HImanshu Rao Dhabha, NH8, Near Rewari

All right… this one is about my dhabha experience on NH8. Well, I had driven down from Gurgaon to my new flat at Dharuheda and after an entire day of arranging things for the new flat, I was starving. At one time I was tempted of driving further to Neemrana for a lunch at the fort. However, one of my friends who was there last week at the Neemrana fort advised that the lunch ends at 2:30 in the afternoon. It was approx. 4:30, so no point driving down there. So in turn I was advised to check out the Rao Family Dhabha which while coming to Manesar is on the left.

Now I was driving from Dharuheda and the first dhabha on the left- it was called Himanshu Rao’s Family Hotel and Caterers. To be honest, I always believed and thought that the real Dhabha’s exist in Punjab and that those in Haryana and Rajasthan are only a compromise, and I’d rather end up eating at a McDonalds or any other branded joint. Nonetheless, I was starving and I didn’t really expect anything. So there we drove into the little service lane. I wasn’t sure if this was the one, but who cares. As we got off the car, this was a descent sized enclosure and a number of cars were parked there. There was a cemented area with chairs and tables in the open air. There was a roofed area with a number of huge size coolers. Another areas with a small lawn.

It was close to 5:00 P.M. and I was initially thinking of some tea and snacks. However, looking at the menu, I decided to  go for a meal intself. So we ordered a mix veg, a dal fry and roti’s and palak paneer. The food didn’t take too long to be honest. First a salad was served along with chunky chaat masala. Next came the picked chillies, and then the steel cutlery.  In about 10 minutes, the daal fry came. This was followed by the two other dishes and the roti’s with butter. Man, I was in for a shock. The food looked delicious. One bite of the roti and the sabji, and it was heaven. I have no words to tell you that the food was so great and awesome. The mix veg was a bit oily, well spiced and very delicious. It had pea, beans, onions, capsicums, cottage cheese. The Dal Fry was the yellow dal or yellow lentils along with spices. Again, amazing and delicious. Out of the world. The tadka of onions and tomatoes was beautiful. The consistency was not too thick and not too liquidy. Beautiful. The palak paneer ( spinach and cottage cheese) was pretty descent. It is not supposed to be too spiced, the paneer was fresh. The rotis were freshly baked from the tandoor with the dash of butter. All in all the experience was what I was not expecting or looking for, but you know how it feels – when you get something that you didn’t expect. The food was fresh and delicious. Just at a loss of words to be honest. So good that I had extra roti’s just to savor the food.
At last we ordered the tea and asked for the special chai and this was again even better. The best part of the meal was perhaps the chai at the end. The dhabha food and experience at a day when dhabhas are fast changing was overwhelming. The meal cost nothing to be honest. I could have paid much more for this food at any other place. About 300 bucks. Very good value for money.

While driving back from this dhabha, I realized there were clos to 6 or 7 dhabhsa with the name rao and minor alterations. One was old Rao, another Harsha Rao. So not sure what the history is in this stretch with the name Rao, but I would highly recommend the one I went to – Himanshu Rao Family Hotels and Caterers. NH-8, Opposite HP Petrol Pump, Malpura (Rewari).
Phone: 9416590306, 9416590307, 9992885617.

Jaipurà 200 K.M. is Dharuheraà1 K.M. from Dharuhera is Himanshu Rao Hotelà Delhi.

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