Cheap Eats 2011: New Delhi

Unless you count the occasional fast-food joint along this busy thoroughfare, Southwest Barbur Boulevard is what you might call a food desert. Then consider New Delhi an Indian oasis. Tucked into the corner of a small strip mall, New Delhi is the kind of establishment you might not notice the first, 10th or 200th time you pass it by. But once you do, you’ll wish you’d spotted it earlier. Servings are plentiful; an appetizer of eggplant pakoras costs $3.95 but could stretch to feed four. Dishes are spiced to suit customers’ preferences. Vegan dishes don’t outnumber the chicken, seafood, lamb, beef and goat curries ($10.95-$13.95), but the owners of this family-owned restaurant do helpfully point out the animal-eschewing options with “vegan-friendly” labels on their menu. Online reviewers complain the restaurant lacks parking. But on a recent weekday evening, at the peak dining hour, numerous spots sat empty, ready for hungry diners.