What started as a humble street cart in the Indian city of Ahmedabad has become a major chain bringing the flavors of vegetarian Indian street food to cities across the United States. Wilmington just became the latest city to gain access to these “honestly good” flavors made with fresh produce and ingredients sourced straight from India.
“The magic of Indian food is in the spices,” explains Rajesh Tank, local franchise manager. Everything from black pepper and cumin to turmeric, coriander and clove packs not only a flavorful punch, but also a wealth of health benefits in Indian food. 
The menu is street-food inspired, but it’s a diverse trove of flavor combinations—many flavors that are entirely new to the American palate. With sections of the menu dedicated to Indo-Chinese, South Indian, Punjabi specials and more, Honest is an approachable introduction to a diverse list of Indian street foods.
The signature dish, bhaji pav, consists of a thick vegetable gravy, warm buttered bread and a raw salad with tomatoes, red onion and a lemon wedge. The soft, warm buttered rolls offer a note of familiarity to American diners, while the flavors in the bhaji and salad provide a true taste of India. For those hesitant to expand their palate, this is the perfect introduction to Indian flavors.
Another popular bread-based dish is the chur chur naan, a paneer-stuffed naan served with dal makhani, a lentil soup. The dish is accompanied by Indian pickled vegetables and raw red onion. The lentils are buttery and creamy, with the perfect balance of Indian spices. Tank explains that this is the perfect dish for any time of the day, and a quick option for the Honest kitchen to get out to diners who are in a hurry. The warm buttered naan is also the perfect dish to share with a friend.
“In our culture, if you eat a dish like this from the same plate, love goes up,” he adds.
Also perfect for sharing are dishes like sev puri and dahi puri—two types of chaat. “Chaat” translates to “to lick” or “to taste.” These finger-licking dishes can act as hearty snacks or the perfect appetizer round.
Sev puri is a popular Indian street food made up of a thin, crunchy wafer topped with an array of delicious flavors. The sev puri at Honest includes light and crispy puffed noodles, mixed vegetables and mango chutney. The result is a perfectly balanced bite bursting with flavor and texture. Sev puri is both crunchy and soft, and the flavor is a prefect blend of savory, spicy and sweet.
The dahi puri is also a flavor explosion. It features a puffed shell stuffed with a potato-based filling, various chutneys and sweet yogurt. This is another dish that offers the perfect balance between sweet and savory. It’s no surprise this street vendor snack is so popular in India. The flavor explosion is something we encourage you to taste for yourself next time you’re in northern Wilmington.
Tank also advises not to skip out on the dessert. Every great Indian meal should end with something sweet, he explains, noting, “it leaves your mouth sweet, so your mind will be sweet.”
The eatery offers several dessert options including mango ice cream and a milk-based Indian dessert called rasmalai.
Honest is open seven days a week for dine-in, delivery or catering. An event to celebrate the grand opening will take place at the end of August. To keep up with events, specials and more, follow Honest on Instagram and Facebook.
3100 Naamans Road, Wilmington | 524-4470 | contact@honestdelaware.com
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