Sa.ma, a newly-opened restaurant in Hyderabad serves delectable old-school Indian food

Christmas is right around the corner. With the chilly weather setting in, it is the perfect time for a nice luxurious outdoor dinner. This is exactly what Sa.ma offers. Right at the entrance, a white reindeer statue was waiting to welcome us, reminding us of the festive cheer. Upon entering, we found ourselves surrounded by channels of water exuding tranquility.

The restaurant, once the home of the late actor Gummadi Venkateswar Rao, has been thoughtfully transformed while preserving its original charm. The old-world architecture, featuring a courtyard with elegant arches and a traditional tiled roof, remains intact. The courtyard, lined with trees and plants illuminated by fairy lights and Christmas ornaments, creates a magical ambience. With both indoor and outdoor seating available, we chose to sit outdoors to enjoy the weather and the enchanting décor. Tables were arranged along the courtyard’s perimeter, offering a picturesque view of water channels, ornamented plants, the tiled roof, and the radiant full moon. It felt like a scene straight out of a movie! While the ambience put us in awe, the food did not disappoint us.

We were welcomed with warm herbal kahwa tea, in-house breadsticks and their signature Schezwan sauce. The bread sticks were perfectly soft, buttery and crispy, while the sauce definitely stole the show. They gave a twist to it with garlic, and some in-house ingredients. This delightful combination is certainly a must-try.

The first course of the meal was Coconut and lemon rasam, a concoction perfect for the weather. The tomato based rasam had subtle notes of coconut and coriander, with a pepper and red chilli spice added to it. The soup was soothing to the throat and comforting to the heart.

Next up were the appetisers, Bread pakoda 2.0, Baked pav bhaji, and Mohammad Ali chicken tikka. The former, a crispy pakoda of bread filled with cheese and potato was teamed with classic tomato ketchup. The second appetiser was pieces of in-house pav with bhaji poured on top and grated cheese, served baked. It gave a nice crispy twist to the classic pav bhaji. The Mohammad Ali chicken tikka was served with a raw mango chutney which stole our hearts. The chicken was soft and the tikka juicy and flavourful; while the chutney was perfectly sour with hints of mint and coriander.

For the mains, we had Ande ka khageena with laccha paratha and Chicken biryani. The Khageena consisted of fried eggs served with a Chettinad flavoured, sautéed onion and tomato, which had the distinct flavour of curry leaves. The biryani, served with an old school, thick mirchi ka saalan and raita, was perfectly cooked with notes of saffron and mint. With no overpowering flavour, the subtlety of each spice sat comfortably on our palate.

The highlight of our meal was the Elaneer Panna Cotta, a soft coconut pudding served with fresh coconut milk and strips of tender coconut. It was a perfect visual as well as a gustatory stimulating experience.

INR 3,000 for two. At Film Nagar