Jalsa Indian Kitchen To Bring India’s Tastes, Sights and Sounds to Somerdale
Jalsa Indian Kitchen is an all-new construction restaurant which plans on opening this July in the CooperTowne Center (Cinemark) in Somerdale NJ. I visited with the Jalsa team a few days ago to tour the dining experience they are creating… one that likely no other Indian restaurant in South Jersey offers!
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Jalsa Indian Kitchen aims to take traditional Indian recipes and décor elements, and blend them into a progressive “New Indian” experience.
An opening date has not been locked in yet, but the Jalsa team is confident they will open in July.
First, chefs from Mumbai, Dubai and Delhi at the Jalsa Indian Kitchen will offer a menu where age-old recipes are turned into modern Indian tapas.
Then, the décor which embraces the rich past of Indian culture with vintage Indian silk curtains, imported wall sculptures by an Indian artist and wall murals… will be enhanced with modern technology to transport diners to India!
Cleary one of the most talked about aspects of this new Somerdale restaurant will be the 25-foot wide digital screen which Jalsa will utilize to present photos and videos of India.
Throughout their meal, customers could be dining at a plaza looking out to the Taj Mahal, or along a beautiful waterway looking at one of India’s many river palaces.
And this is no dimly lit projector… Jalsa Indian Kitchen has installed a full digital screen similar to what you would find in a sports stadium or a casino! It really is amazing!
But that is just one aspect of what the Jalsa team has put together. Everything in the dining experience has been considered and upgraded with beautiful Indian décor and innovative ideas.
At the opening I will get to try Jalsa’s delicious menu, but for now here is a sample of what to expect…
- Tender lamb chops seared in a clay oven, marinated with red chili and sprinkled with garam masala, a special Rogan Josh seasoning glaze, and paired with pickled Sirka onions, slow roasted sesame baby potatoes, and a mint and pomegranate dip.
- Tandoori Paneer Tikka, made by marinating paneer Indian cheese in a blend of seasonings and yogurt, then roasting it to perfection in a tandoor. The marinade ingredients include cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, garam masala. Served hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.
- Delhi Style Chicken Curry, made with tender boneless chicken stewed in a tomato-based sauce seasoned with aromatic curry powder spices and flavors are a delight to the senses! Delicious with fresh naan and basmati rice.
And while most customers won’t get to see into the kitchen, at 2,000 square feet the kitchen is likely larger than the full size of many restaurants!
I was truly “blown away” by what I saw at Jalsa, and I commented that while Florida’s Epcot doesn’t have a dedicated India “Land”… the Jalsa Indian Kitchen has created their own Disney worthy version in Somerdale!
Jalsa Indian Kitchen – Somerdale New Jersey
As mentioned, Jalsa Indian kitchen is coming to the CooperTowne Shopping Center in Somerdale (711 Evesham Road, Suite #12, Somerdale, NJ 08083).
Most people know this shopping Center for the Cinemark movie theater, as well as a Walmart which is located across the parking lot.
While the White Horse Pike is the main road for the location, the shopping center also runs along Evesham Road which puts Jalsa Indian kitchen in close & easy access from Voorhees, Cherry Hill (East), Marlton and numerous other communities.
The space had never been rented previously so the Jalsa team was able to start with a blank canvas to create the Indian restaurant of their dreams!
The large space is divided into 3 core areas with the main dining room taking the front half. This is also where the digital screen is located.
The back left quarter offers additional dining space in a separate large room, which can also be utilized for private events. The back right section of the space is the large 2,000 sf kitchen.
Throughout all of the dining areas, every light can be individually controlled by the staff… including the color can even be changed on every light!
If you were celebrating a birthday with friends and family and blue is your favorite color, then they can make the space blue! Or maybe with that 25 foot screen, if they choose to put the Eagles football game on, the lights can be turned a nice shade of Kelly green!
Main Dining Area
When entering Jalsa Indian Kitchen you walk directly into the front dining room. This is where the large digital screen is installed, filling up most of the upper portion of that furthest wall.
The digital screen is so large it can be seen from outside the restaurant through the front windows. The owners commented that even though they are not open yet many people are noticing the screen as they drive by and popping in to ask about it!
The dining space is a large open room with beautiful wooden tables and comfortable tall high-back chairs. A long connected bench style seat runs along that furthest one wall.
The hanging ceiling lamps throughout the space were made in India, and as mentioned the individual bulbs are fully controlled!
Indian decor and artwork also is seen throughout all of the dining areas, such as the large handmade circular mandalas.
While the digital screen’s main purpose is to show beautiful scenes of India, I am told that even the front dining space will be available at times for private parties and the screen can be incorporated into the celebration or meeting.
Rear Dining Area / Event Space
The rear left section of Jalsa offers additional dining tables in a separate large room.
This space can be utilized for traditional dining when the restaurant is extra busy, and can also serve as a perfect private space for special events and celebrations… or even corporate outings.
Within this room is a movable partition wall which allows the space to be further divided into two smaller private segments, depending on your event.
The sound system throughout all of Jalsa is also high end and high tech! This private dining space has its own sound system as well as PA system with microphones.
Kitchen Area
The back right portion of the restaurant is dedicated to the large 2,000 square foot kitchen. Jalsa is a large restaurant so it obviously needs a large kitchen, but they also expect a fair amount of business from catering throughout South Jersey and Philadelphia.
The kitchen has its own innovations including two large commercial tandoori ovens which are used to make fresh naan bread throughout the day.
Another “why didn’t I think of that” idea is with the large walk-in refrigerator/freezer.
The long 20+ foot side of the refrigerator/freezer walk-in is outfitted with approximately 18 glass refrigerator doors similar to what you would see at Wawa or a supermarket. The advantage is it allows the chefs to grab fresh ingredients from the refrigerators without having to go into the large cold box. Keeps the cold in, the employees warm and ensures the ingredients are properly rotated.
Jalsa Indian Kitchen – July
I was genuinely impressed with the thought and design that went into this new Somerdale restaurant… and just think, I haven’t tried the food yet!
Well of course I’ll be back to try the delicious menu and see how all the beautiful decor and innovation all comes together… and I will share that experience with readers.
Links and Location
Jalsa Indian Kitchen – Opens in July
711 Evesham Road, Suite #12
Somerdale, NJ 08083
(856) 566-1212
Hours
- Tuesday-Thursday, Sunday • 11am-3pm and 5-930pm
- Friday-Saturday • 11am-3pm, 5-10pm
