Jolly’s Bistro

Jolly’s Bistro – A Touch Of India – A Lighter Fare

by: George Froehlich

The quest and the experiments are endless.

Chefs always trying something new – a new recipe, a new technique, a new flavour combination, and yet preserve the fundamental principles of all great cuisines.

Jolly’s Indian bistro is no exception.

Owner-chef Jolly Kumar takes traditional North to South Indian recipes and puts his own spin on them.

His food is lighter, not as rich and less spicy, than the traditional dishes.

And it has hit its culinary mark.

Jolly’s bistro, a small funky place, in the heart of Kitsilano in Vancouver, has a loyal following.

Customers love the food and especially the prices, at the low end of the price totem pole.

Chef is New Delhi born, worked in European-style restaurants in Austria, on cruise ships, and seven years ago came to Canada.

His dream was realized when he opened Jolly’s.

Our first dish – Samosas.

These large morsels were super-light and airy, deep fried just right, nothing greasy and heavy about them, the peas and potatoes contrasted nicely with the crispy texture of the pastry. A wonderful flavoursome chutney, a bit spicy, completed an awesome dish.

And that excellent Naan bread – fluffy flatbread with a bit of a char on it – with the garlic butter on it was superb.

Chef adds yogurt to the bread before baking it, resulting in a lovely airy texture that is joy to behold and makes you want to eat more and more.

Oven roasted lamb Boti kebabs, marinated in chilies and spices, juicy and tender, hit the right culinary notes, the heat nicely balanced with a refreshing crisp cool cucumber and tomato combo.

The traditional Butter chicken was all it should have been.

But it also was all about less is more – less heavy cream and butter, a landmark of South Indian food, and more yogurt and milk, giving the chicken a delightful light touch, allowing the creamy tomato sauce to shine.

Kashmiri style lamb Rogendrosh, pressure cooked, infused with various rare spices and mint, scored a perfect culinary ten.

It was hearty, it was earthy, the mint, the clove, the cardamom, tickled the palate and the senses.

Jolly’s Indian Bistro – great food, great prices.

Want to see what’s on the menu?