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Growing up, I had the privilege of moving to different parts of the country. From North to South, West to South-West, I’ve lived across different cities. And as a kid, I was exposed to different cultures. New people, new languages, and new food had become a regular affair.
For instance, in Amdavad, I fell in love with the Dhokla and savory Muthiya while Bangalore tantalized my taste buds with crispy Dose and the unique blend of flavors in Chow Chow Bath. And in Delhi, I couldn’t resist the comforting Rajma Chawal and the spicy indulgence of Chole Kulche. And moving to Hyderabad was just going to be another such experience.
Over the years, I’ve visited a lot of restaurants in Hyderabad, from street bandis to fine dining hotels in search of good food. A few weeks ago, my search took me to Gaurang’s Kitchen, a pure vegetarian restaurant in Hyderabad that had made quite a buzz at its launch and even now it continues to impress people.
And how can Maharaj miss out on a vegetarian restaurant? I was here with my parents for lunch and like always, this is going to be my review of Gaurang’s Kitchen.
Aesthetic Ambiance
Finding Gaurang’s Kitchen is no big deal, it’s in the lane next to Jubilee Hills Road Number 36, just a little ahead of Farzi Cafe. Thankfully, they have valet parking because there’s no place to park by yourself there. Even the valet might park your car somewhere else, so you might have to wait a bit longer when you leave.
Situated in one of the sprawling spots in Jubilee Hills, Gaurang’s Kitchen is a unique place where design and food come together. The founder, Gaurang Shah, who is a famous fashion designer, has handpicked the decor and the menu.
The moment you step inside, you are enveloped in an ambiance of warmth and creativity. Abundant natural light streams through large windows and roofs, illuminating the carefully curated interiors adorned with a kaleidoscope of colors. There are multiple seating options, you can choose to sit at a traditional table or opt for a more relaxed experience by lounging on the floor, the choice is yours.
Since we were here for lunch, it was bright and colorful and there weren’t many people. However, by the time we were leaving, the place was almost full. I was surprised to see the demand for vegetarian food in Hyderabad. I guess, you need to be here to experience the place, so I’ll leave it here.
Wholesome Thali At Gaurang’s Kitchen
I had seen stories and posts about Gaurang’s Kitchen and many people did reach out to me saying “Maharaj you must try it!” and finally (after 2 years) I was there. It was a random family outing and we were free by lunch. So instead of going to any other place, I decided to come here. With my bad experience at Jewel Of Nizam, I was skeptical of bringing my parents to a place that I hadn’t tried personally.
Anyways, Gaurang’s Kitchen serves both a la carte and thali. The menu as mentioned earlier spans across regions. So you get everything from Curd Rice and Gujarati Kadhi to Pani Puri and Chole Bhature. However, we (I) wanted to try the thali and hence we asked for three of those.
The unlimited thali at Gaurang’s is quite popular and has a rotating menu. The thali here is Gujarati/Rajasthani and has multiple interesting dishes. An upscale version of Rajdhani, Rajthali, and the like. It comprises starters, mains, bread, rice/khichdi, dal/kadhi, and desserts. One good thing is that they also have vegan thali, Jain thali, and even gluten-free thali. It’s the first that I know of. If anyone else is serving, please let me know.
On the day, there was Moong Dal Kachori, Peri Peri Aloo Tikki, Peanut Butter Fingers, and Dudhi Muthiya with Kadhi. All the starters are served on a nice plate the first time, and post that they’ll serve you as much as you want. Small moong dal kachoris packed a punch, there was a blast of flavors and the accompanying chutneys were perfect.
Peri Peri Aloo Tikki was good too, but since I’m a huge Aloo Fan, I didn’t have any extra servings of it. The peanut butter fingers were something new. These were crunchy on the outside and were flavorsome. Again, the dip served was nice. My favourite however was the Dudhi Muthiya. It was ages since I had good Muthiyas and this was pretty good. So much that I had a few servings of it.
Coming to mains, there were again quite a few dishes including Veg Kadhai, Methi Chaman, Bhindi Masala, Tomato Thotakura Chana along with Marwari Kadhi and Masoor Dal. Frankly, I was quite happy to see Bhindi on the plate. It was simple and delicious. All the other curries were good too and compared to other thali places, the curries were pretty good here. The Tomato Thotakura Chana was a nice preparation, something like Palak Chole. The Kadhi and Dal were nice.
I so wish there was Gujarati Kadhi and Meethi Dal instead, probably the next time I go, I call them up in advance and check with them if they’re serving Gujarati Kadhi and then visit. Not that these were bad, just that I love Gujarati Kadhi.
There was also Biryani, Khichdi, and Curd rice. Biryani was nice and was loaded with veggies along with aromatic rice. Curd was just there to please the local taste. But the star of the thali was the Khichdi. It was one of the best Khichdi that I’ve had in recent times. And with that dollop of ghee, this was outstanding. Truly satisfying and perfect for the awesome weather.
Talking about bread, there were rotis, puri, Thepla, and Puranpoli. I was interested in the thepla, it was good but could have been a little punchier. I missed mentioning the various aachaars and chutney options that are pretty good and went well with everything else.
Moving on to the desserts, there was the people’s favorite Aam Ras, Mohanthal, and Kulfi Falooda. I dunked in some hot pooris and aam ras and it was soul satisfying. Mohanthal was nice and so was the Kulfi, but when there’s Aam Ras, everything else takes a backseat. Apart from that I also ordered a watermelon cold brew which was outstanding. Then there was a Lemon Iced tea as well which was nicely done. Didn’t realize that at one point, the table felt smaller with so many items present.
We were there were almost 3 hours as we relished everything that came in. From the first serve to the last one, the servers were cheerful and prompt. So apart from just the colors and food, the service also is pretty good. I’d also like to thank the manager who arranged a nice thali for me to click a picture. Appreciate it.
A Satisfied Family At The End
To sum things up, my first visit to Gaurang’s Kitchen was a good one. More than I did, my parents enjoyed the complete experience– place, food, and service. And for me, that’s above all. They loved the starters, the Khichdi, and even the welcome drink for that matter. Luckily the weather was also pretty good that day so it just elevated the whole experience. While we tried only that thali this time around, would want to try their a la carte items as well on my next visit.
Talking about the prices, this is a premium restaurant, and hence the prices are steep. For instance, a plate of Chole Bhature costs Rs 650++ which is expensive. The thali is priced at Rs 1250++ per head. We paid just under Rs 5000 for a meal for 3 which had the thali as well the drinks. This is surely on the expensive side when you compare it with other Thali restaurants.
I pay almost the same amount at Kangan, Westin which is another family favorite. It’s expensive for sure, and for someone like me, it’s a place that I’d go on special occasions where I’m guaranteed a good experience with good food.
And as I conclude this post, I realized that I wrote about 2 vegetarian restaurants in Hyderabad this week! If you haven’t read my previous post, read about Hummus House in Hyderabad. That’s about this post, let me know your thoughts in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Instagram, or Get In Touch.
