It’s been a few weeks since Vivaha Bhojanambu, a restaurant chain serving Telugu cuisine, opened its doors at the Pharos hotel on Sterling Road. At the 78-seater in Chennai, much like other outlets in Hyderabad, you are greeted by a statue of Ghatotkacha from the 1957 Telugu fantasy flick, Mayabazar. And a song from the film inspired the restaurant’s name. All this trivia comes together when we find out that one of the owners is actor Sundeep Kishan alongside partners Amith Juvvadi and Ravi Raju Nagaraju.
We settle in, knowing fully well to prepare for a food coma. Breakfast has dutifully been skipped to do justice to their signature thali. But first, our waiter fills our table with an assorted selection of appetisers — succulent chunks of Miriyala Mamsam Vepudu (Black Pepper Mutton Fry), charcoal-grilled Korameenu Tandoori Chepa (this is the entire fish and could be a meal by itself) and crispy Golkonda Kodi Vepudu (pieces of chicken wrapped in a large potato chip, deep fried and dusted with spices). The latter is perhaps one of our personal favourites.
For authentic flavours, Ravi tells us, “Everything from the rice to the ghee to the 12 different types of podis available are sourced from Andhra, Telengana and Rayalaseema.” We start our Rayalavari Bhojanam thali with one of the suggested homemade podis that is meant to kickstart your metabolism, a healthy mix of flaxseed powder and ghee to go with your rice. Simple, tasty and so good for you. Expect as many as 16 dishes as part of the thali, including highlights like the wholesome natikodi pulusu which pairs beautifully with the ragi mudde, crisp Bhimavaram Kodi Vepudu and spicy Gongura Mamsam Kura. We also sample the Nizami Chicken Dum Biryani which is mildly spiced and a wholesome Mamsam Pappucharu Annam (sambar rice and mutton) but the thali is definitely what we will be returning for. You could order a dessert to finish like the seasonal Mango Rabdi but we recommend the Rajahmundry Rose Milk with is extra creamy, courtesy a dollop of strawberry ice cream.
Meal for two at INR 1,200 onwards.