Mukul Goyal wrote a review Mar 2021

Jaipur, India33 contributions14 helpful votes

Food in Chauri Bazaar to Chandani Chowk , Old Delhi in the Pre Corona days. “It was a soothing reiki of sights, sounds and smell , of a different world all together. Eating there was just incidental.” One fine evening, I got off at the Chauri Bazaar Metro station and walked the narrow lanes upto the South Gate of Jama Masjid to the famous ‘food street’ of Kareem’s and Al Jawahar for a hearty meal of Kali Mirch Chicken and a huge Khameeri Roti. This is where the real foodies go. After spending two hours there, took a loop round the whole Jama Masjid through the east gate night market, to exit on the Chandani Chowk side and after travelling through another set of streets reached the Metro station of Chandani Chowk and went back home. So this was the plan. Back at the South Gate of Jama Masjid, looking at the multitude of eateries........with food in so much of abundance, one wonders ; how can people go hungry. The list of food items besides the endless grill shops of mutton, chicken and fish , go on to the exotic dishes of the Mughal period. Be it sweets, bakery rusks, roties, everything was available. In fact besides the usual Khameer roti, the most exotic roti one can have there was the sweet dry fruit laden desi ghee Sheermal roti. Of course I couldn’t miss the amazing historic sweets like the extra long Gulab Jamun, the Kala Jamun, kali Jalebi, white gajar ka halwa, chawal til ke pakore besides the whole range of the usual fare. The ‘sweet milk’ stalls with a variety of other milk based sweets were mouth watering. Oh yes, I also had the amazing Shahi Tukra ...... the famous Mughal dish which was fabled to have been brought by Emperor Babur, learnt through an Egyptian cook to make use of left over breads. Everyone trying to please me by giving a bite to taste........ Probably today I managed to touch the tip of the iceberg in this milieu of Chauri Bazaar......but with subsequent visits the rusks and bakery biscuit shops that I conveniently overlooked, have to be explored. This place is cluttered, chaotic, congested and probably the only place in the world where traffic jams are caused by cycle rickshaws,two wheelers and pedestrians !! But it has its character ...... vendors calling out to clients, a suspected thief being beaten outside a jewellery shop, people standing in the centre of the road deep in discussions , oblivious of the traffic chaos they have caused and ....... so on. And the cultural transition is so evident when one walks from the muslim dominated lanes of Chauri Bazaar to the front side of Jama Masjid multi talented handicraft markets, melting into the Hindu dominated delicious chaat stalls and sweet shops of Chandani Chowk. Suddenly non veg disappears from the roads and poori /kachori/bewri with aloo Sabzi and thick Jalebis becomes the order of the day. This food trail of course ends at the strictly vegetarian Parantha wali gali behind the Gurudwara. That’s the only place in the world where you get paranthas fried in shallow pans of desi ghee, stuffed with whatever vegetable you can imagine. Oh yes. I had a sweet banana stuffed parantha !! And the ka^rela parantha is not to be missed. The menu is so vast that you could have every vegetable / dry fruit stuffing possible with mix and match options. But, there was one common food on both sides of Jama Masjid. This common delicacy is called ‘DAULAT ki Chaat.’ And it is not the traditional chaat!! Lodged in a straw basket on the back side of a bicycle, this heritage sweet is made from the froth of sweetened milk mixed with kesar/Elaichi flavours and dry fruits. It’s variant is called Makhan Malai in UP and is available only in the winter days as the froth is frozen in the cool breeze of the night. Here the vendors were visible till 10pm. For many folks, this place may seem dirty and unhygienic compared to modern day kitchens and restaurants , but at the same time it is fascinating to see and smell the exciting delicacies being freshly prepared in front of you. So go challenge your self, if you are a true foodie !!! …

Date of experience: March 2021

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Brian Rumao wrote a review Feb 2021

1 contribution

A beautiful experience

Review of: Half Day Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Masterji Kee Haveli Visiting Tour

