Cuisine of the Navaithas at Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya

In the recent times there has been a lot of work going on in the restaurant industry in researching and presenting niche or forgotten cuisines of India. In our Hyderabad, we have had events showcasing Moplah, East Bengal, Mangalorean and Anglo Indian cuisines to name a few.

I must admit that I had never heard much about Navaithas and their cuisine before. Having spent a considerable time in Bangalore, I love the delicious non-veg food available in the bylanes of Shivajinagar and Fraser Town. At a preview of the promotion of Navaitha cuisine at Deccan Pavilion, I was told by Chef Jamal that some of the items available at these places have evolved from the food of Navaithas, the Urdu speaking community from South Arcot in Tamil Nadu. The Navaitha cuisine has evolved from the food of the Arab traders who were their ancestors with incorporation influences of the Nawabi and South Indian flavours as the time went by.

The Navaitha Non-Vegetarian Starters

Launch of Bistro Lunch Box at Olive Bistro

During the busy weekdays, the need for serving a quick meal for lunch has been felt by many customer oriented restaurants who are oriented towards customer satisfaction. Olive Bistro at Durgam Cheruvu is no exception. So the popular restaurant has decided to introduce the Bistro Lunch Box – a quick lunch served in a jiffy.

The Bistro Box

ASAP! The Bistro, Madhapur

The name ASAP! The Bistro would have beckoned me as early as possible, but somehow I missed visiting this place in Madhapur even after couple of months of opening. The feedback I was getting from the food lovers were mixed, but a couple of reliable friends insisted that this place is a good try. Finally on a weekday evening I went for an invited dinner to try out their offerings.

Vegetarian Starters

Chettinad Chronicles Unfold at Dakshin, ITC Kakatiya

One of the South Indian cuisines popular all over India and perhaps worldwide is the Chettinad cuisine. Known for its unique freshly grounded spice combinations, the offerings from the land of Chettiars are extremely aromatic and a treat for the taste buds. Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu, spread over the Sivaganga area, with Karaikudi being one of the major towns in the area.

The Chettinadu Spices

Scabetty: Trying out the ready to cook gourmet meal box

In today’s fast paced world, many busy working couples find it difficult to do their weekly groceries, and often face a situation where after a hard day’s work, they find that their house does not have the minimum provisions to cook a meal. In another case, food lovers often think about cooking exotic dishes but shudder at the thought of shopping for the unusual ingredients which may not be available locally. Also the minimum quantity they may need to buy of some of these may be too much for them to use even over a month.

Sumac Chicken in Pita - the packed ingredients

Flavours from the Earth at Bidri, Marriott Hyderabad

The name “Earthen Flavours” for a food festival got me curious, and on enquiry I found out that it is a festival quite different from the usual ones. The focus of this fest at Bidri, the Indian restaurant at Hyderabad Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre, is not on food specific to any region or country – it is celebrating the traditional slow cooking style perfected in our kitchens of yesteryears, and still practiced in many parts of the country, using wood fire or a stone.

The Taste of Korea Festival at Syn, Taj Deccan

Korean cuisine is a novelty in Hyderabad. Unlike Bangalore or Chennai, the city does not boast of a Korean restaurant – one guest house which used to serve this cuisine closed down recently. Against this backdrop, Syn Asian Grill & Bar at Taj Deccan, known for its exquisite Pan-Asian food, is organizing “Taste of Korea”, which is offering the discerning food lovers of Hyderabad a chance to try out the delicacies from the Korean peninsula.

The Cabbage Kimchi

The Goalondo Steamer travels to Nabanno Hyderabad

Hyderabad has had its own share of good Bengali food. Most of the usually popular Bengali specialties like Kosha Mangsho, Paturi, Chingri Macher Malaikari have been presented well by these restaurants as well as a number of Bengali food festivals held during the year. So when Subhasis Karmakar of Nabanno talked about doing a pop up or special feast of “Goalondo Steamer Cuisine”, food enthusiasts wondered whether it was the same old wine in a new bottle.

Goalondo Steamer Fowl Curry

Indian Regional Cuisines and Hyderabad

Hyderabad had always been fairly conservative in its choice of food. People were reluctant to go beyond their favorite biryani and other Hyderabadi items, Telugu cuisine and at best Chinese food. The level of experimentation was very low and only other cuisine which found some acceptance was the tandoori Punjabi cuisine also loosely called North Indian.

Murg Angaar at United Kitchens of India

The Exciting New Menu at Kanak, Trident

Even when a restaurant is doing well and already has a set of loyal customers, a relook at the menu is often desirable. This is because of the fact that however satisfied your customers are, still their “Dil Maange More”. With this in mind, Kanak, the popular fine dine Indian restaurant at The Trident, Hyderabad has recently revamped their menu. The old favorites are still there, but a new set of dishes have been added primarily from the items which became popular from the numerous food festivals conducted by them. As the restaurant states, it is in fact a menu created by the patrons of Kanak. The menu marks the second anniversary of The Trident in Hyderabad.

Soya Ke Tootak