Think potpourri and what comes to mind is a mixture of fragrant petals and spices placed in a bowl. And that’s why when city-based entrepreneurs Sreenath K and Rajesh E decided to open a multi-cuisine restaurant – serving North Indian, Chinese, Tandoori and Telugu cuisine – they thought Potpourri reflects their outlet the best. “Our restaurant is also a mixture, not of plants, but of various popular cuisines. The aroma… don’t you already smell the masala?” asks Sreenath, as he ushers us in.
Situated in Gachibowli, the restaurant is a 120-seater. As we walk through the entry passage, we are fascinated by a beautiful circular mirror and an arch window. How vintage, we think! We are here on a Tuesday noon and are quite amazed to find that the restaurant is nearly full. The outlet serves buffets for lunch and à la carte for dinner. However, one can also order a few dishes from the menu during lunch hours. Humming to an AR Rahman song playing in the background, we glance through the buffet menu placed on our table. “The menu changes every day. Most items aren’t repeated for longer than a month. We also try to accommodate a variety of pulao each day, since that’s a much-loved dish in the Telugu states,” adds Sreenath. The rather elaborate buffet menu offers two soups, three salads, nine starters – three of which are Telugu dishes – four main course dishes, four rice delicacies and three decadent desserts.
We first sip on the welcome drink – watermelon juice, a refreshing choice for a hot summer afternoon. In no time, we see the starters making their way to the table. There’s quite some variety even in the starters, offering a mix of various cuisines with four vegetarians, two chicken and two seafood options. We first bite into Vankaya Pakoda (fried brinjal snack).
As the name goes, this starter is crispy and is a perfect accompaniment for Pappu Annam (rice with lentils). Saving some of this to pair it with the rice dishes, we move on to Chilli Babycorn. The baby corn, perfectly cooked in the in-house sauce, is soft, making this Chinese appetiser quite a hit. Non-vegetarians must try Telangana Kodi Roast and Fish Fingers.
The main course is equally vast with enough choice for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. We choose to try Kodi Vepudu Pulao (Chicken Fried Pulao) with Nannamma Kodi Koora (Grandmother’s Chicken Curry). The succulent pieces of chicken, cooked in a thick in-house special gravy, is flavoursome and appropriate for the Pulao.
We couldn’t resist trying the Palakoora Pappu (spinach cooked with lentils) with ghee rice and the Vankaya Pakoda that we saved from the beginning. This combination of pappu, hot steamed rice and a fried snack can never get boring, we’re reassured. The menu also has a few North Indian and Chinese main course dishes, for people who aren’t fond of the local cuisine. And then we arrive on a sweet finish! We tried the Rasagulla and Kaju Ka Kheer, which was slightly ho-hum compared to the rest of the meal. However, all the Telugu delicacies we tried before and the courteous staff more than made up for that.
Price for two: Rs.900.
Pics: Sayantan Ghosh