Unless you’re living under a rock, you probably saw your friends on social media unable to stop talking about how great this new place Taaza Kitchen in Madhapur is. Or you probably have been the one that tried the place yourself!
Known to serve the best of South Indian (read Bengaluru) breakfast in the city, Taaza Kitchen has been receiving only the best of reviews. The place, apart from its authentic taste, has been winning brownie points for its standard of hygiene and affordability. We chat with Vignesh and Raghavendra Manne, owners of the place that shot to fame in no time.
Telugu brothers Vignesh and Raghavendra, who lived in Karnataka for close to 25 years, decided to bring the best of Bengaluru’s taste to the city of food enthusiasts. “Every South Indian State is known for various kinds of delicacies and Bengaluru (Karnataka) is loved best for its breakfast. We wanted to bring to Hyderabad the taste of Bengaluru’s famed Vidhyarti Bhavan and MTR-style dosas and baaths,” shares Taaza Kitchen’s owner and co-founder Vignesh.
If you’ve been to both Bengaluru and Taaza Kitchen, you’d vouch for the similarity in the taste. The dosas are crisp on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. The masala is fresh and slightly mashed. The chutney though, is slightly spicier in comparison to the ones served in Bengaluru, just the way Hyderabadis like it.
Now, a dosa, idli or vada is incomplete without sambar, but Taaza Kitchen doesn’t serve it. Ask why and they share, “We believe in serving only piping hot, fresh food. So, when we serve the dosa or idli with sambar, you will never know if the idli is actually hot, you could get fooled by the hot sambar atop the dish.” This is also why the place does not deliver food via delivery apps because by the time it reaches your home, it would no longer be hot and fresh!
So particular they are about hygienic and fresh food, customers can see how the utensils are being washed and sterilised, and even cooked and served, through the glass counters. “We never have leftovers, we prepare each food item only after an order is placed,” says Vignesh.
Despite this, your food arrives within lighting speed. They’re confident enough about their measures that they will allow customers a tour into the kitchen, if they wish to. The dishes that came from their dishwashers were sure too hot to be held. The affordability of the food is unbelievable! They serves only around 15-20 items and nothing costs more than Rs 50.
What’s a south Indian breakfast without the good ol’ filter coffee! They also serve the pulpiest grape juice, and badaam milk. Not to forget, a moderately sweet gulab jamun and jalebi! Masala and plain dosa, filter coffee and the Chow Chow baath (half khara and half kesari baath) are their bestsellers. “The place has become a hit among people of all age groups.
The taste that comes from a roadside bandi brings with it the issue of hygiene and the trust that you have at a high-end restaurant will burn a hole in your pocket. When we identified the need for affordable, authentic and healthy food, we went with it, and it worked. People back in Bengaluru told us that their taste won’t impress the Hyderabadi taste buds, but it’s working wonders here,” shares a content Vignesh.
The biggest impressor, however, has to be their eco-friendly policy. “We don’t use plastic, that’s why we don’t even sell water bottles. We provide free RO water from a tap. Even for those who take away food, we pack them using recycled paper, though we always encourage our customers to bring their own boxes,” Vignesh shares, as he welcomes his next customer with a smile.