We found that Old Delhi streets are among the most fascinating places in the world. By exploring it on foot you really are able to get in touch with every-day life in India. We really had a good time discovering the heart of Delhi with Masterji Kee Haveli Walking Tour. The booking process was easy and smooth. On the tour, we were introduced to Delhi's rich culture and food and we also got to visit an Old Haveli which has been tastefully preserved to take you back in time. The hospitality extended by the gracious family was excellent and had a personal touch. …

Date of experience: March 2020

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gangan7149 wrote a review Dec 2020

1 contribution2 helpful votes

Best Tour Ever

Review of: Half Day Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Masterji Kee Haveli Visiting Tour

This tour is one of the best experiences I have had in all my travels! Our tour guide was amazing, kind informative, answered all our questions and took us to so many cool places! I really felt like I got to see so much of the culture, history and commerce of New Delhi and the food was all so delicious, especially the home cooked meal we got on our last stop at the Haveli. So welcoming and warm to be invited into his beautiful restored Haveli home. Through his family's history interwoven with the culture and history of India and his wife's incredible cooking, I felt like an honored guest, what a blessing! If you want to be immersed is history, culture and foods of Delhi I cannot recommend this tour enough! Thank You So Much to Chander for a wonderful day and an unforgettable experience. It was the highlight of my trip to India! I still want the recipe for those incredible vegetarian meatballs we had at the Haveli meal! This is a not to miss tour if you love food and culture! I was there in Dec of 2019, but the list doesn't go back that far and I apologize it took me a year to write.…

Date of experience: January 2020

2 Helpful votes

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Response from olddelhiwalk, Owner at Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Haveli Visit

Responded 6 Jan 2021

Dear Friend, Thank you for such a lovely and beautiful review of the experience you enjoyed with us in Old Delhi and calling it “Best Tour Ever”. We are very passionate about Old Delhi which is a home of rich culture & many hidden gems which are only known to local people who are actually living in Old Delhi. We enjoy sharing this off the beaten path of Old Delhi with our guests as local friends and your review and recommendations gives a great boost to our passion. We are glad that you could join us on your journey to explore and experience this part of The Incredible India through our Old Delhi Bazaar Walk. Team - Master ji kee Haveli dotcom

Paul B wrote a review Nov 2020

8 contributions1 helpful vote

3 days in Agra

Review of: Early morning Taj Mahal & Agra Fort Same Day return experience from Delhi

Our visit to Agra was our second experiences with Dhruv and his outfit. They planned a three day customized itinerary for us with car, driver, and local tour guides. Everything went great. They had everything planned out well leaving some flexibility for changes along the way. Our family of three had a a great time. We went over Diwali, and they even used their connections to allow us to be a part of a local shipowner's family celebration. I highly recommend this company for any travel/tours.…

Date of experience: November 2020

1 Helpful vote

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Response from olddelhiwalk, Owner at Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Haveli Visit

Responded 6 Jan 2021

Dear Friend, Thank you very much for your continued support and kind review on the experience of Agra Tour with us. We plan our Agra and Jaipur tours with equal passion and thinking out of the box attitude as we do for our Old Delhi Walks. We want to make the experience of our guest safe and memorable and want them to have smile when they think of their their time with us. We are glad that our team can meet your expectation from this tour and we feel honored that you booked this second experience with us. Team - Master Ji kee Haveli dotcom

Paul B wrote a review Oct 2020

8 contributions1 helpful vote

Oct 2020 half day tour

Review of: Half Day Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Masterji Kee Haveli Visiting Tour

Great walking tour of old Delhi. You get the authentic Delhi without being overwhelmed. Super knowledgable and accommodating guide. They go the extra mile for COVID avoidance.

Date of experience: October 2020

2 Helpful votes

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Response from olddelhiwalk, Owner at Old Delhi Bazaar Walk & Haveli Visit

Responded 6 Jan 2021

Dear Friend, Thank you so much for your short but beautiful review that says it all! The rich culture of Old Delhi fascinates us and we like to share this experience of Old Delhi with our friends coming from all over the world. We want the people travelling to India to have an off the beat experience and your review and recommendations gives a great boost to our passion. Team - Master ji kee Haveli dotcom

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