Last of the excursions in pursuit of chhole bhature! It has been a long journey because if there is one thing Delhi has a lot of – its chhole bhature. Everyone sells it, everyone cooks it and everyone eats it.
At the fag end of the journey to discover the best chhole bhature in Delhi I came to Haldiram. I had heard they do them quite well and the clean, sanitary environment with a table and chair to sit on is a plus. So I decided that before I permanently retire from project ‘bhature chhole’ I might as well give them a try.
They are visually appealing and hygienically prepared. A good option for those who do not want the rough and tumble of the streets. A bit on the pricey side at Rs 147 per plate. But hey! You have to pay for the branding and your table and chair. Is it brilliant? Nah. Misses some of the special zing at Nand in Sadar or a Chachaji at Kamla Market. Pickles were a zero on ten. Fairly decent without any flashes of brilliance. Its user friendly. Its convenient. Its tasty. But I have had better.
I think I have done it all at least as far as CB go. My top of the pops? Numero Uno is Nand in Sadar. Made in desi ghee. Next is Bhogal in CP. Great bhature. Chhole are ok. Then come Chachaji in Kamla Market, Baba Nagpal in Amar Colony and Odeon Sweets in Gol Market.
West Delhi holds its own as far as Chhole Bhature go. Rama near the Tihar Jail and Ramesh in Patel Nagar are very good. Then there is Standard in Old Rajinder Nagar. Good but slightly mild. Roshan in Karol Bagh is good too. But don’t bother with the rest of their menu.
Diwan Chand in Paharganj lost out because of pre-packaged bhature even in the restaurant. I want them fresh off the wok!
Quality serves brilliant chhole bhature. Still. But at a whopping Rs 375 per plate, that brilliance is not worth it. They cannot charge so much for what is the common man’s food. Therefore, they are not there in my top of the pops list. Almost all the places I ate in were decent. Almost nobody served a bad plate of chhole bhature. So keep trying. The journey is the fun part!
Wanderings in Delhi 