shot-button
Subscription Subscription
Home > News > India News > Article > De thaali

De thaali

Updated on: 06 October,2010 06:26 AM IST  | 
Promita Mukherjee |

PoppAdom, the new andhra restaurant in the bylanes of mehrauli, totally fails to seduce the tastebuds

De thaali

PoppAdom, the new andhra restaurant in the bylanes of mehrauli, totally fails to seduce the tastebuds

It was an evening of confusions. And it all started with the search for this newly-opened 'wow' food joint in south Delhi. No, this has nothing to do with my just-about-average sense of direction.


The interiors are a mix of Thai and south Indian; (Top) A seafood thali

Because, as it turned out, even a snazzy GPS and profuse directions from the restaurant manager failed us when it came to locating the place. So round and round Mehrauli we went, past cows, inside dingy and narrow gallis, all around a pensive Qutab, the high walls of which seemed to be mocking us on that full moon night.

Our destination: Poppadom, which has been tickling the curiosity levels among the Capital's swish set ever since it opened. Several frantic calls and asking passers-by later, we reached the place, more confused. In the dim lighting, all we could see was a wooden staircase leading to someplace which definitely did not look like an Indian restaurant, rather it looked distinctly Thai. And we were right.


High time
Poppadom, as it turned out, is a part ofu00a0 Thai High. And far from looking (or smelling) anything close to Andhra, Poppadom appeared to be like any other Thai joint. A Chinese bell hangs outside the door, complete with trappings like a thick bunch of threads attached. The interiors smelled of lemongrass. The only link to the southern state was brass bells hanging at the doors and some framed paintings. The bar area was small but nice, though if you order for drinks it will only come from Thai High because Poppadom doesn't have a bar license yet.


Thaali tales
There was more shock waiting for us though. For we were told that there isn't any a-la-carte menu yet, so all we have to choose from is thaalisu00a0-- veg, chicken, mutton or seafood. The good bit about that is that the food is unlimited and the quantities are huge. And there's more, no matter what thaali you order, most items remain common (obviously doesn't mean that you would get chicken, mutton or seafood with your veg thaali).

But with the seafood thaali, you would get everything, even the chicken and the mutton. It made more sense to go for the seafood thaali and that's what we chose. However, the worst bit is that the waiters are not really aware of what is what and what would be a good accompaniment. So unless you are really clued in to Andhra cuisine, you would be like an ignorant man (or woman) chomping away to glory, depending only on your eyes and tastebuds.

We started with something called Pappu (the name leading to giggles) which was a sort of appetising soup, like a rasam. It was good and tasted somewhat authentic.

This was followed by copious amounts of aloo fry (pretty regular) and crispy bhindi pepper salt (spicy and yummy). This, we downed with some Mojitos which didn't quite taste right. The waiters served these with poori which they kept repeating, appam, dosa, some very nicely cooked brown rice and just-about-okay curd rice.
Along the way came Andhra chicken fry, chilli chicken (why on earth at an Andhra joint? Probably the Thai High effect), the very Andhra but not-cooked-too-great chicken 65 and Kerala fish fry.

While the chicken items were cooked fine, the fish was clearly not fresh and to hide that, quite a bit of masala had been added. Ditto about the prawn items which had been cooked using frozen prawns. It had that typical hardness of the frozen variety. Moreover, they lacked the spice that is typical of Andhra cuisine.


Look up, sweets
For desserts, again, we had to look up to Thai High. Normal ice cream and chocolate mousse, nothing that someone with a sweet tooth would lust after.

At: Ambawatta Complex, Mehrauli
Timings: Noon to 3 pm and 7.30 pm to 11 pm (for dinner)
Ring: 011-26644289
Prices: Rs 800 per person without drinks (plus taxes)

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!


Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK