The Andhra comeback that fixes the room, not the soul of the kitchen

Pulusu Ruchulu shut its doors mid-May, listened to its customers, and came back this month with brighter interiors, adjusted spice levels, and the same Andhra kitchen that keeps people returning to this place again and again.

A short closure, a careful rethink, and a stronger return

We worked through three starters first. The Pacha mirchi chicken carries a lemon note in the marinade that somehow survives the heat of cooking and comes through clean at the end of each bite, which is really refreshing. The Rayalaseema chicken is the spicier one and more layered. The Gongura chicken is the standout: gongura paste and whole spices, and that signature sour tartness is present but not overwhelming. Across all three, the marination is genuinely well prepared and shows care. The only honest note is that all three came slightly overcooked on our visit, which dulled what were otherwise excellent preparations. Still worth ordering, but worth knowing.

The Kobari prawns and mushrooms, new additions to the menu, arrived next, and this is where the kitchen’s skills really show. The base is coconut milk simmered long and slow until it thickens into a creamy and almost sweet coating. It is clean and mildly spiced and makes you want to ask for more before you have even finished what is in front of you.

On the biriyani front, the Hyderabadi chicken biriyani is well put together and solid. But the Nellore mutton biriyani is the one. What was once served as mutton pieces added on top has been reworked into a proper dum style, and the difference is significant: the meat flavour has fully seeped into the rice, and the whole thing is more cohesive, more rounded, more itself.

The Ragi mudde and fish curry are a non-negotiable. The mudde arrives dense and warm, with the fish curry sharp and tangy alongside it, and together this combination has no business being improved upon and thankfully is not. The Paruppu podi rice is the comfort order, simple and right. Dessert is Kasi halwa, white pumpkin cooked down with raisins and cashews, mild and honest and a quiet ending to a loud meal.

Meal for two: Rs 2,600++. From 11.30 am to 4 pm and 7 pm and 11 pm. At Pulusu Ruchulu, Anna Nagar.

Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya

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