New Delhi serves up fine Indian cuisine
Andrew Aversa
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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There is certainly no shortage of inexpensive ethnic food in the University City area. However, if you've been living here for more than a few months, you've no doubt discovered that all takeout/buffet places are not created equal.
Over the last few years I've sampled quite a number of local restaurants, but as of late there is one I have visited (or ordered from) regularly: New Delhi Indian Restaurant, on 4004 Chestnut Street.
New Delhi is easy to get to - just hop off the Market-Frankford line at 40 and Market, or take a 10-15 minute walk from the main Drexel Campus and into the lovely University of Pennsylvania Area. They also deliver and are listed on CampusFood, so for those of you who prefer the comfort of your own apartment or dorm, you need only pay an additional fifty cent delivery fee to get the same food delivered to your door.
The physical location is quite pleasant indoors. The décor may initially look a bit glitzy, but the art displays and Indian music playing softly over the restaurant P.A. make for an enjoyable atmosphere. The seats are comfy, the waiters are courteous, and perhaps most notably there is a well-stocked buffet in the center. For $11 (less at lunch) you can fill your plate with a variety of about 10 items such as chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, chicken pakora, lamb vindaloo, naan, and so forth.
The buffet also includes a free desert, such as rice pudding or ice cream. If you drop by at lunch you might not end up paying more than $10 for the whole meal - a great deal for the amount of food you get. Also worth mentioning: there's a five percent discount for students (doesn't apply to CampusFood orders, however.) You still have to pay for your drink, of course, and in case you haven't eaten Indian before, capsaicin (the stuff that makes spicy foods spicy) is not water-soluble, so you'll probably want a yogurt-based drink such as a mango lassi to cool down with.
So, how is the actual quality of the food? For the purposes of this review, I decided on take out and ordered the chicken tikka masala (sliced chicken cubes in a tomato-based sauce, accompanied by seasoned rice), two vegetable samosas (non-sweet pastries stuffed with potato, vegetables, onion, and cheese), some naan (soft, fluffy bread), and chicken pakora (a spicy kind of fried chicken).
Over the last few years I've sampled quite a number of local restaurants, but as of late there is one I have visited (or ordered from) regularly: New Delhi Indian Restaurant, on 4004 Chestnut Street.
New Delhi is easy to get to - just hop off the Market-Frankford line at 40 and Market, or take a 10-15 minute walk from the main Drexel Campus and into the lovely University of Pennsylvania Area. They also deliver and are listed on CampusFood, so for those of you who prefer the comfort of your own apartment or dorm, you need only pay an additional fifty cent delivery fee to get the same food delivered to your door.
The physical location is quite pleasant indoors. The décor may initially look a bit glitzy, but the art displays and Indian music playing softly over the restaurant P.A. make for an enjoyable atmosphere. The seats are comfy, the waiters are courteous, and perhaps most notably there is a well-stocked buffet in the center. For $11 (less at lunch) you can fill your plate with a variety of about 10 items such as chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, chicken pakora, lamb vindaloo, naan, and so forth.
The buffet also includes a free desert, such as rice pudding or ice cream. If you drop by at lunch you might not end up paying more than $10 for the whole meal - a great deal for the amount of food you get. Also worth mentioning: there's a five percent discount for students (doesn't apply to CampusFood orders, however.) You still have to pay for your drink, of course, and in case you haven't eaten Indian before, capsaicin (the stuff that makes spicy foods spicy) is not water-soluble, so you'll probably want a yogurt-based drink such as a mango lassi to cool down with.
So, how is the actual quality of the food? For the purposes of this review, I decided on take out and ordered the chicken tikka masala (sliced chicken cubes in a tomato-based sauce, accompanied by seasoned rice), two vegetable samosas (non-sweet pastries stuffed with potato, vegetables, onion, and cheese), some naan (soft, fluffy bread), and chicken pakora (a spicy kind of fried chicken).
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