Our Bureau
Mumbai
A two-plate order of chole bhature placed from Anushka Sharma’s home for cricketer Virat Kohli helped bring a struggling Mumbai restaurant unprecedented attention, turning a business that was carrying around ₹18 lakh in debt into a four-outlet brand.
The restaurant, Delhi Se, was started by brothers Jaspal Singh Khalsa and Mahinder Singh Khalsa in Chembur in October 2021. The 250-square-foot outlet had just three tables and nine seats. By September 2022, declining sales had left the brothers considering shutting the restaurant, with the owners saying their debt had reached about ₹18 lakh.
The turnaround began when comedian Abhishek Upmanyu visited the restaurant in September 2022 and recommended its chole bhature on Instagram. The recommendation soon reached Sharma, who was looking for Delhi-style chole bhature in Mumbai for Kohli.
According to Jaspal, the restaurant subsequently received a call from Sharma’s home requesting two plates to be delivered to Juhu. Initially suspecting a prank, the brothers eventually completed the delivery on October 5, 2022.
Sharma later shared her discovery on Instagram, praising the restaurant’s Delhi-style chole bhature and crediting Upmanyu for introducing her to the eatery. The owners said a large crowd gathered at the restaurant within half an hour of the post, overwhelming the small kitchen.
Demand rose so quickly that the restaurant struggled to maintain supplies. The owners said customers ordered several plates at a time, while some waited for more than two hours. Production of chickpeas reportedly increased from around eight kilograms to 100 kilograms within three days.
Delhi Se has since expanded to four outlets in Chembur, Mulund, Andheri West and Vashi.