Saga is promoting regional cuisines by doing a pop-up every two months. I wasn’t very impressed with the Rajasthani food festival done earlier but the ongoing Bihari/Magadh cuisine won my heart on many counts.
Most people know very little about Bihari/Magadh cuisine and one wouldn’t find too many fine dining restaurant serving this cuisine. Litti chokha is probably the only dish which has gained some recognition outside its home state. Thankfully things are changing, albeit slowly and pop-ups like the one at Saga are doing their bit to introduce the intricacies of this cuisine to the diners.
Perhaps the reason for the success of this pop-up is the origin of both the Chef and the owner. Chef Atul Kochhar hails from Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) and the owner Vishal Anand is from Bihar. They have ensured that the food tastes as good as in their home town. For example in samosa chaat the spice levels have not been mellowed down and the chana and namkeen give it a local touch. Ghugni Choora is simple yet delicious.
I enjoyed litti chokha although I missed the sharp, whiff of mustard oil and the spiciness of sattu.
I was most impressed with the delicious moong dal poori and the rustic dehati murgh. I also tasted the softest besan ki sabji which was steamed.
There were some more dishes that I tried. Have a look.
I ended my meal with crunchy raspua topped with rabdi. This raspua is slightly different from the malpua that we get in North which is thicker and soft in the middle.
The menu is ala carte and definitely worth a try. This festival ends on 5th March, 2023 and I am already looking forward to the North East pop up which is planned next.
Disclaimer: Please note that this feedback is based on an invited review but my views remain honest, objective and transparent.
