Jala in Winter Park touts its modern Indian cuisine, but its comforting curries are classic to the core

Indian wedding vibes at Jala Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

The space at 155 E. Morse Blvd. just off Park Avenue has seen a revolving door of restaurant concepts over the last decade — Nopa Grill, Daya, Proper & Wild, The Bridge. The latter moniker was fitting, seeing it proved to be a bridge to the space’s newest tenant, Jala, an Indian restaurant touting its “fine dining” and “modern” aspects. And with Tabla being just a three-minute walk around the corner, the Battle of Biryani, the Tussle of Tikka Masala and the Rumble of Rogan Josh may be taking shape on these brick-lined streets in Winter Park.

The space in which the contender resides remains largely unchanged since the (im)Proper & (very) Wild days, except for some twee flowered recesses and shrubberied walls that influencers use as a backdrop to twirl and arch like they’re Bollywood extras. Yes, there are Indian wedding vibes at Jala, and if you think the stagecraft is limited to decor, you would, unfortunately, be wrong.

Jala Indian restaurant in Winter Park Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

Pani puri ($10), a common sight at Desi nuptials, is presented here with a good amount of smoke courtesy of that ol’ culinary crutch liquid nitrogen. Luckily the sturdy semolina puffs and the minty spiced pani, or “water,” served in shot glasses on which the puris are set, were worth enduring the tiresome theatrics. Just don’t drink the shot glass filled with LN2.

Jala Indian restaurant in Winter Park Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

Jala, BTW, also means “water” in Sanskrit, and a fair amount of it flowed after we filled up on dragon chicken ($15), an Indo-Chinese serving of deep-fried boneless chicken shellacked in a sticky, spicy sauce. Solid, but not exactly the “modern” Indian fare I thought I’d be enjoying. I mean, foggy wafts and hammered copper plateware is all well and good, but, South Florida has us beat in the “contemporary Indian” genre. Ghee, Rishtedar or Ela this is not. There’s more gimmickry on the menu, though — lamb chops gilded in edible 24k gold leaf ($55). They’re meant to impress, but a glaring absence of char on the meat took some of the sheen off the dish.

That’s not to say the flavors of the dishes we sampled were off in any way. On the contrary, dal makhani ($16), as creamy and smooth as any slow-cooked lentil curry you’d find in Punjab, had the dining pal and I reveling in its luxuriance along with shreds of tandoor-fired garlic naan ($6). Modern? Hardly. Comforting? Without question.

Credit: Matt Keller Lehman

The kadai chicken ($20) is another dish I’d order again without hesitation for its simple, rustic preparation. Dry-roasted spices, onions, peppers and tomatoes stir-fried with chunks of chicken in a vessel of the same name (a kadai or karahi) — what’s not to like? Even the meatless hara bhara kebab ($10), circular fritters fashioned from spinach, green peas and spices, were skillfully crafted, so kudos to Jala’s owner for hiring chefs straight from India. They clearly know what they’re doing, and it’s not limited to savories.

Dubai chocolate gulab jamun ($15) capitalizes on the viral confection, sure, but I like the marriage of the South Indian classic and the trendy Middle Eastern newcomer for its doughy-crunchy union. Even better is the gajar halwa ($15) — shredded carrots slow-cooked with milk and ghee and served with a scoop of ice cream. Prices for both are steep, given the amount that’s served, but maybe that’s because both utilize an added ingredient — yes, wisps of smoke, courtesy of yes, liquid nitrogen.

We resisted rolling our eyes in front of the staff and just focused on enjoying the Indian sweets, because enjoyable they were. And, besides, who were we to pooh-pooh their presentation? As for those “tiresome theatrics” inflicted on us earlier in the meal, well, that’s all Jala under The Bridge.

(Jala, 155 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-755-3300, jalarestaurant.com)

Jala in Winter Park touts its modern Indian cuisine, but its comforting curries are classic to the core

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