Although an actual soft opening haven’t been announced yet, the much-anticipated Joya’s Cafe from chef Avishar Barua tested some open hours this past weekend during the Worthington Farmer’s Market.
Joya’s is named for Barua’s mother, and if you’re lucky you make see her around the cafe!
The cafe itself is described as “A Seriously Fun Bengali American Daytime Cafe.” It takes over the space formerly occupied by Sassafras Bakery, in the heart of Old Worthington.
The menu consists of sandwiches (including that famous cheesy double crunch from Service Bar, where Barua was previously chef), fried rice, a version of pad Thai, and more. Joya’s also offers full coffee and tea service, like drip coffee, cold brew, espresso, nitro drinks.
As you can imagine, the crowds quickly responded once word got out that the doors were open at Joya’s.
We sampled the nitro cold brew (made with Thunderkiss Coffee) and Joya’s Milk Chai, made with black tea and evaporated milk.
The Joya’s breakfast sandwich layers cheesy soft scrambled eggs, peppered and candied bacon, chives, Joya’s herb crema, and Joya’s special sauce on Pav, a puffy Indian bread.
The crispy chicken Manchurian sandwich features a chai-brined, double-fried chicken with a “sweet-savory-spicy” glaze, tangy slaw, pickles, and a sweet chili mayo.
Finally, the Joya’s fried rice blends chicken, bacon, egg, scallions, and ginger.
Suffice it to say, we plan on spending many mornings at that counter, enjoying coffee and breakfast.
Stay tuned to Joya’s social media for announcements of an official soft opening and regular hours!
Joya’s Cafe
657 High St.
Worthington, OH 43085
Web: eatatjoyas.com
IG: @eatatjoyas
