Delhi
Foodies, Check Out These 5 Offbeat State Bhawans You Probably Haven't Tried But Should!
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Living in the capital of the country has its own benefits! Apart from what every other metropolitan has to offer such as cafes, bars, and hip nightlife, Delhi gives you a chance to explore something which no other city offers. The capital, often criticized for not having a culture of its own, ironically hosts the houses and cultural centers of all the states and union territories of India.
Sprawling from Lutyens’ Delhi area from Prithviraj Road to Kautilya Marg, most of the states have their own State Bhawans in this stretch. What we have here is 5 of the best, handpicked State Bhawans for you to try out the next time you want to break out of the rut and try something offbeat!
1. Meghalaya Bhawan
A small state in North-Eastern India most famous for its root bridges, it has its own recipes mostly known as Garo cuisine, which is very simple to cook yet tastes very exotic. We had their chicken preparation called Chicken Khappa, which is basically sort of a very zesty stew, except with a catch! It’s typically prepared with equal quantities of chicken and green chillies. Obviously we were burning like a steam engine but that did not stop us from gorging on it.
A personal recommendation, have some Coke or a beverage of your choice along with it. Whenever you go here, give them a call first, half an hour before or so, since they don’t have a menu and the chef will prepare it exclusively for you!
Meal For Two | Rs 550
Location |9, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road
2. Arunachal Bhawan
The 'State of the Rising Sun', Arunachal Pradesh is the Eastern-most state of India and for demographic and political reasons, quite inaccessible. Arunachal Bhawan, on the other hand is very accessible, and is one of the very few State Bhawans which is open to the general public without any qualms. Its cafeteria, which is run privately (most probably) has a broad menu catering a much greater variety while having all quintessential North-Eastern cuisines.
We had a bowl of Chicken Thukpa or the Himalayan Noodle Soup, which you might be surprised to know, is although originally a Tibetan delicacy, is also a part of the staple diet in the North-East, especially in Arunachal Pradesh. You have definitely got to try it sometime here, for it has the perfect blend of spices with distinct flavours of black pepper and garlic.
Meal For Two | Rs 260
Location | 27, Kautilya Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri
3. Gujarat Bhawan
Standing right across the road to Arunachal Bhawan, lies the our PM's home-state's State Bhawan, Gujarat Bhawan. We would recommend you avoiding going to this, or any other the State Houses around public holidays. Gujarat Bhawan has a state-run cafeteria, and although they do have a whiteboard menu, it’s better that you go straight for the Gujarati Thali for that wholesome Gujju experience!
It consists of two Kachoris, one Gujarati Kadhi, one Meethi Dal, some Chhole and Aloo Bhindi, Rice and unlimited rotis all of which is well-prepared and quite scrumptious. For desserts, they have Sooji ka Halwa and Dhokla (also part of the Thali). On top of that, it’s quite reasonable considering the quality they dole out!
Meal For Two | Rs 300
Location |11, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri
4. Punjab Bhawan
We’ll let you guess about the food here! A Punjabi Thali comprising of Dhooli Moong ki Dal & Paalak ka Saag with some Tandoori Roti loaded with butter and some curd. You guessed it right, the most mouthwatering food we had of all the State Bhawans was here, especially the Saag which was so thick we could feel the layers of flavours in our mouth. But since the stakes are so high, getting entry to this one is no cakewalk! Be sure you have 'contacts' before you go here, or be really good at persuading ‘cause there’s a very slim chance they’ll let you in *sigh*!
Meal For Two | Rs 160
Location | Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, CP
5. Goa Niwas
Goa Bhawan has a great restaurant! And it’s nothing like anything that is remotely government-run. Going by the name Viva O’ Viva, the restaurant feels really quirky and oozes the most chill Goan vibes with some light reggae music playing. The menu here is also all about Goa, which means seafood.
We ordered for ourselves some Butter Garlic stuffed Crabs and Prawn Peri Peri served with Pav. And frankly we couldn’t decide which one was better! The Stuffed Crab was a little too dry, but tasted really outlandish whereas the prawns were all sorts of flavoury and fiery, and the best part about it is how well both of them went with the pav, which was quite surprising to us. However, a little heads-up, this one might burn a hole in your pocket if they aren’t deep enough!
Meal For Two | Rs 1,500
Location |14, Goa Niwas, Bir Tikendrajit Marg, Chanakyapuri
Now usually, these State Bhawans or Niwas play host to their own state’s dignitaries and guests, but the sneaky kid in us managed to visit them to find out and try for ourselves the regional delicacies of the respective states. Quick tip - be particular about the time since although they serve all three meals of the day, but during their respective timings and it’s advised to give them a call beforehand! Happy gobbling!
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