This Hyderabad restaurant fabulously recreates dining at an authentic South Indian home

Of all the food experiences we could have in the world, be it a fancy seven course meal or a popping tapas bar, a feeling of being welcome remains at the centre of what makes for a memorable meal. A feeling of ‘home’, if you will. This week, we felt that sense of homecoming at Simply South’s new outlet in Jubilee Hills. Relocated from their Film Nagar outlet, the new space exudes a familiar, welcoming charm.

The façade looks like a traditional South Indian home, complete with teak pillars, an arugu (seating platform) to foster endless chit-chat sessions and a regal wooden swing glistening in the afternoon winter sun in the outdoor space lined with bright marigold flowers. Inside, the stained glass and wooden windows elevated the homely atmosphere. A part of the seating consists of the ‘gattu,’ if you wish to dine traditional style, floor seating et al. Before the meal, we were served a platter of papads with a freshly ground roti pacchadi made of cabbage — something we would have never guessed considering the zippy flavours and smooth texture.

We started our meal with a chilled glass of buttermilk, spiced with chopped green chillies and coriander leaves. Wishing to savour the signature dishes at the eatery, we called for the Saggubiyyam vada first. With the addition of curry leaves, the crunchy-chewy sago cutlets were enjoyable to the last bite. Next came the Ulavacharu kodi, a chicken-based appetiser with drumsticks tossed in an ulavacharu-based sauce. The dish took us by a complete surprise, with the traditionally robust horse gram-based gravy rendering a slightly sweet aftertaste to the meat.

For mains, we’d recommend the Mamsam pulao as a must-try at Simply South. With succulent pieces of meat tossed in rice flavoured with a beautiful green chilli-based spice mix, and a generous addition of birista — we’d call the dish a perfect amalgamation of Telugu-Hyderabadi cuisine. The Elaneer payasam, a chilled coconut milk based dessert was a fitting end to our quintessential South Indian meal.

Rs 1,400 for two.

At Jubilee Hills