when I went to use the bathroom, it not only was also clean but smelled nice! The restaurant is on the fancier side but we didn't feel that we had to dress up or anything. We were treated as valued guests.
We had David as our waiter and he was such a delight and joy! He was super attentive and made sure we had water at all times. He also provided suggestions on what to eat on the menu and every item he suggested was a hit! David made our first time here very memorable and went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. In fact, all of the staff were super friendly and provided top notch service! We had the following:
Appetizers:
Mesa wings: 10/10 - these wings were juicy, plump, and bursting with flavor. They are double fried so they were also very crispy! They give you 6 big wings for your order and as soon as I had the first bite, it was game over. I knew the entire menu was going to be amazing. The Manchurian sauce (with green onions and sesame) on the wings were tangy, sweet, and just a tiny bit of kick at the end. We all finished the wings and exclaimed that these were some of the best wings we've ever had in our lives.
Beef puff pastry: 10/10 - This came with two huge puff pastries filled to the brim with beef brisket and potatoes and came with a cilantro crème fraiche. Oh my goodness! It was like biting into the flakiest pastry ever! All of the flavors punched me in the face (in the best way ever) and I was shocked at how good this was. The pastry dipped in the sauce was the chef's kiss and it sent me to heaven.
Masala fries: 10/10 - YOU NEED TO GET THESE! The fries were fully seasoned and the masala spice added a pleasant salty and spicy surprise! It came with their house "mesa" aioli and you need to dip your fries in it! The sauce ties everything together!
Entrees:
Chicken curry with basmati rice: 10/10 - My friend and I had the same entrée with mines being Indian hot and hers mild in spice level. What I appreciate about the spice level is that while my dish was spicy, it wasn't the obnoxious, overly spicy, where you can't taste the fragrance and essence of the dish itself. Our chicken curry was spiced to perfection, the chicken was tender, and the rice was cooked right. The rice was very fragrant and fluffy. We could also taste the fresh coconut milk and curry leaf! I've had many curries in my lifetime (Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai) and this one is definitely in the top two. The portion sizes were just right and both of us had Togo boxes. We also ordered malabar parotta (mix between naan and roti) and it was like biting it the flakiest, layered croissant in the world. Definitely a must have with your entrees!
Salmon molee with basmati rice: 10/10 - My husband had this and he said it's one of the best seafood dishes he's ever had in his life. It had coconut milk and turmeric flavors and while I'm not a fan of salmon, I tasted it. The salmon was super fresh and did not have any fishiness to it and the sauce was the star. I think I loved this dish more than mines! It was very delectable and the aroma from the turmeric was very inviting. We were in awe how special this dish was. Definitely would get this 100% again.
Desserts:
Orange cake: 10/10 - It had chocolate chantilly and jalebi bark. This dish was very unique and I've never tasted any dessert like this before. It was sweet, salty, and citrusy all together. As soon as I took a bite, I knew this dessert would be the one for me. The bark had pistachio nuts and it tied the dessert all together. You taste the sweet citrus from the orange and then the bitter taste of the dark chocolate kicks in, and it ends with a sweet/salty note from the pistachios. This dessert will take you places to where you've never been!
Chikoo posset: 8.5/10- it has rava ladoo (coconut, raisin, and sugar) crumble and some type of rice pudding consistency. The pudding's flavor reminded me of spiced milk (cinnamon maybe?). I loved the flavors and the crumble but bits of the crumble was little on the harder side. Nonetheless, it was very flavorful!
You have to come here at least once in your lifetime! Thank you Saji, David, and staff for such an amazing time!