The Dhaasu experience: the delights of India that can now be enjoyed on Av. La Mar

The creators of this proposal are Camila Abufom and Rishabh Chadha. While Camila takes care of the Marketing and image part of Dhaasu, Rishabh handles the operations and working with the chefs.

“We met and he was a backpacker. We started talking about food because it was something we had in common and we realized that there was no good Indian food place,” explains Camila. “Or there was, but it wasn’t up to par and it was also very expensive,” adds the co-creator of the proposal.

As part of the process to create this restaurant, the couple traveled to India for a month. “She hadn’t tried real Indian food before, so it was important for her to do so. We tried a lot of things and there we chose things that could work in Lima,” says Rishabh.

His idea was simple: Street food (or street food) from India, simple, easy to understand and with good prices. Thus, they opened their doors in 2018 in Barranco, in a small and fruitful space near the Balta station.

As Abufom points out, many times if we talk about Indian food, we have certain preconceptions that may encourage us (or not) to try it. To break with those ideas, they created a young, fresh, striking brand that is committed to a casual food style.

New times in La Mar

“We are both very sentimental about the brand, and it was very difficult to leave our space in Barranco,” Camila confesses. But it was a necessary step, they agree. The brand had to grow, they had more and more people interested in eating at the same restaurant and enjoying the experience.

They could not afford two locations, since their costs are considerable when working with Indian chefs. “We wanted a more open, comfortable and beautiful space for our team to work, so now we have a sizeable kitchen,” explains Chadha.

The couple likes that diners can learn more not only about the dishes they present, but also about cooking techniques, the use of the classic tandoor oven and the preparation of kebabs, to name a few examples.

This new space has the following dynamics. You arrive at the table and receive the letter, as if to learn more about the proposal and they have trained personnel to give recommendations or explain the options. You pay at the cashier and then the dish arrives at the table.

Flavors to remember

We started with the Papri Chaat, a curiosity that we had never seen before until that moment. It is a cold bowl, in which tandoori sweet potatoes are combined, although the most traditional recipe uses potatoes. It is topped with crispy paprikas, pickles, chutney, chickpeas and beautiful hints of pomegranate. Few things surprise us in terms of flavor, but here we are talking about an impressive combination of textures, which complements perfectly with the creamy and sweet of the other ingredients.

Without a doubt, curries are Dhaasu’s forte and what they are usually known for. They have a variety of 8 versions, in which they explore the use of various proteins and even present a vegan version. One of the most requested is the Butter Chicken, the friendliest version to try. It consists of chicken thighs with a creamy tomato-based curry. We raise the level of spiciness with the Meat Masala, which plays with more intense flavors, quite similar to those of a good dry meat, but with that “I don’t know what” that makes you try it again and investigate.

These dishes are accompanied with a good basmati rice (longer and more fragrant than common grain) or perhaps with another of the stars of the menu: naans. These are some of India’s most famous breads, cooked slowly on the walls of the tandoor oven. They offer simpler versions, with butter or garlic, as a side, but they also offer versions filled with cheese.

The Chicken Seekh Kebab is part of the Grills section. It is a delicious option of ground chicken, seasoned with classic spices from Indian cuisine and roasted over the fire in the tandoor.

We were won over by the Tamarindo Spicy mocktail (or non-alcoholic cocktail), which plays with the fruit, pineapple, chamomile and coriander seeds, obtaining a unique, refreshing, consistent drink with a flavor to remember.

We closed the experience with a Kulfi Falooda, a type of ice cream very common in India. In this case it is strawberry, with a very mild flavor, without being as creamy or smooth as a gelato or artisanal ice cream. It is served with rose syrup, spiced milk and seeds, which give it an interesting touch in both flavor and texture.

Dhaasu It is one of those places that pays a fair and tasty tribute to Indian food, but without losing the creativity with which its owners explore new dishes, ingredients and presentations. A fixed ‘point’ to which we will return to surprise ourselves with more of the menu.