Restaurants serving NE cuisine are a big hit in Delhi
Restaurants serving NE cuisine are a big hit in Delhi
Restaurants serving NE cuisine
Guwahati: The northeastern states, known for their diverse tribes and traditions, also offer a variety of cuisines, and restaurants from the region have recreated these flavors for food connoisseurs in the national capital.
A number of eateries have sprung up across New Delhi that serve dishes with the trademark NE cuisine spices and herbs like bamboo shoot and akhone, along with prime meats.
“We started in 2015 and at that time it was like a hole in the wall but eight years later, we are now at a bigger location and doing good business,” says Mutum Ashok, co-owner of the Manipuri restaurant. said
He said that in the early days, the crowd was mostly restricted to people from the Northeast, but the positive word for the food gradually started attracting people from different places.
“Our USP is the simple, home-cooked food we serve. Our ingredients are sourced from Manipur. People love the unique flavors and our main dishes of pork, chicken and fish,” Ashok said.
A restaurateur from Nagaland, Rokila Patton, said: “People know that our food is healthy, as it does not involve a lot of oil and frying. We have regular customers from our region and many foreigners too, esp. But those who work in different embassies.”The increasing number of restaurants serving food from the Northeast has also increased competition, said Ruby Brahma, who runs an eatery specializing in food from Assam.
“Competition is a challenge. There is a need to constantly understand and evolve consumer preferences while maintaining the unique taste of the dish.
“I try to have a special menu on the weekends, and that has always been a hit with my patrons,” she said.
Ingredients are critical to recreating these flavors, and Ashok, Peyton and Brahma have a specialized supply chain to ensure that the vegetables, herbs and spices are sourced authentically.
Such eateries in the national capital now stock some ingredients for emergency supplies, though restaurateurs prefer to travel from their home states to meet regular needs.
The owners mostly double as chefs and are self-trained.
“I don’t cook often myself, and have been training people who fill in when I’m not around. It’s not just people from the North East who come to work for us, we have the country. There are employees from all over.
“We have been able to withstand the tough times of the lockdown. Our business has grown over time. And, we hope to continue offering the flavors of home to people around the world,” said Brahma.
“Most of us are first-generation entrepreneurs, that too somewhere away from home. We face difficulties in getting the required government permits, as there is no clarity on what approvals we need. Ashok added that the single window clearance system will help people like us.
