Jaipore – Royal Indian Cuisine in a White Mansion

Jaipore – Royal Indian Cuisine in a White Mansion: Indian restaurants are few and far between in Northern Westchester. Little Kabab Station in Mt. Kisco and Mughal Palace in Valhalla serve up quality Indian food but if you’re scoring points for food, décor and service, Jaipore in Brewster can’t be beat. So we are adding Jaipore to our What To Eat: Restaurant Guide as a unique alternative that’s worth the trip for anyone in the A-B-C towns looking to get their Masala fix.

“Same as it ever was …”

As you approach the restaurant, the first sight of Jaipore in the white 18^th century mansion on a hilltop on rural Rt. 22 is just a little unreal. It looks like the kind of place that would have Welsh Rarebit and Dover Sole on the menu – not Lamb Bhuna Mirchwala. “And you may ask yourself,” to paraphrase David Byrne, “Is this really an Indian restaurant? … Same as it ever was …”

This historic house was built in 1856 and became the home of Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher in 1887 upon the death of her husband Henry Ward Beecher, the abolitionist and brother of Uncle Tom’s Cabin author, Harriet Beecher Stowe. In the 20^th century, Charlie Chaplin Studios occupied the house and used it as a backdrop in their movies. In the 1920s it was a speakeasy and in the 80s it was a topless bar – remember those? “Same as it ever was …”

Cozy nooks

Inside there’s a main dining room with a wrap around alcove at the front and side of the house where there is intimate seating for couples. We sat in a cozy semi-circular nook with a wrap-around banquette that was perfectly private for a party of four. While the mauve-ish walls could use a fresh coat of paint, the dining room, softly lit by period sconces and chandeliers, features lots of trim, crown moldings, white table cloths and padded chairs that create a hushed and comfy formality.

Royal Indian cuisine

Jaipore received 23 food points in the most recent Zagats Survey (which is as good as it gets for suburban Indian food) and one anecdotal comment calling it “The Rolls Royce of Indian food.” Well, maybe the Audi A6 and we mean that in a good way.

You know how you kind of fish out the proteins from the Saag dishes and leave behind most of the creamy spinach? The Shrimp Saag was so delicious we ordered another bowl of rice just to sop up the spinach mixture. Is there a steak house that does spinach better?

Everybody has a favorite Indian dish but once you’ve satisfied your need to go with the familiar, we recommend trying their signature southern Indian dishes. You can easily recognize them by the “thumbs-up” emojis on the menu. (“Same as it ever was …”)

What we liked

We liked the Lata Shetty’s Coondapur Chicken, in a nutty brown sauce spiced with coconut curry, garlic and curry leaves, so much we can’t wait to go back to try it again. It became an instant staple for us. We also liked the Lamb Pepper Fry that was sautéed with fresh coconut, dry red chiles and peppercorns.

Another signature dish that came highly recommended was the Fish Moilee, a South Indian preparation with coconut, lemon and curry leaves. The Chicken Chutneywala, infused with mango crème and green masala also caught our eye.

We’re not tandoori people, sorry, but we’ve had all the Masalas (creamy tomato sauce) and the Jalfrezis, cooked with mushrooms, ginger and fresh coriander – all good. And if you’re a “heat-head” (we are) the spicy Vindaloo dishes will blow your brains out – which is what Vindaloo is supposed to do.

And not so much

Where we were a bit disappointed was with the appetizers that, we felt, could have used as much effort as they put into their signature dishes. The Pakora, crispy onion, potato and eggplant fritters, and the Vegetable Samosa were nothing to write home to Mumbai about. The Naan and Paratha were fine but the Poori, deep-fried puff bread, was meh. That’s not a deal breaker for us because the total package adds up and Jaipore’s southern Indian signature dishes separate them from the same old – same old.

Worth the trip?

“And you may ask yourself, Is this really an Indian restaurant?”

Jaipore is a local favorite from Katonah up through Brewster and Connecticut yuppies from Ridgefield and Danbury routinely cross the state line to eat there. If you live in Armonk, Bedford and Chappaqua you owe it to yourself to give it a try. It may become your go-to Indian. Especially in the Fall and Winter, when the cozy interior and the warming and fragrant spices seem made to order for the season.

(Jaipore Royal Indian, 280 Rt. 22, Brewster, 845-277-3549; www.jaiporenyc.com)

Check out our What To Eat: Restaurant Guide for the best eateries in Northern Westchester

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