Delhi Heights Indian Restaurant

"Not only is Delhi Heights one of our favorite Indian restaurants in Jackson Heights, it also happens to serve excellent Nepalese momos. In that way, it’s like your admirable friend who goes to the gym all the time but also stays out late every weekend. From the Indian menu, we love the Punjabi-style palak paneer, thin garlicky naan, and spicy goat kadai. But no meal at Delhi Heights would be complete without an order of beef and chive momos. These steamed dumplings are easily some of the best in the neighborhood. Considering the other options in Jackson Heights, that’s pretty impressive." - neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus, bryan kim

"A meal at this Indian-Nepali restaurant can happen in one of two ways. For a super casual experience, sit on the first floor of a bright room on 74th Street, next to a buffet line of pakoras, simmering goat, and chana masala. Down a flight of stairs, however, there’s a full bar, purple nightclub lighting, and a TV blaring music videos. The extensive menu in both dining areas is the same, though. Most of it features Northern Indian staples, like a clove-heavy chicken curry and palak paneer. But don’t leave without trying food from the Indo-Chinese, Nepali, and Tibetan sections—in the form of tangy cauliflower manchurian or the beef and chive momos." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, carlo mantuano

"At this Indian-Nepali spot in Jackson heights, solo diners drink red wine on Tuesdays, and groups pair steamed momos with tallboys of Taj Mahal beer on Friday nights. Delhi Heights works for a lot of different occasions—as long as you’re fine with a soundtrack that consists of the hum of a freezer full of momos. They have plenty of varieties, including buff momos with water buffalo meat, but we like the chilli chicken ones, smothered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Also get a samay baji set with four quadrants: chicken in a thick, grainy gravy, flattened rice which resembles oats, crunchy soy beans with bits of mind-numbing green chile, and soft potatoes with cilantro. " - willa moore, sonal shah, bryan kim

"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