Bihar Niwas

Bihar Niwas' The Potbelly is more upscale than perhaps any of Delhi's other state canteens (although similar in price to Goa Niwas' Viva O' Viva). Accompanied by PJ's mom, we all had high expectations for the restaurant, but even those were surpassed by the nice decor, attentive service, and, most of all, the delicious dishes.

The room and outdoor garden of The Potbelly stands in stark contrast to the rather drab, florescent-lit interior of Bihar Niwas. Smooth jazz floats through the restaurant and staff stand ready to explain the already detailed menu.

A light rain made the interior even more calm and relaxing

Going off one of the manager's recommendations, we ordered some distinctively Bihari starters: a pakora basket (with fried eggplant, potato, tapioca, and onion fritters), keema goli (spiced mutton minced kebabs served with mini flaky flatbreads), and fish chokha on marua roti (a fish mash served on fried millet breads with a coriander and tomato chutney). I also ordered a nettle lemongrass iced text—admittedly not a typical Bihari/Indian beverage—which proved the perfect way to wash down the parade of courses.

The pakora basket and keema goli

All three hors d'oeuvres were delicious, but the fish chokha in particular surprised our palettes. The combination of textures and flavors—the mustardy, creamy fish, the dense yet crisp millet bread and the two chutnies, one sauce-like and one more akin to a roughly chopped salsa—was remarkable.

The surprising, remarkable fish chokha

Already a little stuffed from the starters, we ordered the Bihari staple litti chokha (whole-wheat balls stuffed with spiced gram flour and served with lentils, eggplant, and potato mash) and champaran-style mutton (served boneless in a thick pepper gravy with lentil rotis and yogurt-mint-potato raita) as our main course. Both were delicious, although we found, perhaps for no fault of the restaurant, the little chokha very dense. The mutton, on the other hand, was heavenly tender and nicely spiced.

Our two mains of litti chokha and champaran-style mutton

By this time, we were hardly able to move in our chairs, but we loosened our belts and settled in for a dessert of saffron boondi (sweet gram flour balls) on hung curd. It too proved delicious, and again demonstrated an unusual yet complementary variety of textures and tastes, with the very sweet, crisp boondi in contrast with the creamy, tart yogurt.

Saffron boondi on hung curd to finish off a delightful meal

We finished the meal happily stuffed. Beyond the foods' taste, the presentation of the dishes also stood out.

All in all, it was a wonderful meal and we all remarked that we hope to return soon. Although pricier than the standard bhawan canteen, we felt that the price tag was more than justified by the quality.

Price of meal for three: ₹1960

Bihar Niwas Road No. 15,
Tikendrajit Marg,
New Delhi, Delhi 110021

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