As part of my brother’s birthday celebrations this week we went to dine at Joss, a fine dining restaurant serving modern Asian flare from sushi to Indonesian noodles. In the past month or so we had made reservations here twice and had to cancel due to change of plans last-minute so I was really looking forward to our meal as I had heard a lot about Joss through friends.

Located in the heart of Kalaghoda arts district this restaurant has been conceptualized and conceived by chef Farrokh Khambatta. The space feels warm and welcoming and the interiors are softened, setting the stage, helping you focus your palate on the drama that begins to unfold on your dinner plate.

(Above L) Korean BB Chicken, (Below L) Coriander crusted prawn and (R) Prawn Krom...

The menu is extensive and almost everything sounds good. For appetizers we tried calling for the Singaporean shell crab but were disappointed to learn that they did not receive a fresh catch that day so they had none. Coriander crusted prawns with a spicy creamy sauce was the first appetizer to arrive and it was just as it sounds well-flavoured and delectable. Next to arrive was a buttery prawn in some olive oil and herbs, very well presented in a soup spoon and truly marvelously flavoured. I cannot recollect the name of the dish but I think it was prawn kromby or prawn komgy. The Korean BBQ chicken was brought out onto our plates ready to be devoured and was nothing like the taste or experience of having BBQ in New York’s Korea-town. The chicken was chargrilled and had hints of Indian masalas which was a little disappointing but if you have never tasted Korean BBQ before then you would find it remarkable. Lastly for appetizers we had the Vietnamese bass steamed and doused in a tamarind sauce, the flavours of which burst open in your mouth with every bite.

For main course we had the Thai green curry with prawns and steamed rice which was good but the one we had at San Qi a couple of months back is by far the best. Oh and how can I forget Thai Pavilion, one of the best Thai places in South Bombay. We also called for some Indonesian noodles with vegetables. Last to arrive was the grilled lobster with herbs in a buttery sauce with broccoli.

(L) Birthday Boy and Death By Chocolate, (R) Mom eager to indulge in the Chocolate Cigar Prune and Armagnac Ice Cream

We are a family of seven and yes we eat a lot – and so we are not done yet – since it was also a birthday celebration we went that extra mile and called for their extensive and well designed desserts. Their hot Kalhua chocolate souffle, a specialty requires 30mins of prep time so we skipped it(will definitely go back here for it) and instead called for the Chocolate Cigar on prune and Armagnac ice cream with cookie marque. The depth and texture of each ingredient was delightful. The death by chocolate was a moist cake with liquor and topped with a white chocolate like cup cake shaped  hardened ganache that complimented the moistness of the cake. To balance out the chocolaty goodness we called for some poached pears with an almond and honey ice cream which was heavenly and something I would highly recommend. Lastly a fruit strudel, the dough of which was light and crispy.

The service here was good, the server well-informed and the experience gastronomically rich. I would highly recommend this place and this place has a lot more to offer, so I definitely look forward to going back here on another occasion.