State Bhawans | What to Eat

By Abhishikta Mallick 

There is no dearth of regional food options in Delhi; you just have to know where to look! Each state has an embassy of sorts in Delhi, called a Bhawan. Along with accommodation for state officials and politicians, these Bhawan’s also run canteens, most of which are open to the public. Although they may not score high on ambience, these canteens offer an extremely affordable and authentic culinary experience.

We bring to you our favourite State Bhawan canteens in Delhi!

ANDHRA BHAWAN |

Situated centrally {near India Gate}, and famous for its spicy fare, the canteen here always has a queue outside its door. Don’t be disheartened though- they have a very efficient usher who’ll make sure you get fed at the earliest. Do remember, it’s a “canteen” and not a restaurant, and be prepared to be seated at any table with an empty chair in front. It’s a different experience altogether!

Andhra Bhavan- Thali

There is no menu– and as you enter you’re asked to buy a food coupon and wait for a table {read on, we’ll help you place that order!}. They serve a set vegetarian all-you-can-eat thali, with the most delicious lemon rice, rasam and kandi podi {gunpowder}. I would have liked to share the names of the other dishes on my plate as well, but the waiters were too busy to stop and chat! Meat lovers MUST order the mutton fry- red hot Andhra goodness. They also serve chicken biryani on Sundays, which is sold out by about 1.30 in the afternoon.
Government employees around that area and Andhraites who frequent this place swear by the food quality and taste. It is not the kind of place to have a leisurely lunch– so order fast, eat fast and leave fast! Also, don’t forget to pick up a paan on your way out! Fans of the Andhra pickles can buy it at the store outside.

Meal for Two : Approx Rs. 300

J&K HOUSE {Kautilya Marg} |
Think Jammu & Kashmir, and a picture of a shikara floating on the Dal Lake will come to mind. But don’t go expecting a fancy houseboat-type experience- they don’t have table mats, cutlery, or even a menu! But will yourself to sit in their college canteen-ish setting, because what awaits you is delicious home cooked Kashmiri fare.On the day I visited, they had seekh kabab, mutton roganjosh and chicken curry for the non-vegetarians; and daal-chawal-subzi and haaq, and local saag for the herbivores. The seekh had a lovely smoky aroma of the grill and had been tossed in some onion rings, tomato and chilli – heavenly! The chicken had a strong tomato taste {not really a fan}, but what really stood out was the roganjosh. Succulent pieces of mutton that just melted in my mouth, and light flavorful gravy that made my taste buds moan with pleasure! The haaq was nice too, but paled in comparison to the rest of the food on our table.

J & K House

As you might have guessed, this place is not very vegetarian-friendly. Also, the canteen caters primarily to the in-house guests; so if you’re planning to go in a big group, just give them a call. They also make gushtaba, rista, etc on prior order.

Meal for Two: Approx Rs. 400

GOA NIWAS |

Their in-house restaurant is called ‘Viva o Viva’, and as you walk into their bright yellow and green dining space, all you’re left longing for is a view of a beach from the window! Probably the best ambience out of the lot, they have bright laminated table-mats that display illustrations by cartoonist Mario Miranda. The menu of the day is handwritten on a white board, and has everything from stuffed crab to xacuti and vindaloo to bebinca.

Goa Niwas

The fare is predominantly non-vegetarian, although the yellow dal is delicious. We ate the pork xacuti and the prawn peri peri and were transported straight to food heaven, if there is such a place! Leave the cutlery aside and dip your pao in the spicy tangy gravy because it is finger licking good. Give the chocolate pudding a miss. The bebinca has a sweet coconutty taste, but it’s as famous in Goa as Feni, so give it a try!

Pao- Goa Niwas

Goa Niwas

A nice change from the usual Delhi joints, soft Goan music playing in the background, waiters dressed in bright Hawaiian shirts, and fresh food that rekindles memories of the beach- this place is a MUST visit!

Meal for Two: Approx Rs. 500

TAMIL NADU |

After being sent to this canteen countless times to get breakfast packed, I can safely say that it has amazing south Indian fare - idli, dosa, vada, upma etc. It also has a decent sit-down cafeteria, offering north Indian and Chinese food in addition to their specialty- chettinad delicacies. Other than the breakfast items, I’ll recommend the veg. korma, and the chicken chettinad with either parotas or appams. Try their biryani for a refreshing curry-patta taste, it comes with a spicy thick gravy and a boiled egg on top! Surprisingly, the tandoor items on their menu are very good too. For those who want to experiment with dosas, try the egg dosa- it’s unusual!
They also make a mean filter coffee, true Tamil style. I’ll say, this is the best balanced for vegetarians and non-vegetarians out of all Bhawans on this list.

Meal for Two: Approx Rs. 400

ASSAM HOUSE |

There are two versions of this state guest house – Assam Bhawan, which has the restaurant Jakoi, and Assam House, which is tucked inside a tiny lane behind Bihar Bhawan. While the ambience is not as nice as Jakoi, the food is delicious, and more reasonably priced. My Assamese friend from college, who frequents this joint for a “taste of home”, took me here. On his suggestion we ordered a vegetarian thali each, which had simple, wholesome food – rice, daal, 3 vegetables, chutney and kheer. In addition, we got the tanga jhol, which is a tangy fish curry. The fish in mustard gravy was absolutely lip smacking, as was the pork khorika, which is a barbequed meat dish. My vegetarian friends loved the aloo fry.
The waiters speak Assamese fluently and understand very little Hindi, so you won’t get much help in placing your order. Go with a native, like I did, or follow our recommendations!

Meal for Two:  Approx Rs. 500