"A meal at this Indian-Nepali restaurant in Jackson Heights can happen in one of two ways. The first feels overwhelmingly casual. You’ll sit on the first floor of a bright room on 74th Street, next to a buffet line of pakoras, simmering goat, and chana masala. Delivery drivers and regulars will shuffle in and out, grabbing containers of biryani and fried momos. The second way takes place down a flight of stairs, where there’s a full bar, a TV blaring music videos, and a slot machine with tape over the place where you’re supposed to insert cash. In short, Delhi Heights’ basement runs like a clubhouse. The extensive menu in both dining areas looks the same, though. Most of it features Northern Indian staples, like a clove-heavy chicken curry you could easily down by yourself with some fluffy rice, as well as samosa chaat that continues to guest star in our dreams. Wherever you sit, you shouldn’t leave without trying a couple of Delhi Heights’ Nepali and Chinese-influenced dishes, maybe in the form of slippery sukuti chow mein or a dozen crescent-shaped beef and chive momos. Thankfully, your life doesn’t have to be dictated by chance. Forge your own path at Delhi Heights—whether it’s a quick solo meal upstairs or a fun group dinner where everyone gets their own Taj Mahal tallboy. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Jackson Heights, and, whichever route you choose, it’ll be one of yours too. photo credit: Noah Devereaux Food Rundown Samosa Chaat Our favorite thing about Delhi Heights’ samosa chaat (and there are a lot of them) is how large the pieces of samosas are. Instead of getting tiny bits of fried shell that get lost next to chana masala, red onions, and mint chutney, you’ll bite into a whole crunchy heap of potato in its fried shell. We also enjoy how thick the yogurt sauce on top is. It’s like frosting that’s been squeezed out of a piping bag. You really need to order this. Bhel Puri This is another great chaat to add to your order. Sweet and savory, the texture isn’t dissimilar to a puffed grain cereal, with a ton of whole peanuts mixed in for added crunch. Beef & Chive Momos Delhi Heights makes some delicious momos, even within the context of a neighborhood known for delicious momos. Their steamed versions come pleated and shaped like tiny half moons, and it’s essential that you top each one with some spicy mustard as well as the fiery, long hot pepper vinegar sitting on your table. We prefer these over their fried brethren because the dough’s starchiness lets the herbal flavor of the filling shine through. If you want to try another momo dish, get the mok thuk momo, which comes with steamed momos floating in a creamy, spicy soup. Goat Curry We typically love goat, but Delhi Heights’ goat curry isn’t our favorite. When we’ve eaten this, the meat has been tough and hard to chomp through. Try the chicken curry instead." - Hannah Albertine
