Manhattan’s Upper West Side Punjabi Dhaba Style Food

Doaba Deli on the Upper West side of Manhattan is a Punjabi dhaba style restaurant named after the Doaba region of northern Punjab. It is a small space and the decorations sparse, but what the dhaba lacks in ambiance it makes up in its tasty, very affordable food. In India, dhabas are roadside restaurants while lacking ambiance, serve up quick, delicious and cheap food. They are great stops for the truck drivers, cab drivers, and pretty much anyone else taking a road trip, similar to diners in the United States. Doaba Deli on the Upper West side near Columbia University reminds me of an Indian dhaba, and just like in India, New York City cabbies go in and out of the dhaba, grabbing tasty morsels of the all vegetarian menu. The food here is as authentic as it can get outside of India. While I haven’t been to Punjab yet, I have to been my share of dhabas in India and Doaba’s flavors are close to enough to those in India.