A Little Mixed Treasure

Indian Pancakes. Pad Thai. General Tso’s Chicken. Calamari. Spicy Stingray. Found all on one menu?

The answer is "yes!" at Jaya, which serves food featuring Malay, Indian, Indonesian, Thai, and Chinese influences. Located just off of Canal Street at 90 Baxter St., this Mayalasian owned restaurant proves that Chinatown is not simply a Chinese culture haven.

It sits, like today’s Chinatown, at the cross roads of Asian influence.

The reasonably priced entrees, averaging around $6 to $7, bring in mixture of court workers, jury duty attendees, families, tourists, and students of all backgrounds.

The bamboo and lantern decorated indoor seating area is enough to make the restaurant feel warm and tropical even in the winter when the outdoor sidewalk seating is unavailable.

Those lucky enough to sit outside at Jaya will see an area that sustains strongholds of Japanese, Malaysian, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Mongolian cultures, visible by the restaurant canopies and posted menus along the winding streets. Sixty percent of the area is foreign born according to the 2000 U.S. census.

Jaya’s menu sizzles with items such as the Lemon-Grass Satay ($6.95), six skewers of chicken or beef served with a spicy peanut sauce. The menu is fiery, Indian style, with dishes such as the Curry Puffs ($5), a fried pastry stuffed with onions, potatoes and spices such as its namesake. Three of these soft, flaky puffs come nestled in a small round bamboo basket.

Staples like General Tso’s Chicken ($10.50), Cashew Chicken ($9.95), and Pad Thai ($6.95) supplement exotic dishes such as Sotong Kangkung ($7.95), an appetizer of squid over water spinach, and Yuetow Mai Fun ($7.95), a large portion of rice noodles and vegetables in fish-head broth.

“One of our most popular items is the Roti Chanai ($2.50), the Indian Pancake,” said David Wong, a manager at Jaya.

Wong also said that a lot of the Chinese and Thai noodle dishes are especially popular among customers.





Jaya is easily accessible by the Canal St J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W and 6 stops.

Photo Michele Langlois