In certain Parisian neighborhoods, Indian restaurants are legion. Strasbourg Saint-Denis comes to mind, with its passage Brady - not necessarily the prettiest of the capital's covered passages, but certainly a discreet one that's as cosmopolitan as it is sapid.
In recent years, however, a number of Indian restaurants have taken to the contemporary scene, without ever denying their roots, such as Jugaad, chef Manoj Sharma 'sstunning restaurant, which has immediately become one of our favorite Indian restaurants in Paris.
The 11th arrondissement, on the Saint-Maur/Saint-Ambroise side, is getting a breath of spicy fresh air with the opening of Delhi Bazaar, Paris's new dél(h)ice, the brainchild of Bastien Peccoux and Alexis Gracio, two foodie friends disappointed by the capital's arid Indian offerings and determined to introduce Parisians to the flavors and complexity of this colorful, spicy gastronomy.
For this large-scale project, there was only one condition: to partner with a chef capable of preserving traditional flavors while adding a touch of modernity. This has been achieved with the arrival of Eqbal Hossain in the team, a Bangladeshi already at the helm of Rasna in the 15th arrondissement, trained for almost 10 years in several Indian restaurants in London and having worked in the kitchens of Desi Road as sous-chef to... Manoj Sharma - well, well.
Boarding the Eurostar bound for the English capital, the three companions took in a succession of Indian restaurants (up to 3 a day!), from boui-boui toMichelin-starred establishments, to decide which wood to use for Delhi Bazaar's budding menu. First of all, the desire to get off the beaten track and away from the stereotypes of Indian cuisine - most of the time, only recipes from the south of the country - often sanitized and confined to a few sauces, a few meats, too few spices and far too much sugar.
The aim is to rediscover authenticity, but also to honor local products through dishes sourced in France - with the exception, of course, of Shira's spices, which are sourced organically or through sustainable agriculture from cooperatives of small producers throughout the Indian subcontinent. Organic broccoli comes from the Ile de France, lamb and beef from Aveyron, while milk for chai and yoghurt for chutneys are produced just 17km from Paris.
Not content with giving Indian cuisine a facelift, the trio are also dusting off the decor. Gone are the golden icons, the pictures of the Taj Mahal on the wall, the dangling trinkets and the smell of incense. With a design inspired by Old Delhi's old bazaar, Chandni Chowk, the heart of North Indian cuisine, Delhi Bazaar in collaboration with Dorénavant Studio tastefully opts for a white marble bar, a brick wall that revisits the moucharabieh of the Red Fort, an open kitchen imagined as a street food corner and objects found here and there.
Before moving on to the 'solid' part of the menu, let's take a look at the 'liquid' part, with a cocktail menu that also shakes up the codes, mixing flavours and products from Indian gastronomy with ease. These include the Cardamome Mule cocktail (vodka, jasmine syrup, ginger beer, lime, cardamom essence) and the Delhi Bazaar cocktail (French gin, triple sec kumquat, organic black tea, Fenugreek syrup, lime), priced at €9 and €13 respectively. Of course, you can also opt for a glass of wine selected by Juliette Lambert, or a non-alcoholic drink, lassi and homemade chai, to keep you in the mood.
Now it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for: the menu, divided into three main sections: chaats, the savoury fingerfood that Indians eat at all hours of the day and which is already widespread in London restaurants; the tandoor, the traditional earthenware oven that rises to over 400°C in which meats and vegetables are grilled; and curries and biryani, a far cry from the image we have of certain shapeless Indian dishes - here, meats and vegetables are cooked whole to preserve their textures and aromas. And let's not forget the must-try naan: plain (2€), garlic (2.5€), cheese (3€) or the ultimate combo, the demonic garlic-cheese naan (3.5€)!
Then there's dahi puri (6€), puffed wheat hulls topped with mint and coriander chutney, tamarind and yoghurt, a tasty new dish for us; a vada pav (8€), a kind of soft brioche, stuffed with a potato croquette, to be dipped in a green sauce and red chili powder; the indisputable butter chicken (13€), made with a whole thigh cooked in the tandoor and dipped in a tomato sauce with butter, cashews and fenugreek; and a chicken korma (16€), a beautiful chicken breast cooked in the tandoor with a creamy cardamom and almond sauce, served with spiced pulao rice (2.5€).
It's impossible not to be tempted by the desserts, which, like the rest of the menu, are unlike any other: firstly, an ice cream (5€) that revisits the Indian ice cream with cardamom and almonds in a much airier sundae version, and secondly, a rasmalai (7€), a traditional Indian dessert that can be a real eye-opener (we personally loved it) made with homemade fromage frais topped with a sweetened milk reduction.
A merry bazaar we can't wait to return to!
Location
Delhi Bazaar
71 Rue Servan
75011 Paris 11
Official website
www.instagram.com
