New Jersey is known for its authentic Indian restaurants, and now there’s a new spot in one of our favorite downtowns that takes dining to a whole new level.
Saffron Redbank Modern Indian Dining opened last week in Red Bank, and you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
For starters, we had the sweet potato chat, which is roasted sweet potato topped with crunchy sweet potato sticks, mint, yogurt, tamarind and pomegranate.
The pulled Tandoori chicken bao bun is a fusion of Indian and Chinese and has chicken and peppers inside a steamed bao bun covered in siracha aioli.
We never eat at an Indian restaurant without ordering samosa, and Saffron’s version includes a sampler of traditional potatoes and peas and also bite-sized jalapeno cheese dumplings.
The pani puri sampler is the most fun of the dishes. You pour either a mint, tamarind, mango or jal-jeera spiced liquid into the middle of the puff pastry and then pop it into your mouth in one bite. It’s crunchy, sweet and tangy. The fillers come inside test tubes, and the display on the table is wow-worthy.
The tandoor is a clay oven that smokes meat. We tried the lamb chops marinated in a saffron spice blend and then smoked. They were tender and delicious. Most of the meals here are made with saffron, which gives all the dishes their signature flavor.
For our entrée, we had the saffron butter chicken, which was the most tender and creamiest we’ve had. The smoked chicken is covered in a red pepper tomato sauce and fenugreek. It was perfect for dipping the garlic naan (soft and flaky bread) (which also comes in truffle, butter, black garlic and fig variations) or putting on top of the saffron rice that comes with the dish.
Paneer is another must-have, but instead of choosing the dish that had the cottage cheese like-cubes stuffed with khoya, pistachio and spinach and covered in tomato cream, we opted for the ricotta and paneer kofta, which was a new way to eat paneer: it is a dumpling stuffed with the cheeses that came in a brown saffron cashew gravy and tastes like cardamom.
Next we tried the dum biryani with lamb, which also comes with chicken or vegetables. It’s basmati rice cooked paella-style. On our next visit, we will be trying the dal makhani (made with lentils), the chickpea masala with spiced beans in green chili and coriander, and the classic saag (spinach) paneer.
We were stuffed from the meal but couldn’t resist the “After Party” section of the menu: dessert! A classic favorite is gulab jamun, which tastes like donut holes or zeppole fried and topped with rose sugar syrup. We also love kulfi, which is Indian ice cream, but this was a whole new experience: pistachio, mango, cardamom and rose ice cream pops hang from a carousel and – the best part – start to smoke from dry ice. You have to see it to believe it. And taste it to believe it!
The menu includes gluten-free, nut-free and vegetarian options, so talk to your server if you have any dietary restrictions. There is no kid’s menu but there are kid-friendly options. The restaurant is BYOB.
Amrita Jogi and Manish Kumar opened their first location in the Third Ward of Downtown Milwaukee. The couple wanted to perfect their restaurant concept elsewhere before bringing it to New Jersey so they could improve upon the common Indian dining experience, Manish told New Jersey Family. They renovated the former popular Front Street Trattoria into a 1,700-square-foot, 70-seat dining room that is supposed to showcase the design of Indian Royalty.
Saffron Redbank Modern Indian Dining is located at 31 West Front Street in Red Bank. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday. You can order online or plan a private event. Leave yourself time to find a parking spot before your reservation time. The English Plaza Parking Lot 3 is by the front door, though there is a second entrance along Front Street.
To see the deliciousness in real time, head to our Instagram page.
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