Jai Ho tries to fill a gap in Colorado's Indian food offerings

Until last year, Sathya and Sujatha Narayan had never run a restaurant -- but they saw such a gaping hole in Denver's Indian food scene, that they couldn't resist picking up an Aurora strip mall spot and giving it a go, opening Jai Ho last spring...

By Laura Shunk

August 16, 2011

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Until last year, Sathya and Sujatha Narayan had never run a restaurant -- but they saw such a gaping hole in Denver's Indian food scene, that they couldn't resist picking up an Aurora strip mall spot and giving it a go, opening Jai Ho last spring.

In particular, the couple -- a former architect and a realtor -- wanted to move away from the Anglicized northern dishes found on most Indian menus around town and instead offer a broad taste of the country, focusing particularly on the south. And while they've allowed familiar staples to creep in -- like tikka masala and tandoori chicken -- they've managed to put together a board highlighting the specialties of Kerala, Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu that is unlike any other in town.

And the quirkiness of the menu, I discovered when I stopped by for this week's review, extends beyond the food.

Learn more about Jai Ho -- and find out how the food was -- tomorrow, when the review is posted here.

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Laura Shunk was Westword's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012; she's also been food editor at the Village Voice and a dining columnist in Beijing. Her toughest assignment had her drinking ten martinis and eating ten Caesar salads over the course of 48 hours. She still drinks martinis, but remains lukewarm on Caesar salads.

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