Food Chowk, Delhi

The Food Chowk behind the DLF Select Mall is a great VFM option for anyone visiting the trio of malls in Saket. It is attached to the DLF Select Mall internally if you need to get there without exposing yourself to heat or rain.

The food courts in all 3 malls have the usual offerings of KFC, McDonalds, Dominos etc. But for some heartwarming food, you had to try and struggle for a table at one of the better restaurants.

The tagline of The Food Chowk - "Chandni Chowk meets Chowpatty" is quite apt. There are at least 20 different food counters in this food mall(?) that are well spread out. Seating is limited to nooks and corners, but there are tables to stand at and grab that quick bite.

Coming down to the food, the options are plenty. The first store to greet you as you enter is Karims, followed by The Kathis (excellent rolls in the range of 35rs for a single egg roll to 110rs for double egg, double mutton or double egg, double chicken). Then as you meander through the bylanes, you will chance upon Bijoli grill (Bengali food), the Hyderabadi place, Nathu Sweets, Chaat counters (20rs for a plate of pani puri), Maharasthra Food stall - cleaner than its Dilli Haat counterpart offers chaat (35rs for bhel puri) and other Bombay specialites like bajra roti, vada pav, missal pav etc. There even is a Chinese/Thai Food counter and parathas from a mall version of (parathewali galli)

If the desserts at the food stalls aren't enough for you, there is a kulfi stall with a range of flavours including paan, sugar free, butterscotch, black forest and black currant at around 35rs a stick. They did look clean and hygenic and tasted quite good too.

And for the final mouth freshening finish, visit the Prince paan counter.(taxes extra over and above advertised prices). A meetha paan costs about 28rs with tax.

Bottles of water range from 20rs for half litre Kinley and 30rs for a litre of Aqua Fina @ the Drizzles stall to 20rs for a litre of Manikchands Oxyrich at The Kathis. so if you are price sensitive, browse around carefully before selecting your options.

There is a counter below the escalators where you buy a card for your transactions and pre load the card with a 15rs deposit for the card which is refundable when you return the card. (they only accept cash payments right now) All the stalls will only accept this card.

The prices are quite reasonable. 3 of us had a light lunch and late dinner at Food Chowk between browsing at the mall and a movie. The total food bill was less than 1000Rs for 6 non-vegetarian (mostly) meal portions.

It has always been extremely crowded whenever we have passed by the place, but yesterday it was empty enough for us to eschew our favourite "The Big Chill Cafe" to try this place out and we weren't disappointed.