Anoothi Vishal lists a few stand-alone regional restaurants outside their own region, continuing the theme of our cover story this week.
DELHI/NCR
ZAMBAR: Serves dishes from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Chettinad crab masala and an unusual Madras onions and garlic curry in a tamarind base are noteworthy. Address: Ambience Mall, Gurgaon; (Tel: 0124-4665639/4665589)
Price: Rs 1,200 for two (plus taxes, not including alcohol)
BROWN SAHIB: Serves Anglo-Indian and Bengali food. Go back to the Raj with dishes like Chicken a la kiev, Shepherd’s pie, et al.
Address: MGF Mall, Saket; (Tel: 011-40820027/40820030)
Price: A summer meal platter (veg, Bengali) costs Rs 375. The non-veg is priced Rs 475
GUNPOWDER: Specialises in home-style food from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Address: 22, Hauz Khas Village; (Tel:011-26535700)
Price: Rs 1,000 (meal for two, including taxes and non-alcoholic drinks)
SWAGATH: Offers Mangalorean, Malvani and Chettinad cuisines.
Address: Hotel Janpath; (Tel: 011-23366761)
Price: Rs 1200 for two (plus taxes, without alcoholic drinks)
OH! CALCUTTA: Bengali food
Address: International Trade Tower, Nehru Place (Tel: 011-26464180)
Price: Rs 2,000 for two, a la carte (plus taxes, without alcoholic drinks)
BANGALORE
RAKABDAR: Serves Avadhi food. Some dishes are contemporary versions of 220-year-old specialities from the Nawabi kitchens.
Address: 7 Bhuvanappa Layout, Hosur Road (Tel: 080-43431111)
Price: Rs 800 for two, including taxes, excluding drinks.
DALMA: Serves Oriya specialities like Mutton Kasha and Fish Besar.
Address: 37 100 ft road, Koramangala (Tel: 080-41660921)
Price: Rs 100-Rs 125 (plus taxes) for non-vegetarian dishes; Rs 60 (plus taxes) for veg
CHENNAI
ENTE KERALAM: Serves authentic Kerala food.
Address: 1, Kasturi Estate, Bus street, Poes Garden. Tel: 044-42328585.
Price: Meal for two is Rs 1170 plus tax (veg); Rs 1370 plus tax (non veg), excluding alcohol.
KOKUM: Serves coastal dishes from Mangalore, Andhra, Kerala and Goa (apart from Chettiyar cuisine).
Address: Shanti colony, 5th street, Anna Nagar; (Tel: 044-43500181/ 42185462)
Price: Rs 175 (per dish) onwards
KUMARAKOM: This is a chain of restaurants with five outlets in Chennai, specialising in Malayali cuisine — everything from puttu to karimeen fry and moilee — though they also serve some generic Indian and Indian-Chinese dishes.
Address: AB 105, 4th Avenue, Shanthi Colony, Anna Nagar. (Tel: 044-42172217)
Price: Rs 200 for two (plus taxes, without alcoholic drinks)
MUMBAI
PUNJAB GRILL: Serves Punjabi food from Amritsar, Patiala, Rawalpindi, etc. The seafood section has been enhanced for Mumbai with tandoori lobster, crab and scallops.
Address: Level 3, Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel; (Tel: 022-43473980-1/9311520737)
Price: Rs 800-Rs1,200 for two, plus taxes (not including liquor)
POUSH: Serves Kashmiri Pandit and Muslim foods, including Wazwan.
Address: Maljipada, Near Royal Garden Resort, Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway (10 km from Dahisar check naka); (Tel: 09821213232/09820113235)
Price: Rs 600 for two, including taxes, excluding alcohol
KOLKATA
6, BALLYGUNGE PLACE: Regional cuisines from distant parts of India may not have come to Kolkata — yet — but this place serves the distinctive cuisine of East Bengal (now Bangladesh), especially in the festive season and the monsoons.
Address: 6, Ballygunge Place; (Tel: 033-24603922)
Price: Rs 1,200 for two (plus taxes)
