Golden Café | Momos and more!
Momos, that’ll make you come back to this cafe countless number of times. Read why Golden Cafe, a humble Pan-Asian eatery in Pahar Ganj, stands out in this crowded market.
There’s no dearth of Chinese eateries in Delhi, however, there are only a handful that have some repeat value. I am not fanatic about my Chinese food preferences and love to savour the adulterated Indian Chinese as much as the authentic one. Much before I discovered the authentic, I had already become way too affectionate towards the Indianised form of Chinese food. And it hasn’t changed much till date.
So, after numerous home deliveries, that have saved me from late night hunger pangs and cooking ordeals, I finally landed up at my favourite joint – Paharganj’s famous Golden Café. The visit had been long due and once I reached there, I felt I knew the people and the food already.
As soon as I stepped in, I ordered for a plate of Chicken Momos, almost as an instinct. I can really vouch for the momos! Unarguably the biggest momos in town, the juicy momos have generous amounts of delicious chicken filling, covered in a thin layer of coating. Raju, the staff member (whom I have spoken to, many a times over the phone) very proudly said, “Other places give you chicken filling like misers, but we don’t. That’s why our momos are the best!” And he’s damn right! The momos are also available in pork.
I also wanted to try their Japanese food, but unfortunately, the dishes I wanted to try, weren’t available that day. Hence, I decided to stick to their Chinese section. I ordered for Chando Chicken and Mee Goreng noodles.
As soon as the dishes arrived on our table, they (the staff guys) were more than willing to help us photograph the food. In fact, they gave few tips on composition as well, which was rather cute. They took immense pride in telling us how their food is so special, as compared to other Chinese eateries in the vicinity.
I dug in as soon as we finished the shots.
The Chando Chicken was a welcome change from Cantonese or Sichuan and paired very well with the Mee Goreng noodles. Quite frankly, I ordered it because I had never seen it on any other menu of any Chinese restaurant. Deep-fried chicken breast, bell peppers, Chinese cabbage, black mushrooms, lemon juice and Chinese herbs – if this doesn’t sound appetizing what will? I instantly fell in love with the spicy, tangy taste of this curry.
The stand out point in the dishes was that they weren’t overly seasoned in chilli or sauce. All the vegetables felt fresh and had been cooked ever so lightly. They were easy to chew and didn’t feel like a mishmash of vegetables
I was told that Golden Café used to serve world cuisine earlier, but few years later, better sense prevailed and Bimal Gupta, the owner, decided to concentrate solely on Pan Asian flavours. Well he did make the right call, as now Golden Café stands out in the crowd, as there’s no dearth of cafes in Paharganj selling every possible cuisine under one roof.
Go to Golden Café with a big appetite, in order to finish the portions, which are genuinely HUGE!
I have always had great things to say about their food, now I also know the good people out there, making this great food. When you love the food you make, it always shows.
Address: 1, Nehru Bazaar, Panchkuian Road, Opposite Hanuman Temple, Pahar Ganj, New Delhi 110055
Contact: +91 9810819377
In a nutshell:
Location: Right opposite Sabzi Mandi (Hanuman Temple of Paharganj), this eatery is located on the Nehru Bazaar main road.
Atmosphere: Clean, comfortable with basic seating.
Service: The staff is friendly and well-informed. The café offers excellent home delivery service.
Food: Chinese, Thai and Japanese, enjoy the Pan Asian flavours here in abundance.
Must Haves: Steamed Momos, Chando Chicken, Thai Curry, Mee Goreng Noodles.
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