The foodie’s hometown….

When I am travelling to different parts of the world, my foodie instincts are at their peak. Right from my childhood I have been fascinated by food. I like experimenting with my food. From the Thukpa of Ladakh to the Gatte ki sabzi of Jaisalmer.From the Kulchas of Amritsar to the Kebabs of Lahore and the list goes on …..

But today I will limit myself to my foodie escapades in Delhi. Being born and brought up in Delhi, my connection with the food here is at another level. I have explored each and every by lane of Delhi for good food. Today I am sharing with you my personal favorites -

1. Karims – If you like mutton then Karim’s is the place to be .The mutton lovers swear by this eating joint situated near Jama Masjid. My personal favorites – Burra Kebab , Keema Nan and Phirni .The vegetarian fare is avoidable though

2. Khan Chacha – Situated in a small by lane of Khan Market, Khan Chacha dishes out the best Chicken and Mutton Rolls in Delhi. The paneer rolls are good too.

3. Chicken Planet –If you are looking for having a great chicken curry, then Chicken Planet situated at Filmistan serves is the place to be. The curry (a gravy dish prepared in a huge utensil) has optimum amount of spices and leaves you asking for more. The service is poor though

4. Big chill –Italian food never tasted better. Though the place dishes out a spicier version of Italian cusine, but that does not mean that the dishes are not lip smacking. Must Haves – “Arabiatta sauce Pastas” , “Oreo shakes” and “Mud Pie”

5. Bukhara – From Bill Clinton to Bill Gates, all the big guns of the world swear by the Kebabs and the Dal Bukhara served at arguably the best restaurant in Delhi( situated in the Maurya Sheraton hotel). Bukhara simply deserves 5 out of 5. Downside – Meal for 2 can leave a big hole in your pocket and the reservation is difficult to get on weekends

6. Dum Pukht – The less known cousin of Bukhara, serves Hyderabad cuisine prepared in a very unique style(It’s called “DUM” style of cooking) .I have been to this place countless number of times but I still yearn for the food served here. It serves arguably the best biryani in Delhi.

7. Paramjit Machhi Waala – Winters is the season to have fish in Delhi. During winters huge crowds assemble at a small shop in Moti Nagar ( West Delhi ).The Fish tikka at this place is out of the world. The downside – everything gets over by 10PM J

8. Dakshin – The best south Indian restaurant in Delhi (situated at the ITC hotel in Saket). The uppams are so fresh and hot that I loose count of them when relishing them with a Mangalorian Fish curry.The vegetarian fare is amazing too.The Dosas are great too.A must visit for any South Indian food lover

9. Nirula’s –If you feel like having an ice cream to the beat the hot summer in Delhi then nothing beats the Hot Chocolate Fudge at Nirula’s.The other ice cream flavors are great too.

10. Haldiram’s – If you are a hardcore vegetarian and you crave for chaats and poori sabzi , then don’t look further.Haldiram’s is the place for you to be in . The Raj Kachori is my personal favourite.

11. Momo’s point – If you are shopping in rajouri garden , a great place to have a snack is Momo’s point in the main market.The Momo’s are served hot and with an extremely chilly sauce ( and the stress is on extremely J) and go best with a good old Thumbs Up

12. Moti Mahal – The butter chicken originated from this restaurant situated in Daryaganj in Old Delhi. I have not had better butter chicken elsewhere. The downside – The rest of dishes can be a bit disappointing

13. Annapurna Sweets in Chandni Chowk –The Sondesh and Roshogullas here leave you asking for more even when you are conscious of that bulging belly J

14. Paranthe Waali Gali – Have you ever had Banana Parantha or a Rabri parantha? The combination sounds strange .but it won’t when you visit this small by lane in Chandni Chowk . The lassi and the aloo sabzi that they serve go well with the lip smacking paranthas.Arguably, the best paranthas in Delhi are served here.

15. Bhalle Papri at Bharat Nagar near Ashok Vihar Naala – This small shop serves arguably the best bhala papri in Delhi.

16.Shwarma corner in New Friends Colony - My four years of college were spent gorging on this delicious lebanese snack.No other snack comes close.My personal favorite.Downside - Do not order any other dish.Just stick to the good old Shwarma

Just limiting myself to the 16 places was difficult, but i did'nt want to flood everyone with the different foods of Delhi in one go.I will cover some of the rest in a future post. Till then make it a point to visit all of the places that I mentioned and you will not be disappointed.

Also i ill try to capture a similar list of my favorite food items from across the world. Till then happy fooding J……………

PS: Do mention your favorite food hangouts in Delhi too :)