Oh! Assam – Best Authentic Assamese Restaurant in Delhi
Tucked in a narrow lane of Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave — Oh! Assam is an oasis for anyone looking for authentic Assamese food in Delhi. The quaint restaurant takes you back in time, with the aroma of freshly prepared food wafting through the space. Mellow Assamese music plays in the background, evoking a sense of community camaraderie. Not just the food but the warm welcome by the owner, Rubi Brahma, makes you feel at home.
“I want people to know more about Assamese food. The food is not only delicious but healthy without using much oil and spices. With Oh! Assam, I want to bring the flavours of Assam to Delhi while keeping the taste authentic.”
– Rubi Brahma, Owner of Oh! Assam Restaurant
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Weekends are hectic with Assamese People from across Delhi/NCR visiting the restaurant to partake in delicious, home-cooked, and traditional food. Stuck amidst the corporate chaos of Gurgaon and away from home, I often crave authentic Assamese cuisine. After a couple of searches online, I stumbled upon Oh! Assam and immediately planned my Sunday lunch. It’s one of the best meals I have had in a long time, I ended up missing home a tad bit more.
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Oh! Assam Was Born Out of Passion
Some places are beyond just the food; it’s about people and their stories. Oh! Assam is one of them, and it’s Rubi Brahma, the owner of the place, who makes it all worth it. Rubi will always make you feel at home, no matter the busy hours. While waiting for the food and after satiating my gluttony taste buds, I spoke to Rubi at length, curious to know how she started her venture in Delhi.
Rubi is from Karbi Anglong in Assam and, like most of us, moved to Gurgaon looking for a better job prospect. She started working in Gurgaon and occasionally visited Humayunpur, also known as a mini North-East India of Delhi, to buy bamboo shoots and ethnic veggies. On weekends and during her free time, she kept her passion for cooking alive until one day, she decided to pursue it as an eccentric professional choice.
Moving to Humayunpur and Journey of Oh! Assam
It is no secret that the lanes of Humayunpur and Safdarjung Enclaves bring together the North-East India Community. With shops selling indigenous veggies to lanes rife with the smell of bamboo shoot, this place reflects the farther east. In a conversation, Rubi said – “I moved to Humayunpur in 2017 to start my restaurant. The majority of the people who live here are from North-East India. With authentic Assamese meals, I wanted people to enjoy home-cooked food away from home.”
Rubi’s journey from 2017 until now has been nothing but bouts of struggle. Quitting her corporate job and deciding to start a restaurant was an uphill battle. Be it convincing her family that it’s okay to choose an unconventional career path or fighting alone with a financial crisis, the journey was full of bottlenecks. Driven by her passion, she started cooking from her home kitchen using whatever utensils were available. Owing to the delicious taste of Assam cuisine, she started getting customers by word of mouth.
Just when the restaurant started picking up, it was hit by another major roadblock—the COVID-19 crisis. Before the announcement of the lockdown, Rubi went back to Assam. However, this was not the end of her dream to start her restaurant again. After the first wave of COVID-19, Rubi trusted the universe and headed back to Delhi. With whatever little money and scanty resources available, she started Cloud Kitchen and listed Oh! Assam on food delivery apps.
“During the second wave of COVID-19, I faced a lot of emotional and financial struggle while handling online orders all by myself. There were days when my bank account was almost empty, and suddenly, one or two orders would come. The universe had its way of supporting me,” Rubi said while smiling throughout the conversation. At that time, she would take every order, even if it was for as low as Rs.50/.
Bringing Flavours of Assam to Delhi/NCR
Things started to look up and slightly brighter by the end of 2021. With the growing demand for traditional Assamese cuisine, especially amongst the people of Assam in Delhi, Rubi moved Oh! Assam to a bigger space. With new elements reflecting the culture and tradition of Assam, the menu also looked promising.
Rubi told me that the most challenging part is getting the ingredients right, which is not readily available in Delhi. While the INA Market has a wide variety of regional veggies, leafy greens, and herbs, one needed for preparing ethnic Assamese food is missing. Whether it is Xak (leafy greens) like Dhekia, or sour fruit O’Tenga (Wood Apple) used majorly in fish curries or Assamese lemon, it’s all procured from Assam.
Traditional Assamese Cuisine on the Menu
I visit Oh! Assam with a friend from Assam, and we were all excited looking at the menu. Fish was a definite choice for me, while my friend ordered pork. We ordered mustard fish curry, pork with laai (mustard green), dhekia, and a portion of white steamed rice. While waiting for the food to arrive, we ordered a glass of rice wine made from black rice. If you want your taste buds to be tingled with authentic Assamese food, you are spoilt for choices. You can order Assamese Thali with Aloo Pitika (mashed potato), Khaar (alkaline delicacy), fish, chicken, pork, or duck plate curry.
For ethnic taste, I recommend trying fish thekera Tenga (sour fish curry). Thekera is indigenous to Assam – a sour fruit that’s dried and used as a souring agent, especially for fish curries. You can also try Fish Bilahi Tenga (sour fish curry cooked with tomatoes), Pork with Laai (mustard green), chicken banana blossom, or chicken bamboo shoot. As sides, you can order ethnic chutneys or pura maas pitika (mashed smoked fish). Don’t forget to order kazi nemu (Assamese lemon). Also, if you take alcoholic beverages, try the rice beer and thank me later!
Now that you know where to find the best authentic Assamese food in Delhi, try it and let me know your experience. Know more about Assam and plan a trip to getaway of North-East India.
