Jaz, a new restaurant serving northern Indian cuisine in Hell’s Kitchen, has opened this week. Manhattan’s latest culinary addition is the brainchild of owner and namesake Jaz Rupall, who was born and raised as second generation British-Indian in Hertfordshire, England.

The restaurant’s menu begins with Appetizers, Shrimp Balchao, pan fried shrimp in a spicy onion-chili sauce; and Tandori Platter which includes Chicken Tikka Masala, Ginger Chicken, Sheikh Kebab. The main courses on the menu are divided among Vegetarian, Seafood, Chicken, Tandoor, Basmati, Lamb and Goat, providing a generous selection of dishes for each category.

Highlights include Bhindi Masala, a stir fried okra dish with tomatoes, cilantro, and spices; Mango Shrimp, jumbo shrimp marinated in a tangy mango sauce and grilled in a tandoor oven; Ginger Chicken, chicken breast marinated in a ginger yogurt sauce and cooked in a tandoor oven and, Lamb Chops, lamb marinated for 12-14 hours with ginger, garlic, herbs and spices, and cooked in a tandoor oven, seared on the outside and the interior cooked to medium rare perfection.

Accompanying the main courses are several Breads, each made fresh to order in the tandoor oven, including Peshawari Naan, a sweet naan made with almonds, raisins, and coconut stuffing; and Aloo Paratha, whole wheat bread stuffed with spiced potatoes; along with more classic naan selections.

Rounding out the menu are Desserts such as Gulab Jamun, an Indian dessert made with dry milk and cooked in honey syrup; and  Kheer, a traditional north Indian rice pudding made with Basmati rice, sugar and full fat milk.

Rupall spent many of her years as an Executive Assistant at a local Family Law firm based in London, but always dreamed of owning her own restaurant. Longing for British-Indian home cooking, she discovered a local Indian restaurant on her way home from work, where she met future Director of Operations Syed Haider, who worked as a general manager.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jaz found herself like many, working from home and cooking more of her favorite northern Indian dishes. The lack of in-person social events inspired her to begin hosting cooking classes and dinner parties at her apartment; under her guidance, each of the attendees made their own dish.
In May 2021, as things were beginning to return to some normalcy, she began looking for a location to make her restaurant dream a reality. She targeted Hell’s Kitchen for its proximity to the Upper West Side, Theater District, Times Square, and the heavy foot traffic. A few months later, her dream was realized with a restaurant location, at the corner of 9^th avenue and 54^th street.

At her restaurant, Rupall will continue to be the friendly hostess, visiting tables, serving food, and providing food and wine recommendations.   The menu features authentic northern Indian cuisine with a comforting, home cooking twist retaining all of the northern Indian flavors.

To help bring her vision to life, Rupall hired Co-Executive Chefs Bachan Rawat (Bukhara Grill) to cook the restaurant’s curries and Arif Ahmed (Bombay Grill, Sapphire) to man the tandoor oven.

Jaz features a robust wine program curated by Haider that includes approachably priced selections by the glass and, by the bottle. Selections range from affordable to sophisticated, including reserves from Chateau Musar.

The restaurant also has a full bar program featuring Indian-inspired craft cocktails: Spicy Chili Margarita, made with Milagro Silver Tequila, chili liqueur, lime, spiced honey, cilantro, chili, and tajin salt; Jal Jeera Mojito, vodka, club soda, lemon juice, Jal Jeer masala mix, tamarind chutney, and mint leaves; and Kiss From Jaz, Singhani 63 Bolivian Spirit, Campari, Combier rose liqueur, bitters, and prosecco; as well as a variety of bottled beer including Kingfisher and Taj Mahal.

For more information visit  http://jazindiancuisine.com/
813 9^th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Monday – Sunday: 12pm-3pm, 5pm-11pm