Everytime I take a trip to Apni Mandi, the local South Asian grocery store, the group of people across the street is undeniable. What’re they crowded around for? South Asian food served by Chandni Chowk, a food truck stationed in the area.
Chandnni Chowk is stationed next to another Indian-Asian food truck, a place definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area. The smells from both the trucks combine to make one similar to something you would feel walking down the streets of Mumbai, India, completely immersed in South Asian culture and cuisine. Admittedly, parking in the area is a little difficult, and in order to make it there, I had to park in the parking lot of the local farmers’ market Apni Mandi and walk over to the food truck. The walk over doesn’t take too long, and may even come in handy if you’re planning a trip to Apni Mandi after.
After taking advice from my mom, dad, and any other South Asian that I knew had tried
food from the truck, I opted to order the live Pani Puri with all 5 flavors, their Dahi Puri Chaat, and Chole Kulcha. Straight from the bat, I noticed that the dishes were not cheap. The Pani Puri was $8.99, the Dahi Puri Chaat was $9.99, and the Chole Kulcha was $12.99. Compared to other Indian stalls, Chandni Chowk is definitely on the more expensive side, but after trying it, I personally don’t believe some dishes are worth the expense.
I went at around 7 p.m., which was definitely peak time for the food truck. They struggled with a little bit of IST (Indian Standard Time) in getting my food out on time, but also had a huge line of people to deal with, so I can’t completely blame them for it. The waiting area outside the food truck has a nice ambiance and crowd, filled with South-Asian aunties and uncles waiting for their orders and chatting. If I went on a sunny day during the afternoon, the lack of shade would’ve surely been a problem, so keep that in mind if you want to visit in the future.
I got my food around twenty minutes after I ordered, and tried it as soon as I got it. First, the Pani Puri. Pani Puri is a street food dish in India with a circle-shaped chip-like outside, called the puri, and fillings such as potato and tons of spice. There’s a water (pani) with spice that you pour into it, and then you eat it in one bite. From all the Pani Puri flavors, the one that stood out to me was the Mint. The other flavors, like Pineapple and Pomegranate, may be good for people on their first try, but are flavors I don’t see sticking and as something I wouldn’t order again. The Mint, however, is an automatic classic with the perfect amount of tanginess in the pani and crunchiness in the puri. I rate all flavors together a 7/10, but the Mint by itself gets a solid 9/10, reminding me of street food Pani Puri that I eat in India.
Next was the Dahi Puri Chaat, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The dahi (yogurt) cuts through the spice and cools your mouth. Dahi Puri is a common street food dish in my hometown, Mumbai, so I was definitely brought back to India through this dish. Overall, it gets an 8/10. It isn’t the best Dahi Puri Chaat I’ve ever had, and if you’re going to order from this truck with those prices, it’s best to spend your money on another dish.
Speaking of a dish well deserving of your money, that brings me to their Chole Kulcha. My mom convinced me to get this and once we reached, seeing it on everyone’s orders did the job for me. To those who don’t know what it is, Chole Kulcha can be best described as naan with chickpea curry on the side. The Chole, chickpea curry, was too oily when I originally got it, but after being drained of excess oil on the top, was amazing with the naan. The spice of the chole combined with the comfort of the naan together culminates to a dish definitely worth buying at Chandni Chowk. This was the best meal I had there and is rated a 9.5/10, which would be a 10/10 if not for the oil.
Next time you’re visiting Apni Mandi or the South-Asian hub across from Safeway, make sure to take a stop at Chandni Chowk and the other food trucks stationed there—you won’t regret it.
