Jahva Café

Jody-Anne Lawrence, Gleaner Writer

Jahva Café, a new member of the café family, is serving up a storm of delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch items.

Jahva Café was opened July 6. Java is the name of a coffee that comes from Indonesia, and this is what influenced the founders in naming the restaurant Jahva.

"They added the 'h' for a play on words and give it that Jamaican touch," Shakira Sarju, manager of Jahva Café, told Food.

They wanted to start something new and different. The café is built around the coffee and mouth-watering desserts. There is a coffee for everyone, from light to strong.

"There is the frappuccino, it is icy, creamy and smooth, close to a shake. If you are not a strong coffee drinker, then you will love it. It really doesn't have that strong coffee kick," said Sarju.

For strong coffee lovers, she recommended the espresso.

"Espresso made from ground coffee beans. It is like having a shot of coffee," said Sarju.

Sarju noted that the favourites for Jahva is consistently changing. There is no specific dish that you can say is the signature for the entire time.

"The restaurant is still new, so people are currently exploring and finding new things that they like," Sarju said.

This is shown in their choice in coffee. When the restaurant started in the summer, many persons were ordering the colder coffee beverages, but as it comes up to the Christmas season, the mochachino is the drink that patrons are going for, with the cocoa or hot chocolate a close second. They are even looking forward to adding some spices to the traditional mochachino for the Christmas season as well.

The café that has such an easy laid-back ambience, which is complemented by the low music played in the background to entertain and ease customers, offers a variety of sandwiches that people can enjoy. But a must-have on the menu is their garden salad. This "unspoken hero," as Sarju calls it, is freshly made every day. It includes two kinds of lettuce - iceberg and romaine - cucumber, carrots and cashew, tomatoes, and home-made garlic butter croutons. There are two dressing options - the balsamic vinaigrette, which is made by Jahva, and Thousand Island dressing. Patrons also have the option of adding meats like chicken, tuna and ham to their salad.

Then there are Jahva's mouth-watering desserts. They have a line of cheesecake cupcakes that have the traditional berry flavours, as well as those with the coffee touch like the mocha, cappuccino and Baileys; they also have a cream cheese brown which Sarju describes as "heaven on a platter".

"Customers go crazy for those, especially when I just warm them a bit," Sarju said.

Jahva is open Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; and for all those that party and need a pick-me-up, they are open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m., and then reopens at 10 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday.