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A colony established for Tibetan refugees around 1950, Majnu Ka Tila is also home to a lot of tasty Tibetan and East Asian food. Nestled in the narrow lanes of the colony are Instagram-worthy cafes, cheap and cheerful restaurants, and competent street vendors. We bring you a list of places to eat at in Delhi’s Little Tibet:
Himalayan Restaurant
A no-frills place, Himalayan Restaurant serves Indian-Chinese as well as Tibetan dishes. The momos and chilli potato are very popular, but we recommend you try the thukpa, which is a traditional Tibetan noodle soup with vegetables or meat. Try the buff chilli with tingmo or steamed Tibetan bread. Momos are served on their own or in soup, and shabalay (fried parcels of meat) also make an appearance on the menu. Wash the greasy food down with a glass of cold apple beer.
Rigo Restaurant
An extensive menu with eclectic dishes defines Rigo Restaurant. There’s everything from Jamaican chicken skewers and peri peri grilled chicken to lasagna and nachos on the menu. Despite the variety, we recommend you stick to Tibetan classics like momos and thukpa, which the restaurant excels at. Datshi, a Bhutanese dish made with cheese and vegetables or meat, is also on the menu and worth trying. Among the momos, the devil-style chicken momos are well-known.
AMA Cafe
AMA Cafe is one of the first places that pops up if you ask people who are well-versed with the food in Majnu Ka Tila about where to eat. With rustic walls and elegant wooden furniture, the place is one of Delhi’s better looking cafes. Visit on a hot day for respite from the sun and views of trees swaying in the breeze. The breakfast is served until 2pm and even has a “Himalayan” option, which comes with Tibetan bread and aloo khatsa. Besides the breakfast, the donuts are very good, as are the fries with different toppings.
Laphing stall
Laphing is a Tibetan specialty, made with noodles that use mung beans, potatoes and wheat flour filled with minced chicken. The noodles are like rolls, which are chopped into pieces and doused with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, red chilli paste and garlic. Look for the stall managed by a lady named Tenzing in the Dalai Lama Temple courtyard. Although there are other stalls that serve laphing in Majnu ka Tila, this one is the most reputed because Tenzing makes the dish entirely by hand.
Busan Korean Restaurant
For a break from all the Tibetan food, visit Busan for some seriously good Korean fare. The place has traditional low seating as well as regular tables. Meals begin with complimentary kimchi and go on to include filling dishes like spicy buff hot pot, kimchi jigae (a kimchi and pork stew), wheat or glass or flat hand-torn noodles, potato pancakes, kimchi pancakes, Korean egg rolls, and bulgogi. The menu is lengthy so there’s lots to choose from. Busan also serves imported Korean drinks.
