Jadoh, Don Bosco Square, Shillong: What to eat and visitor guide

Useful facts

Jadoh, Don Bosco Square facts at a glance

Location

Don Bosco Square, Laitumkhrah, Shillong

Dining style

Simple, walk-in local eatery

Price signal

Inexpensive; large portions at low prices

Signature order

Try: jadoh (Khasi rice with pork)

Good for

A quick, authentic local lunch

Why it matters

Why Jadoh, Don Bosco Square is worth your time

Jadoh is one of the defining dishes of Khasi cuisine, and eateries like this one, small, unpretentious and aimed at local diners rather than visitors, are where it is most authentically found. Rather than a restaurant built around the tourist trade, this is a working local eatery that happens to be popular enough, and distinctive enough in name, to be worth seeking out.

Eating here offers a straightforward way to understand what everyday food looks like for many people in Shillong: rice-based, often built around pork, and served without much ceremony. For visitors trying to move past hotel breakfast buffets and generic multi-cuisine menus, a stop here is a useful, low-cost way to taste something specific to the region rather than a diluted version of it.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   Jadoh itself

   The restaurant's namesake dish, red rice cooked with pork, is prepared here in its traditional, unadjusted local style.

2. 02

   Local popularity

   It is a favourite with students and residents rather than a tourist-oriented restaurant, which keeps prices low and flavours genuine.

3. 03

   Fresh, simple cooking

   Food is cooked to order through lunch and dinner service rather than kept warm for long periods.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

Jadoh takes its name directly from the dish it serves: Khasi red rice cooked and coloured with pork blood, a signature preparation you will find across Khasi eateries in various forms, from mild to more strongly flavoured. This particular spot in Don Bosco Square is a small, functional restaurant rather than a polished dining room, and it is well known locally, especially among students, for serving large, inexpensive portions of freshly cooked food.

Beyond jadoh itself, expect other everyday Khasi dishes on offer depending on the day, prepared simply and without much adjustment for outside visitors. This is a good place to try food the way it is actually eaten locally, rather than a version adapted for tourists, though that also means dishes can be assertively flavoured; ask staff if you would prefer something milder.

Because it operates on a working lunch-and-dinner rhythm rather than continuous service, timing your visit around midday gives the best chance of a full range of dishes still available. It pairs naturally with a walk around the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures nearby, or a stop at Dylan's Cafe close by in the same neighbourhood.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

Don Bosco Square, Laitumkhrah

Time needed

30–45 minutes

Best time

Lunch, when the kitchen is at its freshest and most dishes are available

Walking level

Easy

Senior comfort

Seating is simple and functional rather than spacious, typical of a small local eatery; there may be a short step at the entrance. It is a quiet, low-key spot rather than a busy tourist restaurant, which many older visitors find more comfortable than crowded, noisy alternatives.

Tickets and access

No reservation system; walk in during meal hours. Lunch service generally winds down by the mid-afternoon and dinner by early evening, so avoid arriving too late; confirm current hours locally, as small eateries often adjust them.

Plan it with

FAQs