Karishma P.
Yelp
Had been wanting to try this place out for awhile, but hadn't found my way to Maida Vale for a couple of months.
When we were craving Indian chaat at home, I was really excited to see that they would deliver.
Dhaba @ 49 is the REAL DEAL!
Authentic North Indian food. Not Bangladeshi Indian, not British Indian, not Pakistani (my closest substitute), but honest to goodness North Indian food.
I'd easily return to this restaurant, even if it was one of the many serving this cuisine in Delhi.
The chaat was the best we have had in central London. Ragda tikki/patties, papdi chaat and pani puri / gol gappe. All were bang on the flavour. They packed the components individually, so they could be assembled at home. The patties lost a bit of the crispness due to being steamed in the shut box, but I'm sure it would be perfect when eating in.
The paneer could have been a tad softer, but sometimes a tandoor can tend to dry it out a bit, so I'll reserve judgement on the texture. The flavour however was very good. Properly marinated paneer tikka.
I wasn't sure what to expect with the dhabha roti, and was pleasantly surprised with the light, crisp flavoured roti. Somewhere between a stuffed paratha and a papad. Very yum.
The biryani was light and flavourful. Typical delhi style, closer to the Calcutta style (minus the potatoes) More pulao-ish than a heavily flavoured hyderabadi style (my personal favourite). This paired very well with a bit of the sauce from the tiffin chicken (which was so tender and soft)
The chicken 65 was the only item that didn't measure up to my expectation. But very few do. Chicken 65 is best had at a Hyderabadi place with a lot more spices and chillies thrown in. The dish was good as a stand alone starter, but can't fulfil my craving for chicken 65.
Everything was beautifully flavoured, low on oil - so not your typical takeaway - more home style, well packed, not too spicy. I'd say medium spice.
The cold kheer was a lovely finish to the meal.
I've seen pictures of their interiors and their cocktails look amazing. I'm glad to have a proper Indian restaurant near by. It's a place I would be confident to take friends looking for indian
Updated 5 Dec 2018
We've now visited the dhaba twice. The first time was for their Diwali special fixed menu which was fantastic. 4 of us, but they allowed us to order for 3 as the 4th person was on a very restricted diet that they happily catered for.
Enjoyed the food so much, that when I had to plan a dinner for 8 fussy Indians today who were traveling from across the London and the US: we needed good food, alcohol, space to be able to sit comfortably, talk in slightly louder voices and not be rushed out before the next sitting. I didn't think twice and just booked the Dhaba @ 49.
Everyone loved the food. Vegetarians, chickentarians, meat eaters alike.
Except for their paneer being a bit on the drier side, I have to say that every dish was as good as you would get in a food restaurant in Delhi and that is high praise indeed for a London restaurant.
Service is still a bit on the slower side, but they more than make up for it in helpfulness.