Hi foodies, today I’ll be doing a food review of a new South Indian specialty restaurant near Hathibarkala Salwala, Rajpur Road. They are very well known for their authentic food, colorful ambiance & elaborate menu.
Come, let’s take a closer look!
Location
101, Rajpur Rd, below Town Table Restaurant, Hathibarkala Salwala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001
The restaurant is located on the 1st floor of a complex, along the main Rajpur road, just below the Town Table restaurant. The restaurant is accessible by stairs as well as by an elevator.
There is ample parking space available here for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers alike, even during rush hours, as the complex they are situated in has a large parking space allocated in front of it.
Service Options
Dine-in – Takeaway – Delivery
Timings
Mon – Sun: 11AM – 11PM
Cuisines Offered
South Indian
Average Cost For 2 (Exclusive of Taxes & Other Charges)
Rs. 600/- approx.
Menu
Ambience
The ambiance of the restaurant was really vibrant and lively. The restaurant looked well-maintained and super hygienic. The color scheme and art used to decorate the interiors of the place added a colorful vibe to the restaurant and gave it an exquisite, coastal feel.
Quality Of Food (Taste, Service & Presentation)
The service of the restaurant was quick and efficient. All the dishes that I had ordered were presented wonderfully and were served in a very quick time.
The service staff was dressed formally, super courteous, and professional, and someone was always on hand to provide an answer to any of my queries regarding the dishes, menu, or restaurant.
Dishes Ordered
I ordered a glass of Buttermilk, Podi Idli Fry, Bangalore Benne Dosa, Vegetable Stew with Appam, and for dessert, the Rava Kesari.
Buttermilk
First up came one of their much-loved and popular beverages, the buttermilk.
The buttermilk was served full till the brim in a thick, tall glass, garnished with a good amount of roasted jeera and some finely chopped curry leaves.
It was light in texture and tasted really fresh. It had a nice sour flavor of fermented curd running through it, and the roasted jeera, along with the finely chopped curry leaves, gave the drink a very refreshing taste and complimented my meal wonderfully.
Podi Idli Fry
The second dish was one of their most popular appetizers, the Podi Idli Fry.
9 mini idlis, coated in an orange ‘gunpowder’ masala, were placed on a small banana leaf to give the entire dish an authentic appeal. It was served on a stylish black & white polka-dotted ceramic plate, along with three small steel bowls that contained three different varieties of coconut chutneys to go with it.
The 3 chutneys provided with the dish included a pure white coconut chutney, a red tomato and coconut chutney, and finally, a green coconut and coriander chutney. All the 3 chutneys were tempered with a generous amount of mustard seeds, which not only gave them a lovely aromatic flavor but also a nice, crunchy texture.
The idlis tasted super fresh and were made to perfection. They were melt-in-mouth soft and not too dense or sticky. The ‘gunpowder’ masala which they had coated the Idlis with was absolutely delicious and added a delectable, tangy and slightly spicy flavor to them.
Although the mini idlis went well with all 3 delicious varieties of coconut chutneys, I personally enjoyed them with the white coconut chutney the most, as the pure taste of coconut in it complemented the tangy idlis very well.
Bangalore Benne Dosa
Moving on to the main course, the third dish was one of their specialty dishes, the Bangalore Benne Dosa.
The dosa was made cylindrical in shape and looked quite appetizing. It was yet again placed on a small banana leaf, and served on a uniquely styled, white textured ceramic plate, along with their trademark 3 varieties of coconut chutneys, and an adequately sized bowl of sambar.
It had a golden and crispy exterior and was topped off with a small dollop of rich white butter. The insides of the dosa were completely coated in the same aromatic ‘gunpowder’ masala that they had used on the Podi Idli fry, and it was stuffed with a modest amount of flavorful, yellow South Indian style potato filling as well, which, for obvious reasons, was not visible from the outside and hence, could not be captured in the picture.
Coming to the taste of the dish, it was cooked to perfection and tasted divine. The dosa was extremely thin and super crispy on the outside and the addition of their famous ‘gunpowder’ masala on the insides was an inspired idea and added a whole different layer of flavor to the entire dish.
