If the curious restaurant name and striking neon decor did intrigue you while passing Jatra in the street, then a quick glance at their curated yet extensive menu would probably see you bundling through the door and taking a seat at a table or booth in no time.
Jatra is a Stockwell based Asian fusion restaurant that takes inspiration from South American cuisine. Anyone who is a fan of full flavour, generous seasoning and a craving for something with a pinch of soy, ponzu or chimichurri is at home in Jatra.
One of the first things that you notice when you walk through the front door of Jatra is its impressive interior design.
It is spacious yet intimate, with tables and booths that are designed for groups of friends and neighbours to come and share this unique culinary journey together – all while maintaining a highly decorative but unintrusive surrounding.
I took my friend Joshua with me for a meal and a much needed catch up since we both recently started graduate courses in London, Jatra provided the perfect atmosphere for our evening of putting the world to rights (and beating some dead horses).
We immediately received a warm greeting from the restaurant owner, Rajan Jung Shahi, and were taken to our table.
Joshua, who had never been before, immediately commented on how impressed he was by the variety of dishes available – catering to almost any mood or craving a customer may have.
We shared their Korean Chicken Bao buns for starters – which perhaps were the most impressive dish we enjoyed.
As someone who is sensitive to spice, I was impressed by how Jatra was able to make a dish full of spice and flavour in such a way that did not set off tears or scold my tongue like other restaurants have in the past.
For our main we shared the spicey beef and the grilled prawns – both complementing each other perfectly with the full and intense beef sauce, and the lighter more simple grilled prawns with garlic, butter and green chutney.
We also split the special fried rice, which is generously packed with goodies like prawns, pineapple and cashews.
Usually, I don’t have room for dessert. But something about Jatras impressive demonstration of culinary creativity made me crave something sweet to top it all off.
I had their chocolate lava cake, which was paired with a generous spoonful of ice cream… ‘You must have it with the ice cream!!’ Rajan insisted before I tucked in.
Joshua on the other hand enjoyed a gorgeously presented slice of tiramisu which left me feeling slightly jealous.
All of this was washed down with two cold pints of Asahi – perhaps Joshua and I could have been a bit more adventurous and tried one of their cocktails from their extensive drinks menu, but instead we settled for something simple.
I asked Rajan why the restaurant is called Jatra and he said: “It is a reflection of my home country, Nepal, as Jatra is the name of a festival of food, drinks and music we have once a year… all the villages bring home cooked food and exchange them from one village to another. That is the philosophy I want to bring here to Stockwell.”
When I probed more about the philosophy of Jatra, Rajan said: “Jatra is about bringing all people in one, multiculturalism and sharing food with one another.
“Everything is designed for big groups to share with one another, from our tables to our menu.”
Rajan has had a star-studded career in the restaurant industry. He started off at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong and his first job in the UK was Galvin at Windows in Hilton Park Lane.
Now, alongside Jatra, he runs his own charity the RJ Shani Foundation which focuses on advancing the education of children in the remote western mountain villages of Nepal.
However, despite his wealth of international experience, he says the most important thing to him is his Stockwell community, as when I asked if there is one thing he would want customers to take away is that: “Community support is the most important thing – everyone is always welcome”.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a fun and delicious place to spend a Saturday night with friends and family – Jatra is an excellent choice.
Jatra also offers a 20% discount to all Tradescant Area Resident Association and Albert Square & St Stephen’s Association members.
5 Stars!
Featured image credit: Lucy Carrier-Pilkington
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