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I’ve mentioned this a lot, but finding pure vegetarian restaurants in Hyderabad is difficult. There are pockets like Sindhi Colony, Narayanduga, and Kachiguda that are dominated by marwaris which have a lot of vegetarian eateries. And as you know that I’m always on the lookout for new pure vegetarian restaurants in Hyderabad, one that I was recently invited to was Masala Republic by Dadu’s.
Masala Republic is a well-known pure vegetarian restaurant chain (if I can say so) in Hyderabad. Their first outlet was in Himayatnagar followed by one in Gachibowli. I had been wanting to visit both of them, but it never happened because of this distance from my place. Nonetheless, I was finally at Masala Republic Banjara Hills a few days back.
Like always this is going to be my Masala Republic review blog post.
Elegant Ambience
Owned by Dadu’s group, Masala Republic has made its name in the vegetarian community in Hyderabad. Their restaurants are located in the same building as Dadu’s sweet shop. The sweet shop on the ground floor and the restaurant on the first floor. Masala Republic Banjara Hills is in the same lane as Cafe Niloufer and is opposite the new Police Command centre.
The elegant interiors of the sweet shop are carried to the restaurant as well. The use of calming colours, teal-coloured upholstery and gold accents is pleasing to the eyes. The lighting and the music just amp up the ambience. This surely isn’t a big restaurant but can easily accommodate 5-8 families at its peak.
The kitchen area is visible to the diners so you can see what’s actually going on in there. One of the few places that I’ve been to off late that still has a physical menu instead of the QR Code. Overall, loved the ambience, it’s perfect for a family outing especially if you’re in the mood to eat something vegetarian.
Masala Republic Food – Review
Masala Republic as the name suggests specialises in Indian food but with a videsi touch. The menu has a lot of items that you probably eat at home but you haven’t eaten in the way they serve at Masala Republic. Chef Uttam Singh and his team have carefully curated the menu and the items are surely going to leave you craving for more.
Since I was invited by Masala Republic, there was a set menu specifically for that night which had the best of the best dishes. All the items in this special menu are part of their regular menu as well. So without much a do, let me get straight into the food at Masala Republic.
Unique Starters & Appetisers
As I reached Masala Republic Banjara Hills, it started pouring cats and dogs and the weather was suddenly all cool. What we needed was a big bowl of hot soup to start the proceedings. We started with a classic tom yum soup that was tangy and laced with veggies. It was different from the others I’ve had in the past which were more creamy.
One of their special starters was Karari Roomali Mezze. A huge Roomali roti which was crunch and smothered with desi masala and harissa sauce. One of the best I’ve had and a must-try. The next item we had was Baigan Bharta cornetto. Crunchy cones filled with classic smoked desi Baigan Bharta. It was pretty good, however, I felt there could have been some more sauce lined up in the cornetto.
The last item was Jodhpuri Chilly poppers. The Jodhpur style Mirchi vada is served in a unique way along with jalapeño dip. Pretty good, crunchy on the outside with potato filling on the inside. We also had the Malai Brocolli, Paneer Cigars and Kakori Kebabs. My pick would be the Paneer Cigars and Kakori Kebabs. Both were good in their own ways.
The next few dishes that we were served were from different parts of the world. We first had the Turkish Pide. Pide is a boat-shaped pizza type preparation popular in Turkey. This was nicely done too, the first was perfect. There was also the classic Creamy Pesto pasta. Creamy sauce with crunch garlic bread and pasta cooked to perfection.
There were also Crystal Veg dim sums. The dim sums were true to their name, crystal. It was transparent and just how an excellent dim sum needs to be. The dips served with it were perfect. Lastly, we had a buddha bowl. Lots of green veggies, quinoa and tofu with noodles. Loved this one.
Desi Food – The Best At Masala Republic
By the team we were almost full, we were told the mains are yet to be served. The first dish that was served was the Amritsari Chur Chur naan with a twist. It was stuffed with Kaladi and Spinach with butter. It was the stuffing that made it stand out. A must-try.
Coming to curries, dals and rotis, we had Malai Chena Peda, Dal Makhni along with Mock meat pulao. The Chena Peda was a nice take on chenna, and dal makhni was pretty good. However, the thing that stood out for me was Mock meat pulao. It was aromatic, and full of flavours and the mock meat was perfect. Further, the mock meat is made in-house. A must-try!
Delectable Desserts & Ice Creams
There were a couple of desserts that were served to us – Kheer Brûlée with Blueberry compote and Milk cake pie. The kheer brûlée was a nice innovation, but the blueberry just took away the flavours. I like my kheer untouched so I didn’t quite like this. The Milk Cake pie on the other hand was nice. Cold, soft and adequate sweetness made it taste better.
This outlet of Dadu’s in Banjara Hills also has a gelato bar named crème. They have a limited but pretty delicious variety of gelato. My favourite was the Lemon Biscuit, Motichoor Ladoo and Coconut, I’d say all of them are worth a try!
Delicious Flavours At Masala Republic
Dadu’s is a well-known sweet shop chain in Hyderabad and Masala Republic is their restaurant arm. This pure vegetarian restaurant packs a punch whether it’s ambience or food. The dishes are unique and delicious. My recommendations would include -Karari Roomali Roti, Paneer Cigar, Baigan Bharta Cornetto, Chur Chur naan and ice creams.
A perfect place to spend quality time with your friends and family that will not disappoint. The food is good and the variety is fit for all. Overall, a place that I’d surely recommend is the Masala Republic in my list of vegetarian restaurants in Hyderabad.
That’s about it for my review of Masala Republic Banjara Hills, let me know what you think. Share your thoughts in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Instagram or Get in Touch.
