Gas Leak Fixed, New Indian Eatery Debuts in the Square

A new Indian eatery has emerged from the ashes, or perhaps rather the fumes, of the India Gate restaurant.

The new Delhi Daubar, which opened in mid-December, is located at the same site that housed India Gate, which shut down in November after a carbon monoxide leak forced an evacuation of the restaurant. Eleven would-be diners had to seek medical treatment after inhaling the gas.

But new manager Jaspal S. Pabla said there is no danger of future leaks. Prior to selling the restaurant the former owners completely replaced the kitchen ventilation system, Pabla said.

According to Pabla, the former owners were originally intending to reopen the restaurant but instead decided to sell.

Pabla said he, his uncle Balbir Singh and friend Jagdish Singh jumped at the chance to buy the restaurant from Jarinal Gill and Gursem Singh, the former owners of India Gate.

New Workforce

The new management has brought in a completely new workforce except for two cooks held over from the former restaurant, said Pabla.

He called the location of the restaurant ideal. "Harvard Square has a mixture of people that we can depend on for business," Pabla said.

Customers can count on "the best Indian food and the best service," he said.

Although some of the entrees and dishes may bear some similarity to those at India Gate, Pabla said he has ensured that the menu has been "basically completely changed."

"We have a bigger and better menu, two times the size they had," said Pabla.

Pabla said customers would be enticed by their preparation of traditional Indian tandoori specialties such as breads and chicken.

Pabla also said that their best dish may be the tandoori duck do-piaza kadahi. The dish consists of "boneless breast of tandoori duck, pan-roasted with sliced onions, tomatoes, exotic spices, served in a miniature wok," Pabla said.

Delhi Daubar prides itself on affordable brunch and luncheon specials complete with the soup of the day, rice and onion chutney, Pabla said.