By Sharmila Chand

The Potbelly Bihari Kitchen & Bar is a well-known dining destination in Delhi which has created it’s niche for bringing authentic Bihari cuisine into a contemporary dining setting.
Open air terrace, sunlit garden seating and indoors ambience enhanced with green potted plants, create a serene atmosphere.
A calm cozy and intimate feel, just perfect for quiet relaxed meals .

“What we serve at Potbelly is not just food , these are bundles of cherished memories of my yesteryears, growing up in Muzaffarpur. Stories attached to mostly everything we serve. My mom’s love is infused in them,” says Puja Sahu, the owner as we get into a conversation while she happily tells her team to get a few signature dishes for me to taste.

As I eagerly wait to begin my culinary feast, I admire Puja for her 15 years of dedication towards bringing authentic Bihari cuisine into the mainstream dining conversation.

Going back to 2011, she began her journey from a small, almost hidden space in Shahpur Jat, New Delhi.
What started as a humble  personal experiment soon started gaining patrons who understood the food, it’s philosophy, the ingredients, techniques and above all, the authenticity of the cuisine served.

Today, The Potbelly is more than just a restaurant; it is a narrative of regional pride, culinary preservation, and storytelling through food. From dishes like Litti Chokha and Champaran Mutton to lesser-known regional specialties, the brand has consistently stayed rooted while evolving for modern diners.

Food Philosophy

“The food is rooted in our culture, and what’s available in the region,” tells Puja while I take a big bite of sattu paratha.
“Everything we serve is wholesome and nourishing and sattu is the best example of a healthy ingredient. We cook our food in cold-pressed mustard oil and ghee. All the  ingredients are consciously sourced – whole spices and other masalas are not from the market but from someone who especially sources it for us. It’s all organic , sattu is sourced from Muzaffarpur, mutton is a particular closest to the Khasi wala mutton that we eat in Bihar, one of our mithai comes from a village called Saitpur where the dairy is from the vendors cows.”

Menu – Versatile & Extensive

Every dish speaks of the specific region in Bihar and traditions that guided the flavours . My favourite is  Baggia basket – rice flour pocket stuffed with spice dal boiled and tempered with spices.
Bihari Bhooja Bhel is that same roadside snack from Bihar that you can’t stop munching. Ghugni chooda –  black channa cooked in whole spices served with roasted  flattened rice. Litti chokha – done to perfection. And a whole lot of thalis – Madhubani Thali for a proper, hearty meal. Bhojpuri thali could be your Potbelly favourite – comforting, generous  and the kind of meal you want to linger on.
Non Vegetarians can feast on Khada masala mutton, Champaran mutton, Sarson machli , Keema aloo chop and a lot more. Every dish whispers  a story, of the  warmth of homes and street style food of Bihar that is  simple, honest and  soulful. The heritage where the warmth is not in the recipe but in the hands making it, and in the families who gather around it at every meal.

Bar Is No Less Significant

At The Potbelly the bar program resonates with it’s culinary philosophy, hence  perfectly paired with food that is served.
‘Kanji ka Qila’ is much sought after – it is the homestyle kanji spiked with tequila.
‘Khaike Paan’ is another beverage adored by diners. Puja explains, “My mom would make gulkand at home and we would add it to our milk . For our bar we make the same recipe of gulkand with fresh rose petals and use it with rum . We use a technique of clarifying the drink to get a beautiful clear pink drink.”
She adds, “In another cocktail called ‘Mig Jaggery’ we use jaggery and tamarind, another staple from our home kitchen.”

“Potbelly has broken stereotypes of sorts about Bihar. It deserves much more. While I am grateful for its achievements, it still hasn’t got its due . I am on the path to make that happen.”

Sharmila Chand in Conversation With Puja Sahu, Founder of The Potbelly

Firstly, tell us the USP of your brand?

The cuisine itself is the USP. Flavours , stories , culture, ingredients that shape the cuisine are all unique.

What inspired you to launch The Potbelly?

The honest answer to this is the sheer boredom that led me to it and the fact I knew nothing better than the food I have grown up eating hence Bihari food happened . But the real inspiration behind the success of the brand is my mother who is the chef and her knowledge about Bihari cuisine . She taught me all the recipes and trained the chefs in the kitchen, not only that she also taught the ones who barely knew how to cook .

Tell us what distinguishes your restaurant from others?

The food is so unique plus it’s a legacy, recipes are passed on through generations. Since It’s the food I have grown up eating , there’s a memory attached to each dish.

What do you enjoy the most as the owner of a well-established brand?

The appreciation I get for my work and the recognition my mother gets for her amazing recipes

What are your future plans?

Right now I am focused on fine tuning my existing business and streamlining it. I plan  to focus more on the culture of Bihar and how it shapes the food of the state. I want to host immersive dining experiences based on sound research and knowledge of the food and culture of Bihar .

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By Sharmila Chand, Consulting Editor