Delhi Zaika

5 Photos

by Jonathan Axup
on Monday, June 02, 2008 12:00 AM

Delhi Zaika is a unique family affair serving up authentic Indian and Pakistani food in Hongqiao. It's a bit of a trek from downtown Puxi, but the trip is worthwhile for those serious about their curries.

One of the restaurants' highlights is its charcoal barbeque grill, which allows the Pakistani chef to keep his meats juicy. The shish kebabs served up here, at about RMB150 for a decent sized mix platter, are exceedingly moist and tasty. This differs from other restaurants in Shanghai, and indeed Hong Kong and Singapore, where city proximity limits restaurants to using the non-smoke-emitting tandoor oven, which can dry meat out.

A tasty balancing act is achieved between spices and flavors. Three sauces are on offer - mint yoghurt to reduce spice, mango pickle to maintain spice, and lemon chutney to sweeten - and five types of Naan. The one we tried had just the right level of moisture. Wrap it around your chicken tikka meat, dip it into Rogan Josh curry, and throw a good spoonful of mint yoghurt on top to reproduce your own remarkably balanced taste explosion.

A cousin of the owner explained to us, "When I lived in Bangladesh, I used to travel three hours to eat my favorite fried fish. No one else near my hometown offered this fish. It's my hope people in Shanghai will do the same here." If you and your friends are looking for a reasonably priced hearty curry meal and a good beer (a generous pint of German Erdinger beer is just RMB40), the Delhi Zaika is still a reasonable taxi ride away.