JAI JAWAN, MUMBAI

This is one of my favorite spots when I crave a tandoori chicken or two. I think Tandoori Chicken is my favorite food on the planet. Okay, one of the favorite food. I am more of a I crave this today and I shall absolutely have it. :Though I do have an absolute favorite one but more on that later. Even though I have had tried many items from their menu on a very regular basis. This was the first time that I have tried their dine-in as such. It was generally their take-away counter at Linkin' Road, Bandra where you either stand and eat, or in the comforts of your car or you just pack it up and take it home. I think I need some Jai Jawan Prawns or Tandoori Chicken right now or maybe that's just because I havn't eaten anything in the past 2 hours.:P

I arrived here on a week night, after a short shopping spree. After all, how can you not shop when at Linking Road???!! So after the brief shopping spree, I walked here and there but there was no dine-in to be seen. I almost thought maybe I was wrong, because they have outlets in other places as well and I might have mistaken this for some other one. Even though, I had 2-3 other back up options in mind, I was more intent on heading here and after strolling around, and finally asking around, one person set us in the right direction and my heart gave a leap of joy! Yes, there is a dine in. 

This place is no fancy set-up, it is not a fine dine. It is a very normal and ordinary restaurant. But if you have ever tried their food from the Jai Jawan Take Away, and I am sure if you are a non-vegetarian and if you have been to Bandra then you must have atleast once if not more, tried their Prawns by the Kilo, Tandoori Chicken with Pav and like me you must have fallen in love with it. If not, what had you been waiting for?!! There is a reason why you see the place to be so crowded. It always is! Infact even the dine in had people queuing up to grab a seat even though it was a week-night! 

The minute we were seated, the waiter arrived with the menu card and though the menu consists of the basic items, it is these dishes that it is famous for. For starters we ordered the Fried Punjabi Prawns. I happen to love prawns and even though they are priced on the higher side, it is well worth the price because the prawns are not small in size as i find in many other places. They cost around Rs 350 and has 15 -18 pieces, served with spicy green chutney. Another thing this place is know for is its green chutney which brings the level of the dish a notch higher. Its like in vada pav, more than the vada, it is the chutney that completes it. It is the same with this. So the chutney served here is to die for and lends the right flavor to the dish. Next we ordered Chicken Boti Masala and to go with it Garlic Roti. There was so much of gardlic on the garlic roti, that I doubted for a micro second if it could be any good, since it was looking raw, but to my relief, it was not so. Yummiest roti I have ever had. You could probably just have it with chutney and eat it like a paratha. Infact I can imagine myself sitting with chai and garlic roti. What a combination Sir ji! :P The chicken boti masala was yum as well and it had one quarter of an egg topped on it and I love when people top up any dish with an egg. It makes my day!! I love eggs more than I love chicken and when anything is garnished with egg, it brings the dish to a whole different level. Even if it is Biryani! Especially if it is Biryani!! :D Talking so much about Biryani, we did order the Biryani - the Kabab Biryani. One thing that I appreciated about the Biryani was that it had more rice to it than the gravy that they use. Most of the times I find that restaurants give a lot of gravy than the rice, and it makes it too soggy. When it comes to Biryani, balancing the gravy and the rice is the secret behind the yummiest of biryanies and do they have done well. The only thing that I was slightly disappointed in was the kabab quantity which was frankly very less and I had to dig in and find the pieces. It was the chicken version of Seekh Kabab and even though it was yum, I wish they are not that stingy in adding the kabab. They serve good quantities of the prawns, then why the stinginess in kababs?, I ask! 

I am going to go back soon, so should you! 

WHAT WE HAD - Punjabi Prawns Fry ( Yum to the factor of 10)

                           Chicken Boti Masala ( Will Make your Heart Sing)

                           Garlic Roti ( Yum! Yum and some more Yum!)

                           Tandoori Roti (Soft and melt in the mouth)

                           Chicken Kabab Biryani (High on the rice, disappointed on the kabab)

DAMAGES - Rs 840/- (Approx) - We were Two

WHERE - Jai Jawan , 7, Mangal Bhavna Housing Society, Junction of 14th Road & PD Hinduja Marg, Linking Road, Khar (W)