A new food venture is underway in Georgetown as the anticipated restaurant Delhi Belly officially celebrates its grand opening at 1560 Wisconsin Ave NW. This new restaurant introduces an interesting shift in the neighborhood’s culinary landscape. It now offers a street-food-inspired experience that reflects the casual, dynamic culture of urban India.
The property is a well-known landmark that has witnessed several culinary transitions in recent years. For nearly a decade before closing, it was defined by Dolcezza’s sweet artisanal offerings, serving as a popular hub for gelato enthusiasts to grab a bite. Following Dolcezza’s long tenure, the space briefly hosted a variety of concepts, including shops like Oakberry, La Jolie Bleue Bakery & Cafe, and Bharati.
Delhi Belly is the latest from hospitality veterans Vikas Kakkar and Raj Manroy, the visionaries behind the Bethesda flagship, Virraaj. Characterizing itself as trading silk tablecloths for a “street-side charm,” the new restaurant aims to bring the vibrant heartbeat of Indian street life to the District corner and offer a different experience from its fine-dining parent.
“From the royal kitchens of Virraaj – a name that echoes splendour, creativity, and cultural pride – comes a bold new adventure that trades silk tablecloths for street-side charm,” boasts the restaurant’s advertising. “Welcome to Delhi Belly, where culinary tradition takes to the streets with swagger. Born from the same visionaries… who turned heads in Maryland with the refined elegance of Virraaj, Delhi Belly is our vibrant encore.”
Kakkar and Manroy noted that their passion and taste still reflected their upbringing back home. Likewise, I’ve always believed street food is the true heartbeat of a culture, and for the Indian diaspora. It can turn the ordinary into a vibrant memory. I can still hear my mom’s voice urging my siblings and me to hurry back to our kitchen counter and eat the pani puri she just made before they turned soggy. Sometimes she topped her chaat with dahi (yogurt) and turned it into “dahi puri,” sev (a snack made of chickpea flour), or crushed peanuts.
As a kid, I eventually learned to perfect the art of using my thumbs to crack the wafers into a generous hole to hold the filling before my mom poured each wafer with pani (water) spiced with a mixture of green chilies and herbs. Of course, I would never forget to top mine off with plenty of chutney for extra tanginess. While many love the sweet tamarind, I have always gravitated toward the fiery kick of the “green chili chutney,” though I’ll admit I usually mix both sweet and spicy sauces whenever I try her homemade “samosas,” which were usually filled with crushed potatoes or, my favorite, peas.
Under its new management, the Delhi Belly’s interior has been renovated to reflect a vibrant outlook. Moving away from the formal murals and traditional decor typically associated with the owners’ previous work, Delhi Belly’s interior now features graffiti-splashed windows and posters of notable old Bollywood film icons on its walls.
As noted on their website, Delhi Belly’s menu centers on a flavor-packed time-machine concept, evoking a sensory, nostalgic taste of dishes such as childhood chaat pitstops and midnight gol gappa cravings typically associated with Indian street food vendors. I recently stopped by and tried my usual favorite snack from any Indian street shop: a paneer tikka wrap. It was sweet yet savory, filled with well-spiced orange cubes of paneer (a type of cheese made from milk), and topped with sautéed veggies and sauces. I had my eyes on their fusion-style pizzas and veggie burgers for my next trip.
The menu also includes a fusion-style list of desserts such as kesar-pista, a saffron and pistachio-flavored ice cream, and kulfi falooda, a dessert topped with vermicelli noodles. Beverage options include railway chai, a signature spiced staple often steamed and served on the streets or railways in traditional clay cups called kulhads.
Delhi Belly is now open for all to sample.
Featured image/photos courtesy of Delhi Belly.
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