Just when I thought this dish couldn’t get any better, the flavorsome South Indian-style yellow potato filling elevated the overall taste of the dosa further, by adding another delicious layer of flavor to it. The aromatic potato filling was smooth in texture and was totally jam-packed with flavor with the help of subtle flavors of curry leaves and mustard seeds infused with the sweetness of the thinly sliced onions, which went really well with the ultra-crispy dosa.
Additionally, the sambar provided with the dish was well balanced in flavor, being neither too sour nor too sweet in taste, and had a few wedges of onions, along with a couple of pieces of drumsticks in it as well, to make it more wholesome.
Furthermore, the 3 varieties of chutneys yet again complimented the dosa beautifully and made an already excellent dish even better.
I have had some delicious dosas at some great South Indian restaurants throughout my travels so far, but this has to be one of the finest variations I’ve had to date.
[More to follow…]
Vegetable Stew with Appam
The fourth dish was one of their top main-course dishes, the vegetable stew. I ordered an Appam to go with it separately.
The Vegetable Stew was served in a large, colorful bowl and garnished with a generous amount of roasted jeera powder and curry leaves, which helped the stew give off a very delectable aroma. The Appam on the other hand, was placed on a small banana leaf and was served on a designer blue plate.
Starting with the stew, it was rich, creamy, slightly sweet in flavor, and tasted absolutely divine. The main broth of the stew looked quite simple from the surface but was jam-packed with flavor. It was made out of a pure, creamy coconut milk extract, which had been cooked and reduced to such an extent that it had developed a premium, thick, and rich consistency. The vegetables used in the stew like potatoes, carrots, and beans, were cooked to perfection and had totally soaked up all the delicious, creamy coconutty flavor of the rich coconut milk broth.
Moving on to the Appam, it was super light and airy like a sponge in texture and melt-in-mouth soft. It acted as the perfect accompaniment to the rich and sumptuous vegetable stew, as its spongy texture helped me soak up all the delicious broth of the stew till the last drop. A match made in heaven indeed.
Rava Kesari
The final dish was their authentic South Indian dessert, the Rava Kesari.
The Rava Kesari came placed on a small banana leaf and was served on a designer blue plate garnished with a toasted piece of cashew.
It was super rich, sweet but not too much, and had a delectable flavor of saffron running through it, giving the dessert a very premium feel. Although there was only a piece of toasted cashew garnished on top of the dessert, it still added a nice, crunchy texture to the dish.
The Rava itself was very well cooked in a generous amount of ghee, which gave it a smooth and silky texture, and it was then infused with a flavorsome sugar and saffron syrup, which not only gave the Rava its sweetness, but the saffron in the syrup also gave it its iconic flavor and radiant golden color as well.
It was utterly delicious and had to be one of the best and most authentic South Indian desserts I’ve had in a long time.
To Eat or Not?
To Eat, absolutely.
With their aesthetic, colorful ambiance, authentic, sumptuous food, and excellent service, they are definitely one of the best places in the city to visit with your loved ones to enjoy some premium, mouth-watering South Indian delicacies to your heart’s content.
All the dishes that I had ordered were presented beautifully, prepared in very good time, and tasted absolutely divine, totally justifying their price in the process.
As good as the other dishes were, I would like to give a special mention to the Vegetable stew with Appam and Bangalore Benne Dosa, both of which were truly wonderful and highly recommended.
As far as pricing is concerned, yes, they do position themselves as a premium South Indian specialty restaurant & some customers might indeed find them to be comparatively more expensive than other South Indian restaurants in the city, but believe me, they more than make up for it with their excellent ambiance, professional service, and amazing, authentic food.
Definitely give them a visit, you’ll surely love it.
FOOD CRITIC ANMOL RATING
Ambience
Quality Of Food
Value For Money
And that’s it, folks! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you again later with another amazing food review tailored just for you! If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding this review, feel free to contact me anytime!
Take care & Happy eating!
I have eaten here. The food was absolutely yummy – very quick service too!
That’s great to hear. Thank you for your invaluable inputs, sir.