Botiwalla by Chai Pani — Restaurant in Atlanta

The most exciting thing about this restaurant is the Indian fusion. More of a Pan Indian restaurant. They kind of blend what’s more Indian with American style cooking and without compromising on the spice or the punch that we get through Indian flavors.

Have been there a couple of years back as well and visited recently this week, and the service and the quality of food is uncompromising.

💚 SPDP - The Sev DahiPuri is very tasty and reasonably priced as well compared to so many other Indian restaurants that serve this. The spice if just perfect and would highly recommend this.

💚 Masala Mashed Potatoes - The potatoes are well fried with a flamboyant taste of chaat masala and some spices which elevate the flavor to a next level. Loved it during the recent visit.

💚 Tamarind Cola - The name says it all. The punch of tamarind in Cola is a very street side kind of food in India and this one’s no different.

💚 Mango Lassi - Looks and tastes absolutely fresh and amazing and no where close to any of the refrigerated Gopi branded Lassi served at other Indian restaurants.

🧡 So if the food looks great then why just 4 stars? Primarily because I felt they had a very concise and limited menu as far as food is concerned. They have so many for Beverages and Beers but no not for the food. More like a snack place.

✅ The atmosphere is amazing and the staffs are extremely courteous and friendly. Everyone had a smile on their face throughout my dine in time period. They also have an outdoor patio kind of thing like in NY streets probably works better during the Summers.

BOTTOMLINE: A very amazing fusion restaurant in the heart of Atlanta especially in the mall and very reasonably priced for the quantity offered. Limited menu is a bummer. But would recommend for being that restaurant which doesn’t compromise on spice levels or adds too much burning spice either.

MY PICKS FOR YOU: SPDP, Masala Mashed potatoes,...

Very unique place inside of the Ponce Market. This place reminds me of an Americanized version of Desi food. If anyone has been to Sedona to visit the Chai Spot, you'll be familiar with what I am referring to.

For location, considering the COVID situation, it is extremely packed since it is inside a "mall". I felt slightly claustrophobic bumping into a lot of people. Many people were also without masks. Not a consequence of this restaurant but moreso something you'll experience when you go inside to grab food from here.

The store has a very nice vibe to it with fun signs and bright colors. There's a lot of familiar Desi snacks/drinks like Parle-G and Frooti mango drinks available. The menu has indian foods with a western twist.

I ended up getting the SPDP (or is it SDPD?). regardless of the alphabet soup of a name they chose, it's basically Chaat but inside gol gappe. I had low expectations but was really surprised at how good it was. It is slightly pricey ($1 per gol gappa basically) but worth it for the experience.

Second menu item was the Malai Chicken Boti Roll. This was also very good. My only complaint was the cole slaw took away from the actual taste of the chicken and chutney. I would recommend getting it without. You also get a side of white yogurt/raita with an order.

Nimbu Pani (lemon water) reminded me of my hot summer days in Pakistan. Def recommend getting it just for the nostalgia or just beat the occasional Atlanta humidity. Definitely would come back just for this alone.

All in all, had a good experience. I'm not sure if I would venture all the way here for food again (considering location/price) since this is also finger food type of vibes but if you're in the area, check...

I’ve not had much exposure to Indian food, but that is going to change. This place changed me. lol We got the chicken tikka roll, the lamb kebab roll, and the tamarind glazed spare ribs. First of all, the naan. I will probably have to start making it from scratch because the stuff you buy in the store doesn’t even come close to what it could or should be. Next, the meats. The chicken tikka was out of this world. The chicken was moist and perfectly seasoned. The lamb was cooked perfectly and so tender. It was a little on the spicy side for me, but still delicious. The slaw. The slaw was something I couldn’t stop eating. I used the naan to eat the slaw and it was the perfect bite. The raita was really good. It’s not usually my thing, but it had really good flavor and helped cut the heat of the lamb just enough to balance all the incredible flavors. Finally, we get to the tamarind glazed spare ribs. When I grabbed the first rib, all I got was the bone. The meat stayed on the plate. It just fell right off. They were tender, they were juicy, they were perfectly seasoned and cooked, and they tasted better than any bbq rib I’ve ever had in my life. Check out the picture with my review to see just how clean those bones were. And I didn’t have to do anything to get them that way. I’m excited to attempt my own version. If you find yourself at Ponce City Market, make sure you stop in and give these guys a try. The staff was friendly, the service was fast, the prices are great, and the food was unlike anything I’ve ever eaten, but in the best way. I can’t wait to come back to Atlanta and enjoy another meal...