Jaks Authentic Indian & Modern Vide is an Indian-fusion restaurant which opened in Santa Clara in December of 2022. It is located in the very happening Santa Clara Square, where Opa!, Puesto and Il Fornaio are located. True to its name, the interiors, the menu and the overall atmosphere withing the restaurant have a modern vibe to it. However, it is yet another high-end Indian-fusion restaurant in the Bay Area market which is already saturated with the likes of Spice Klub, Rooh, Ettan, Aurum and Shosha. Our overall impression for this restaurant was very lukewarm, and we give it 3 out of 5 Solara Stars. Here's why:
We visited on a Friday evening, after having obtained a reservation at the only time slot available 2 weeks earlier - at 6.30pm. We were immediately seated, and attended to. The one aspect of our entire visit we were really impressed with, was the service. The wait staff was extremely attentive and were always there to answer any of our questions about the menu or fill our water glasses without us asking. They even let us sit and chat at our table, long after we had settled our bill. It was quite obvious that they were working towards a Michelin review or even a Michelin star. For the service alone they get 5 out of 5 Solara Stars.
All of the food we ordered was very well presented and looked appetizing. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving, and the taste didnt quite match up to the presentation.
>> Got a question about this restaurant that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending.
Here's what we ordered :
Drinks :
Nannari Sharbat : It is an Ayurvedic drink made of sarasapilla root syrup and lime. It tasted like flavorless sweet syrup.
Virgin Mojito : This was pretty good. Not too sweet, just the way I like it.
Pina Colada : Delicious and refreshing and presented well.
Appetizers :
Banarasi Paan Patta Chaat : This was very close to Ettan's Sesame leaf chaat. But both are worlds apart when it comes to taste. We were very disappointed with Jak's version, as being lovers of anything paan, we could not taste the paan leaf in this chaat.
Martaban – Mushroom & Pineapple: This was basically grilled pineapples, mushroom and bell pepper skewers on a bed of garlic yogurt sauce. It was quite tasty, but then, I am a sucker for anything pineapple!
Thecha - Paneer Tikka : This was nothing but cilantro mint chutney sandwiched between two slices of grilled paneer. Although I dont care for paneer, it was quite a hit for the rest of my group.
Entrees :
Jackfruit Salli : This was chef's signature dish, and we readily ordered it, being lovers of jackfruit. The dish was actually a jackfruit and potato kofta in a spinach gravy. We had high expectations of this dish, but we could not taste the jackfruit in it, and were sorely disappointed.
Makhmali Paneer : This was, by far, the best item of the evening. It was cottage cheese pinwheels in a creamy tomato sauce. The sauce was finger-licking good and the cottage cheese felt like layers of lasagna.
For bread, the only option on the menu was chili fenugreek parotta, which was soft and flaky.
Dessert:
We ended our dinner with Paan – Kulfi Aur Malaiyo, which was Indian Ice-cream with betel leaf, saffron, rose,cream, basil seed, pistachio & leaf. Once again, although the presentation was very eye-pleasing, the kulfi lacked the paan flavor and the dessert was mediocre, overall.
Overall, the entire experience was very underwhelming, with none of the dishes making a huge impression on anyone in our group. We unnanimously decided that this restaurant does not deserve a second visit. The extremely attentive service is the only aspect in the entire evening that deserved the steep bill, but not the food. And for that reason, I rate this restaurant as a 3 out of 5 Solara Stars.
If you do try this restaurant, let me know what you think!
>> Got a question about this restaurant that you need answered quickly? DM me on Instagram @SolaraStills and I’ll be happy to help! I only accept DMs from followers, so hit the follow button before sending.