For the denizens of Hyderabad, the culinary delights and diversity of this historic city needs no introduction. For the rest, this is your guide to getting acquainted with the ‘flavours’ of the ‘City of Pearls’, Hyderabad.
Be it business or pleasure, a first time tourist or a regular visitor; to understand and appreciate the various facets of this city, from its historical significance to the technological revolution, it is essential to become one with its culinary culture. For, the spirit of Hyderabad is not in its archaic monuments or its tall skyscrapers, the true spirit of the city in fact, lies trapped in its food! So, behold the crème de la crème, the 10 most beautiful pearls in the culinary necklace of Hyderabad.
Paradise - The Biryani, which when roughly translated means a rice preparation with spices and vegetables/meat is the most iconic dish of Hyderabad. Over the years, the word Biriyani and Hyderabad have become almost inseparable and athough the Biriyani is almost ubiquitous in the city, there are some Biriyani restaurants that are truly in a league of their own. Paradise, in Secunderabad, can stake claim to being one of the best, if not the best Biriyani eat out not just in Hyderabad, but anywhere in the world. Leaving Hyderabad without tasting the Kebabs (meat barbecues), Biriyani and Irani chai (tea) at Paradise is nothing less than a sin.
Ohri’s Serengeti - Ohri’s has been one of Hyderabad’s most well known and popular restaurant chains for over 25 years. While the food and service at virtually every Ohri’s restaurant is good, Ohri’s Serengeti, which offers authentic Punjabi fare, is truly outstanding. In fact, the standing joke on Ohri’s Serengeti is that, it is simply not an ideal place for a romantic outing, for, you’ll end up paying too much attention on the delicacies and very little on your date! With a unique Serengeti Jungle ambience, lip smacking north-west frontier food and exceptional service, Ohri’s Serengeti is one restaurant you simply can’t afford to miss.
Golden Dragon - Located in the magnificent Taj Krishna is arguably the city’s best Chinese restaurant, Golden Dragon. With its plush interiors, courteous staff and live music, which is played on traditional Chinese musical instruments, Golden Dragon regularly plays host to the who’s who of Hyderabad. Although every single item on the menu is absolutely top notch, the dim sums and the dry Cooked Minced Chicken with Haricot Beans are absolutely ethereal. So, if you’re in the mood for some delicious Chinese food and some champagne perhaps to go with it, no prizes for guessing where you should be heading!
Chutneys - The lexicon defines chutney as a thick sauce of Indian origin that contains fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices and is used as a condiment. True to its name, Chutneys, the city’s most well known south Indian restaurant specialises in different varieties of chutneys to go with some superb south Indian snacks such as ‘dosas’ (a type of Indian pancake) and ‘idlis’ (steamed rice cakes) among others. While it is open throughout the day, the best time to grab a bite at Chutneys would be in the morning, for there is no better way to begin a day than with a filling south Indian breakfast.
Rajdhani - The ambience at Rajdhani can at best be described as ordinary. The service is quick but certainly not flattering and with no A La Carte, the entire meal at this speciality Gujarathi/Rajasthani restaurant, shouldn’t last for more than 30-40 minutes. Add to this the fact that this a pure vegetarian restaurant with no mention of even egg anywhere and you may be starting to wonder why in God’s name it is even featured in this list!!? Well, with 22464 mouth watering dishes that form a part of 72 different menus resulting in 26 different items on the thali (a selection of different dishes served on a plate) every single day, the answer to that question lies in the variety and taste of Rajdhani’s food. Suffice to say, the food at Rajdhani is quite simply addictive and the millions of guests it has served all across the country would bear testimony to this fact.
Eat Street - Adjoining the famous Hussain Sagar lake is ‘teenage Hyderabad’s’ favourite hangout, Eat Street. Frequented mostly by students, Eat Street is not so much a restaurant as it is a food court. With more than 10 restaurants serving different cuisines, Eat Street has on offer everything from full fledged main courses to tasty titbits and cotton candies to satiate your appetite. But, truth be told, it’s not really the food that is the USP of this place. It’s the atmosphere- friends and love birds hanging out by the lake with the clear blue sky and the setting sun in the background. Well, you get the picture!! So, if you want to spend some time amidst youngsters of the city, take a trip to Eat Street.
The Waterfront - If you were to pick 100 random natives of Hyderabad and ask them where they would like to go for one romantic dinner where everything from the food to the ambience is simply flawless, the response would be overwhelmingly identical. With fabulous food, wonderful ambience and a spectacular view of the Hussain Sagar Lake, not to mention live music, Waterfront is one restaurant that exemplifies perfection. Thanks to an extensive wine list, a multi cuisine menu and perhaps the best sea food in the city, The Waterfront has something to please everyone. Long story short, a trip to Hyderabad is incomplete without a meal at ‘The Waterfront’.
Indijoe - The cosmopolitan nature of Hyderabad and its growing prominence on the world map is no where better evinced than in the popularity of the city’s favourite continental restaurant, Indijoe. Located not very far from Hyderabad’s business district, Indijoe offers continental fare that would make any European feel right at home. Unsurprisingly, Indijoe is extremely popular with the foreigners and sounds of ‘Bonsoir’, ‘Gracias’ and ‘Buongiorno’ are not very uncommon. So, if you’re from a land far far away and feeling homesick, perhaps, it’s time to escape to Indijoe.
Barbeque Nation - Have you ever visited a restaurant began with the starters and stayed with it till you had absolutely no space left even for one morsel? If you have’nt, then perhaps you should visit Barbeque nation to gorge on starters that are so good that you could go on devouring them at the expense of the main course and the desserts. With 5 vegetarian and 5 Non-vegetarian barbeques on offer every single day in addition to the large main course and dessert spread, Barbeque Nation is the kind of place that would make you go back to it again and again. Visit Barbeque Nation or you’ll miss out on some delectable delicacies.
Four Seasons - Anyone who is not amazed by the sheer richness and aromatic splendour of authentic Arabic cuisine has not experienced it. And, if there is one restaurant in Hyderabad that does justice to the magic of Middle Eastern food, it is the Four Seasons restaurant in Toli Chowki. From Chicken sheesh touk to the Tabouleh, the Four Seasons restaurant is a treasure chest of exquisite Arabic specialities. Be sure to visit Four Seasons at least once and you’ll realize that there’s more to the Middle East than just oil!
By Arvind Arun
Tags: hyderabadi-biryani, Things to do
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