Your Guide To The Best Manipuri Restaurants Across India

Manipuri cuisine isn’t defined by a single taste or tradition. It brings together many communities, each with their own cooking styles and food habits. These dishes carry the histories of the people who cook them and the places they come from.

The food is known for its strong, earthy flavours. Fermented fish, local herbs, dried river greens and a mix of textures form the heart of many dishes. People of Manipur cook with smoke, bamboo shoots, tubers and wild plants that grow around them. So what happens when this food travels beyond the Northeast into Delhi homes, Mumbai kitchens or Bangalore neighbourhoods?

Here’s a list of some Manipuri restaurants and home kitchens across India that are making sure these flavours stay alive and continue to grow.

DELHI

THE CATEGORICAL EAT-PHAM

Location: Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi

This is one of the first, more stylised operations on the list: a solid curation of Manipuri comfort hits (chicken & duck curry, smoked pork, black rice desserts) served in tight portions with the occasional North-Eastern crossover. Founded by Poirei Yambem and Ashok Mutum, the core menu focuses on a tight set of dishes that hit all the high notes of Manipuri-style home cooking. The chicken curry is rich and well-seasoned, best eaten with sticky rice that turns every bite into an earthy, savoury celebration. Their smoked pork carries just the right amount of heat, with minimal oil and maximum flavour.

The vibe is modern hole-in-the-wall: raw wooden tables, warm lights, and playlists that shuffle between indie Manipuri tracks and lo-fi beats. It’s perfect for that guy who wants a solo dinner that feels like a discovery, or a low-key date where the food says more than you do.

HENTAK – Nouvelle Manipuri Cuisine

Location: Safdarjung Enclave

This new entrant comes dressed in fine plating. The folks behind Hentak call it Nouvelle Manipuri. Expect modernist plating, reworked thalis, and subtle culinary tweaks to their menu offerings. Soft-launched in July 2025, this restaurant is one to watch. At Hentak, Chef Nikesh Asem and Araba Laitonjam run an open kitchen where classic Manipuri dishes are given a fresh, thoughtful spin. Whether it’s through technique, plating or ingredients, the chef puts his personal take on tradition, pushing each dish just enough to feel new without losing its roots.

CHAK-KHUM

Location: Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi

The food at Chak-Khum is unapologetically Manipuri. This means ngari (fermented fish) features heavily across the board, and dishes like eromba, kelli chana, and maori bora are served without compromise. Their duck thali is a frequent customer favourite, pairing smoky meat with subtly spiced lentils and an array of foraged greens. The standout here is their ooti: hearty, warm, and best had with rice. Diners rave about the consistency and flavour integrity. Unlike many pan-Northeast joints that mix influences, Chak-Khum stays mostly Meetei (community of Manipur) in its offerings, with seasonal specials that mirror home traditions. Portions are generous. For those curious about Manipuri cuisine in its purest, most comforting form, Chak-Khum is a must-visit.

CULTURE CUISINES

Location: Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi

Tucked inside Safdarjung’s growing cluster of Northeast kitchens, Culture Cuisine is a low-profile Manipuri eatery with a big heart and bold flavours. Run by a mother-daughter duo, the place is filled with the quiet confidence of years of generational memory behind their recipes. On special occasions, the place often rolls out specials: big veg and non-veg thalis with seasonal greens. No pretension—just real Manipuri food made by people who know exactly what they’re doing.

MUMBAI

AKHOI (Cloud Kitchen)

Location: Versova, Mumbai

Operating from Versova, Akhoi delivers small-batch, thoughtful Manipuri food and meals that feel both fresh and region-rooted. The menu reimagines classics for the Mumbai palate. Chak Hao (black rice ) Bao buns , Bhoot Jholokia Glazed Wings are some of the interesting items they serve. Founder Lin Laishram, from Manipur and based in Mumbai, often shares ingredient provenance, from home-dried herbs to fermented bases flown from Imphal.  It is a cultural exchange, boasts the chef-led kitchen.

SINGJU.IN

Location: Juhu, Mumbai

Singju.in champions North-East and Himalayan flavours and lives up to it. This tucked-away spot on Juhu offers Manipuri, Assamese, Nepali and Naga thalis curated with care. A typical Manipuri thali features mixed vegetable curry, mashed veggies with fermented fish, stir-fry, chutneys, fruits, brown sugar, rice, and gruel. Guests rave about Singju.in being a hidden gem for authentic Northeastern cuisine, praising its cozy ambience and wallet-friendly prices. And they do justice to their amazing thalis.

BENGALURU

TOMBA KITCHEN

Location: Ejipura, Bengaluru

One of Bengaluru’s earliest Northeast kitchens, Tomba Kitchen has built its reputation on generous thalis featuring authentic dishes such as eromba, kangshoi, pork curry, fish curry, and mixed singju: all staples in Manipuri cuisine.

MAVEN KITCHEN

Location: Ejipura, Bengaluru

Maven strikes a careful balance between craft and comfort. Think axone-smoked pork ribs, eromba, ooti and a range of bold, homemade chutneys. Their bestsellers are pork-based dishes and their signature fermented chutneys, often paired with a refreshing fruit based fermented juice. It’s a polished yet unpretentious space, often described as comfort food or those craving Northeast cuisine in Bengaluru.

GUWAHATI

LA-PHOI MANIPURI KITCHEN

Location: Zoo Tiniali, Guwahati (Delivery-only)

La-Phoi is affordable and centres on indigenous Manipuri recipes: smoky meats, wild greens, fermented bases, and seasonal broths. Catering mainly to homesick locals and Northeast food fans, they serve Manipuri and Assamese cuisines with multiple vegetarian and non‑veg thali variants. For people longing for familiar flavour or food explorers chasing great Manipuri notes, La-Phoi is the right stop.