The coming together of cultures is always fascinating to witness, be it in inter-cultural weddings, art exhibits, cinema and beyond. And when this happens on our palates, it is no less than a treat, what with Indo-Chinese cuisine making its way into our hearts (and bellies),and Chicken tikka pizzas flying off the shelves of local pizzerias.
This week, we enjoyed a meal thoroughly inspired by fusion, bringing together the local flavours from the kitchens of Andhra and Telangana, fused with Italian and French classics. Andhra Paris —All Day Telugu Café is a roaring tribute to everything Telugu with a westernised twist.
We walked into their space to find art works featuring book covers of famous Telugu writers like Chalam and Gurajada Apparao among other legendary figures of the land. Along with the menu, we were given a little puzzle booklet featuring interesting puzzles and riddles in Telugu, to pass time before our order arrived.
We started our meal with the Ullipaya cream soup, a take on the French onion soup complete with the pungent aroma of red onions, balanced with heavy cream. The Malabar paratha chips arrived next. Deep fried bites of the iconic flaky flatbread tossed in a mix of zingy south Indian spices — a dish to accompany you over long conversations.
The Allam pachadi mushroom pizza arrived next. With button mushrooms marinated in pickled onions, melted mozzarella and a spicy pickle on a fresh base, the pizza had hints of ginger pickle coming through in every bite.
From the pasta section, we called for the Coconut alfredo pasta. Made in classic alfredo style, the sauce had a tropical twist of coconut. For those with a love for Kerala style stew, this one was a delight, with the creamy coconut based sauce reminding us instantly of appam and stew. The flavours were well-balanced with the creamy sauce doing its magic.
We then moved on to some fusion bowls featured on the menu. The Karevepaku pepper fried rice was a winner, with wok-tossed fried rice topped with a rich curry leaf based spice powder. A coming together of two worlds in one bowl. For the experimental, there’s Pulihora noodles — a traditional tamarind Pulihora base complete with peanuts and curry leaves tossed in soft noodles. The Hara bhara kebab biryani is another must-try, with flavourful rice topped with the kebabs tossed in an Andhra-style curry leaf tadka adding oodles of flavour to the bowl.
We finished our meal with Pancake with cheruku panakam— classic pancakes topped with a reduced sugarcane syrup with hints of ginger coming through. A twist we thoroughly enjoyed.
Rs 800 for two.
At Madhapur.
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