I got an invite from FoodPanda.com to be a part of “foodie bloggers” meet at The Potbelly at Shahpur Jat, Delhi. I am not familiar with Bihari cuisine and hence decided to confirm my participation and get some gyaan and taste. There were a few reviews about The Potbelly and they were indicating that this experience is bound to be different. I was sceptical some part of me was pushing me to drop out and convincing me that it is bound to be Punjabi-ized Bihari cuisine and it is unlikely to be a pleasant experience. Shahpur Jat was not too bad and we did find a street parking close to the restaurant. The first surprise were the steps one had to climb to reach the eating area of the restaurant, a few more and one would be on top of The Qutub Minar.
Having survived that surprise, here we go:
Location: Shahpur Jat Village behind Siri Fort Auditorium. It is on the outer street. Location 3/10 – Be prepared to get lost once you reach the Village, keep 10 minutes for finding the place and another 5 minutes for the countless steps which separate you from the restaurant.
Interior: Of course cannot be a reason for you to go there. Absolutely casual. 5/10
Owner Driven: This place is owner driven and hence this group of bloggers was in for an awesome reception. 10/10
Staff: Hmm… They are helpful and are friendly. 6/10
Crockery: White ceramic, clean and pre-plated variety. 6/10
Glasses: Glasses and other tumblers were not fine but definitely functional. 7/10
Cutlery: Absolutely spotless and scratch less (for me). 8/10
Table and seating: It is a cramped layout. It would be advisable to reach a little early and identify a table which works best for your group. 5/10.
Drinks: We were offered a Thandai, it was good and I would have surely asked for one more had I not been feeling awkward for walking in royally late for the show (I presumed it was an open house and one could walk in any time between the window mentioned).
Salads: Came as sides to all pre-plated food which was ordered, it was not messy and worked as taste changer perfectly. Best part is they were all fresh. 8/10.
Starters:A gentleman sitting next to me enjoyed his Aloo McLalu Chop, it looked interesting and sounded good, he mentioned that it was very nice. 8/10
Main course portions: Portions were generous. One pre-plated dish can feed one person comfortably. 9/10
Main course 1: Litti Chicken. Litti, the bread were wheat balls stuffed with a sattu made of channa daal. It was very tasty. Somewhere between a stuffed kachori and a parantha. The chicken was prepared with Khada Masala and it was the tastiest chicken I have had in a long time. They used Kebab Chini as one of the ingredients, rest all masalas were of the Kadhai Chicken variety, though it was definitely not Kadhai chicken. The sides were of Baingan Chokha and Aloo Chokha. Both the sides were good. 9/10
Main course 2: Sarson wali Machalli, it was Rohu fish in a curry made of yellow mustard, methi and a few masalas. Gravy was very interesting and left a great after taste. The fish was cooked well and the dish was served with a decent portion of steamed rice. 9/10
Date: March 23, 2013 – Time: 2:15 – 3:30
Over all experience – 7/10
Price Rs 600/- or $ 11 for one. Looks like value for money (of course I didn’t pay for my food).
I recommend one visit for all those who would like to discover north Indian food beyond Daal Makhani and Butter Chicken. I will visit this place again. Enjoy!
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