Humayunpur is no longer one of South Delhi's best-kept food secrets. The neighbourhood has been named the 16th coolest neighbourhood in the world in Time Out's annual list of 40 coolest neighbourhoods. The urban village in Safdarjung Enclave is known for its food, independent businesses and close-knit community. But it is the food that makes a visit here particularly interesting.
There are more than 50 eateries and kitchens in and around Humayunpur, many serving food from the Northeast, the Himalayas and different parts of Asia. Naga and Manipuri thalis, Mizo dishes, momos, thukpa, laphing, Korean ramen and Vietnamese food are all part of the mix.
Here are some places to add to your food trail.
Lha Kitchen
Lha Kitchen has been serving Himalayan food in Humayunpur since 2018. The menu covers Nepalese, Tibetan and other Eastern Himalayan favourites. The Lha Special Kothe Momos are a good place to begin. There are also Jhol Momos, Shafaley and Aloo Sadeko.
For a proper meal, go for the Nepalese Thakali Thali. It comes with rice, dal, greens and pickles, along with a choice of chicken, pork or lamb.
Rude Chef
Rude Chef takes things in a more seafood-heavy direction. The laid-back restaurant serves Thai dishes along with prawns, crab, calamari and pork. The seafood platter is one of the bigger orders, with fish, prawns and calamari.
For pork, there is braised pork belly cooked with mountain pepper and fermented soybean, as well as an ageing pork curry served with rice. The restaurant also serves a house-brewed pink rice beverage.
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Yong's Kitchen
Yong's Kitchen is another Humayunpur name to know, especially for seafood and Naga food. Its seafood boil comes with crab, prawns, mussels, corn and potatoes tossed in a spicy, buttery sauce. It is the kind of order that works particularly well for a table sharing food.
The Naga side of the menu includes smoked pork, chilli crab and Naga thalis. The thalis come with rice, seasonal greens and a spicy tomato and Raja chilli chutney, along with pork, chicken or fish.
Hornbill Naga Restaurant
Hornbill has been serving Naga food since 2015, with a menu centred around rustic, home-style preparations. The smoked pork with bamboo shoot and axone is one of its signature dishes. There are also crispy pork ribs, frizzled pork and smoked pork thali.
Chicken and fish feature on the menu too. The fish with Raja mircha is particularly great for diners who enjoy plenty of heat. A side of dry fish chutney adds another layer of spice and umami to the meal.
Tuoi Moi Eats
For Vietnamese food, make your way to Tuoi Moi Eats. The menu includes bánh mì, phở, bún chả and prawn summer rolls. The bánh mì makes for an easy, quick meal, while the phở is a better pick when you want a bowl of hot noodles and broth.
There are also bánh khọt, crispy rice-flour pancakes, and Angels On Horseback, which combines prawns, bacon and hoisin glaze. Vietnamese coffee is available too, along with homemade ice cream.
Oh! Assam
Oh! Assam brings Assamese food to the Humayunpur-Safdarjung Enclave food trail. The restaurant serves regional thalis as well as individual meat dishes. Look out for the duck, fish and pork thalis, depending on what is available.
The menu also includes chicken with lai xaak, chicken with bamboo shoot, chicken mosdeng and pork with black sesame. For a simple Assamese side, try aloo pitika, made with mashed potatoes, onions, green chillies and mustard oil. There is also black rice kheer for dessert.
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Bhansaghar
Bhansaghar is another place for Nepalese food, with filling thalis and familiar Himalayan favourites. The Thakali Thali comes with rice, dal, gundruk, radish pickle, fried potatoes and meat curries. The exact combination depends on the thali you order.
The menu also has Jhol Momos and Chicken Choila, along with Wai Wai Sadeko, a spicy preparation tossed with onions, tomatoes and regional seasonings.
The interesting thing about Humayunpur is how much food culture has settled into a relatively small neighbourhood. Its connection with communities from Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and other parts of the Northeast has helped shape the food scene. Over time, that has expanded to include cuisines from across Asia too.
That mix is a big part of why this otherwise unassuming South Delhi neighbourhood has landed on an international list of places worth knowing.