Family recipe
Freshness is the secret ingredient at Jot India in Newport
WHEN AMANDEEP SINGH’S family came to the U.S. on November 28, 2011, they had $400 to their name. His dad, Gurbachan, who spent the 12 years prior navigating the immigration process, began working in a friend’s restaurant—but he dreamed of one day opening his own.
That dream came true in 2020, over evening tea, when Amandeep’s uncle offered to help the family start a business. Jot India opened in Newport in 2021, and Amandeep, just out of high school, took over management.
Anchored by Gurbachan’s recipes, the restaurant quickly earned a following—and national recognition with a No. 48 spot on Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Restaurants ranking in 2023. A Florence location opened that same year, and a third, in Cincinnati, opened in May.
The most popular dish, Amandeep says, is chicken tikka masala—chicken simmered in a creamy tomato sauce. Other favorites include kadai ginger chicken, lamb curry, tandoori chicken and garlic naan.
“We really make sure that everything is extremely fresh,” Amandeep says. “Honestly, that’s the secret recipe.” Customers also note the restaurant’s impeccable cleanliness, friendly staff and consistent quality.
“From day one, it’s just been about giving 100%,” Amandeep says. “My parents, my sister and I, we’ve poured everything into this place—our time, energy, love.”
Now managing three locations at just 23, Amandeep says he doesn’t dwell on the future—but he does have a goal.
“I want to retire my parents,” he said in April. “My dad has worked his butt off for where he came from. … There was no chance, no way to be here, and to be in this position, where we’re getting ready to open our third location.”
Dine at Jot India’s original location, 1709 Monmouth Street C in Newport, or visit locations in Florence and Cincinnati.
