A Guide to Spice Levels When Ordering
The Jaani Food Junction menu flags certain dishes as spicy, which is a useful reference point when ordering for a group with different spice tolerances.
Spicier Dishes on the Menu
Dishes like Hot & Sour Soup, Tandoori Chicken, Kadhai Chicken, Rara Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Schezwan Noodles, and most of the Chinese Starters section are flagged spicy on the menu.
Milder Alternatives
For a milder option in a similar style, Afghani Chicken and Chicken Malai Tikka use a cream-based marinade rather than a chilli-forward one, and Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, and Malai Kofta are generally gentler curries than Kadhai-style preparations.
Ordering for a Mixed-Tolerance Group
For a table with different spice preferences, ordering a mix of milder and spicier dishes — rather than committing everyone to the same dish — tends to work better than guessing at a middle ground.
It's also worth remembering that 'spicy' on a menu description is a relative flag rather than a precise measurement — someone with a genuinely low tolerance may still want to ask directly about a specific dish rather than relying solely on the flag.
- Check the menu description for a spicy flag before ordering for someone with a low tolerance.
- Afghani Chicken, Chicken Malai Tikka, and Malai-style dishes are generally milder options.
- A mixed order across spice levels suits a group better than one uniform choice.
Spice Level Questions
Can spice levels be adjusted on request? Any specific requests are best raised directly with the restaurant when placing an order, rather than assumed to be available by default.
Is the spicy flag consistent across similar dishes? It reflects each dish's own listing on the menu, so it's worth checking individual dishes rather than assuming an entire section is uniformly spicy or mild.
Are spice levels consistent across visits for the same dish? Recipes are expected to stay consistent, though individual perception of spice can still vary from person to person.
A simple rule of thumb: when in doubt about a specific dish's heat level, it's easier to ask before ordering than to send back or leave behind a dish that turns out too spicy for the table.
A Rough Guide to Spice Across Sections
Spice levels vary noticeably by section: Chinese Starters and several Indian Non Veg curries tend to run spicier, while the Sandwiches, Pasta, and most Sweets and Beverages sections are consistently mild. Tandoor dishes vary — some, like Afghani Chicken, use a cream-based marinade, while others, like Tandoori Chicken, are more chilli-forward.
For a table with a wide range of spice tolerances, ordering across several sections rather than concentrating the whole order in one spicier section (like Chinese Starters or Indian Non Veg) tends to give everyone something comfortable to eat.
A Simple Spice-Level Checklist
Before ordering for someone with a low spice tolerance, it's worth checking three things: whether the specific dish is flagged spicy on the menu, whether a milder alternative exists in the same section, and whether the marinade or sauce style (cream-based versus chilli-based) is mentioned in the description.
Requesting a Milder Preparation
Any request to adjust spice level for a specific dish is best raised directly when placing the order, since this isn't a standard option built into the food enquiry form itself.
Building Spice Awareness Over Multiple Visits
For a customer new to the menu, ordering one dish flagged spicy and one not on a first visit is a reasonable way to calibrate personal spice tolerance against the menu's own flagging system before ordering more adventurously on future visits.
Spice tolerance also varies significantly between individuals even at the same stated level, so treating the menu's spicy flag as a general guide — not a precise measurement — is the more realistic way to use it.
A Closing Summary
In short, checking a dish's spice flag before ordering — rather than guessing from its name — is the most reliable way to manage spice tolerance across a table, whether for one person or a larger mixed group.