I had been craving Mandi for a while and had tried a few places in New Jersey, but unfortunately, most of them were disappointing. So, even after seeing the wide variety of Mandi options available at Desi Dhamaka, I went in with fairly low expectations. I have to say, the food turned out to be much better than I expected!
My original plan was to order the Mixed Full Mandi (Chicken/Mutton), but the staff suggested that it would be too much for two people and is better suited for a group of 4-5. I really appreciated their honest recommendation. Instead, we ordered the DD Special Nalli Gosht Mandi (Single) and Goat Mandi (Single). All the Mandis also come with a complimentary chicken starter.
We were informed upfront that the wait time would be around 20-30 minutes since the food is freshly prepared. Our order arrived in about 20 minutes, which was perfectly reasonable.
Both Mandis were very good. The Nalli Gosht was especially impressive--the meat was juicy, tender, and cooked really well. The Nalli Gosht piece itself was huge! The complimentary chicken starter was another highlight. It was extremely tender and practically melted in the mouth.
The Mandi rice was good, although I wouldn't call it exceptional. But overall, the taste of the food was way above my expectations, especially compared with some of the other Mandi places I've tried in NJ.
The portion sizes are also very generous. Between the two of us, we could only finish one single Mandi and had to box the other one to take home.
Overall, this was a surprisingly good experience, and I definitely plan to visit again. I just hope they maintain the same taste and quality going forward! read more