The serene lanes of Jubilee Hills Road No 45 are perfect to chill and try one of the best fusion dishes available in the city. The newly launched bistro spread across three floors including both indoor and outdoor seating area — The Glass House-- has packed a punch in the city’s culinary landscape. The 150-seater space owned and promoted by Dr Gana Reddy and Vasu Adapa aims to be a modern bistro serving the best of South Indian classics and global cuisine.
According to Dr Gana, South Indian food is so much more than the few popular dishes which everyone knows. “The menu at The Glass House is not overtly vast. It was a conscious decision to restrict the number of dishes on the menu while dividing it into small plates and large plates so that we can revamp it at regular intervals. The unique combination of South Indian flavours and International style resulted in dishes winning the best of both worlds. It was important for us to present a known dish in a different way, with a twist. That’s the reason we made it a point to exclude biriyani from the menu. If a Hyderabadi sees there’s biriyani in the menu, they will go straight for it without even trying the other dishes. We wanted to break that cycle,” shares Dr Gana.
Interestingly, the restaurant has a boho interior vibe as you enter through a green foliage passage. The rooftop made with glass walls is suitable for a private party or a special occasion. “We are planning to host a special chef’s table every month with a curated menu at the rooftop space,” adds Dr Gana.
As we got seated for lunch on a sultry humid day, we were welcomed with Fresh Lime Soda with Mint which instantly got our battery recharged. Our fusion food journey started with Black Lentil Hummus with Banana Chips. The crispy banana chips were a nice takeaway from the regular lavash. Next came the Burrata Papdi Chaat, which was a tasty blend of creamy burrata cheese with tangy tomato sauce placed atop a desi papdi — a wonderful take on our very own papdi chaat. That’s not all, their small plates section is full of surprises and playful dishes like Tuna Avocado Pani Puri, Pork Pandi Curry Tacos and KFC Pao.
Fresh tuna and creamy avocado ceviche with pani made of raw mango with a hint of wasabi served with crispy puri shells was a match made in heaven. The pork tacos is an inspired dish from the region of Coorg served with bite-sized Malabar paratha as tacos had a nice hint of spice. To the uninitiated, the KFC Pao is nothing similar to the fast food branded fried chicken. It is instead Karampodi Fried Chicken served with curry leaf aioli sauce served between home-made pao.
We focused our attention on the large plates section of the menu and ordered Rasam Risotto and Edamame Corn Avakai Oil Fried Rice. The risotto with flavours of rasam served with crispy papads made a wholesome dish. The avakai oil fried rice was bursting with flavours as well.
We rounded off the experience with desserts Khubani Hyderabadi Tres Leches, Liquid Cheesecake with Osmania Biscuits and Jaggery and Coconut Samosa with Salted Caramel Sauce and Gelato. By combining the flavours of khubani (apricot) with tres leches, the desi dessert has taken a worthy European ride. As for the Liquid Cheesecake with Osmania Biscuits, it is a delicious take on Hyderabad’s love for Osmania biscuits. Lastly, the combination of jaggery and coconut stuffed in a small samosa served with tender coconut ice cream, and topped with salted caramel sauce made it a fitting end to our luncheon.
For those of you who like a bit of fusion in your regular plate of food, make sure to drop by The Glass House to enjoy a unique culinary journey.