The seven sisters, as they are fondly called, trace a fascinating food trail. Distinct from the stereotypes of north Indian cuisine, which is often heavy on spices and less adventurous with meats, these cuisines incorporate a diversity of ingredients and flavours.
And thukpa and momo? Those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to experiencing the them in Delhi.
I haven’t really looked past the pork section whenever I have visited NK, and I advise you do the same! The pork ribs are melt-in-the-mouth delicious, as is the smoked pork chilli. The adventurous may try the raja mirch vodka shots, but it’d be wise to anticipate momentary numbness of the tongue and lots of tears.
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They serve Tibetan, Chinese and Thai, and we suggest you stick to the Tibetan. Try the Devil Momo, beef dim sums and the beef pan-fried dim sums. Don’t expect stellar service, and try and overlook the cutlery; just focus on the food. Some of the more traditional dishes have a very pungent flavour, so if you’re a newbie, stick to the safe options.
Stop by Momo Mia {Sikkim} for juicy momos, with the best chilli sauce we’ve had in town and a chilled fruit beer. The pork ribs and smoked pork with akhuni {fermented soya bean} at the Nagaland stall are also worth repeatedly going back for. Savour these while soaking in the colourful festivities and the melodious tune of the iktaara that truly make Dilli Haat memorable.
Good for home delivery, we recommend the dry thentuk, lowa khatsa and shapta.
You'll be blown away by the Ema Dhatsi here! A soupy concoction of cheese and chilli with the vegetable or meat of your choice, it is considered Bhutan’s national dish and is truly remarkable. Must have—the potato ema dhatsi.
Fairly nondescript, and less than well-known, Pema’s does a mix of Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese. For staying uber safe, stick with the Chinese, but the Tibetan fare is also awesome. They do momo {including pork momo}, stuffed fried Tibetan bread, thukpa and thenthuk. They also do a variety of datchi {Bhutanese cheese and garlic-based curry} and Tarkari {Nepali-style curry}.
This hole-in-the-wall eatery is probably the only place that serves popular Darjeeling delicacy, Taipo—a huge tingmo bun with a dense filling, including a meat mixture and a boiled egg, it comes with an extremely hot chilli dip and a mild soup.
Rumoured to have the best thukpa in town, this place also doubles up as a store you can source authentic ingredients from. Kalimpong egg noodles, churpi, pork pickle, smoked meats, fireball chillies and phing are some of the items on display here.
A Safdarjung favourite, Hornbill serves excellent pork offerings such as smoked frizzled pork, pork with axon and yam and pork with khollar. The chicken liver and gizzard fry, and their traditional thalis {options of chicken, fish and pork are available} are amazing too!
A quaint little joint, Mizo Diner serves authentic north-eastern food. The steamed buff momos, Chow Satui Leih, Sangha Chhum and Buff Burger are some of our favourites here {and we’re sure you’ll love them too}.
Whether it is the river snails in sichuan pepper leaves or their lip-smacking duck curry, this place does north eastern food right. Be sure to try out their steamed fish wrapped in turmeric leaves and pork thali, which is sure to keep you coming back.