Jhopri opened its doors at Plainsboro Village Center earlier this year, adding another taste of India to the cuisines offered in Plainsboro’s downtown district. Under the same ownership as Cross Culture restaurant in the Princeton Shopping Center, Jhopri shares the same sparse aesthetic. Browns, beiges, and golds dominate the decor. The owners, brothers Paramjeeet (P.J.) Singh and Gurjeet Kinth, also own Cross Culture restaurants in Lambertville, Haddonfield, and Doylestown, PA.
When we visited early on a recent Saturday evening, a handful of tables were taken, and many more were filled by the time we left. There is no bar with distracting TVs or loud music, and the tables are spaced sufficiently far apart that noise from neighboring tables is not an issue. Our table was adorned with a single candle and left plenty of room for the generous servings of food that soon arrived.
The menu is extensive, with a wide selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian appetizers, sides, chicken, lamb, seafood, and vegetarian entrees, tandoori options, and biryanis. The restaurant is BYOB, but we chose to forego the wine and leave more room for food.
We started with the mixed appetizer for two, which easily could have served as a small meal for two. The basket of goodies that arrived promptly at our table included samosas (fried pastries filled with spiced potatoes and vegetables), pakoras (fritters filled with cauliflower or potatoes), and papadam (crisp fried dough) along with mint and tamarind chutneys — all for $7.95.
Next came our entrees, which come with a side of rice. I chose the chicken makhani — baked chicken in a spiced tomato and butter sauce, $15.95 — and my friend went for the shrimp tikka masala — broiled shrimp in a tomato, onion, and cream sauce, $19.95. You pick how spicy you want your entree to be, and for both of us “medium” was the right choice: lots of flavor and enough of a kick to keep the server refilling our water glasses, but not so much heat that it overwhelms the dish.
To soak up the delicious sauces we also ordered sides of onion kulcha (a flatbread stuffed with onions and spices) and aloo paratha (bread stuffed with spiced potatoes) —both of which were quite good on their own and with our main courses. Each was $3.95.
With empty plates and very full stomachs, we skipped dessert but observed the tempting offerings of mango sundaes, cheeses, ice creams, and others.
We will probably make a return trip, but for those without the time for a sit-down dinner Jhopri has other convenient options. The restaurant offers a lunch buffet daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and orders for pick-up can be placed online. Small and large party trays are also available.
Diners, incidentally, can find another new wrinkle in the food scene across the street in the Plainsboro Plaza. There the former Indian Hut has been rebranded as Bordoloi’s Indian Fusion and has updated its menu to include Indian-Chinese fusion dishes. The restaurant offers a daily lunch buffet, dinner, take-out, and delivery options.
Jhopri, 6 Market Street, Plainsboro. Daily 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 609-799-3100. www.jhopri.menu
Bordoloi’s Indian Fusion, 10 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro Plaza. 609-936-8484. www.bordolois.com
