Delhi is, without doubt, one of the cities that is known for its street food. Yes, we know, we spoke about
Old Delhi a couple of months ago but here we are back again, with yet another gem of a place that is a must-try, especially if you are someone who loves or wants to try Tibetan cuisine. We are talking about Majnu-ka-Tilla, a Tibetan colony situated in the northern part of Delhi that has become synonymous with the Tibetan migrant population. The place houses a monastery and a Buddhist Temple. It’s a slow life over there, quite different — in fact, it’s exactly the opposite of the hustle and bustle that Delhi is known for. We set apart a day, on a recent trip to Delhi, to explore the streets of Majnu-ka-Tilla and bring you a food trail that should be part of your itinerary the next time you are in this part of the city.
December in Delhi is quite harsh, even for the people who grew up there. You need something piping hot to drink or eat 24/7. Keeping that in mind, we started our food trail with Laphing, a spicy cold plain flour noodle dish — the irony! Made from potato starch, wheat and moong dal, this delicacy akin to the skin of a momo or a chewy khandvi is available in both veg and non-vegetarian options. We are told, that back home in Tibet, this quick bite is had as a snack. We tried the non-vegetarian version and the spiciness perfectly fought the cold weather.
We then made our way to Drepung Loselling, a restaurant specialising in Chinese and Tibetan cuisines. Once making ourselves comfortable, we ordered a plate of potato momos and a bowl of chicken thukpa. We were trying potato momos for the first time and let’s just say we weren’t disappointed. The thukpa was perfect for the chilly weather too but instead of the regular noodles, the thukpa was filled with chunks of steamed maida — much like hand pulled noodles or the western version of dumplings.
Following this, we headed to Gangnam Korean Restaurant. The first thing that caught our mind as we entered the space was the ambience. In between the entrance and the seating area is a cherry blossom tree, which makes an excellent spot for Instagram-worthy pictures. We took a seat overlooking the River Yamuna and the Signature Bridge. Being in a Korean restaurant, you should not miss out on the Soju (a clear and colourless alcoholic beverage). It was served to us with a bottle of Sprite but you can also choose to consume it without an accompanying soft drink. We paired it with steamed rice, Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi soup) and Dak Bokkeum (Korean spicy stir-fried chicken with vegetables). The soju went down smoothly with the stir-fried chicken and we were left craving for more.
But by this time, we were pretty full and still had one last stop to make. We were told that we shouldn’t miss out on Ama Café. The place is usually crowded even during off hours. We thanked our stars as we found a place and made ourselves comfortable. It was evening and the temperature had started to fall even more, so we decided to go for a couple of mugs of hot chocolate and just one word describes it aptly — heavenly! With a big smile and a happy tummy, we made our way back home satiated from finding an authentic piece of Tibetan culture, tucked away in a quiet corner amid the madness and bustle of Delhi.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
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