Quite surprising on the uttapam, given my own experience with it in Asheville a few years ago.
That’s not pani puri, it’s dahi batata puri (or what they call SPDP – Sev Puri Dahi Puri, a cross between Sev Puri and Dahi Batata Puri). The shells are purchased ready, and need to be firm to hold the liquid without falling apart on the way to the table (as opposed to being served one by one on the street, where there are 2 seconds from preparation to one’s mouth).
Bihari kabab is always a bit pasty from the raw papaya in the marinade.
I would have tried the Prawn Patia, as the chef is (half) Parsi and you’ll be hard pressed to find a Patia elsewhere in the US (never mind one from a family recipe). Or his Bombay / Maharashtra origin dishes like Sloppy Jai (ie Kheema Pao), Sabudana Vada, Vada Pav, and Lamb Kala Masala (which I am guessing is Kolhapuri mutton).
The Okra Fries were money (I couldn’t stop thinking about them after I ate them in Asheville, so I had to teach myself to make them).
(Re price, I don’t know what that style / level of restaurant costs in DC, but it looks 25-35% cheaper than in NYC – the large plates would be 50% more.)
Here’s my Dahi Batata Puri from today:
