Kaustubh, tucked in a tiny saket corner, is about simplicity over style, cuisine over coolth and homeliness over a high-heeled patronage

When was the last time you went to a place that really felt like home? We didn't remember, until the first step in. Sincere smiles, plain white dhotis and a well-spaced hall were waiting when we entered -- we were the last visitors that night. Nevertheless, we were treated like the first. And no, there was no pretense involved, at any point.


No fancy dressing: The furniture is all wood, and the general
code, minimal

Food
Don't expect the done-to-death idli dosa fare here. Most of the dishes on their super-specialty all-vegetarian menu cover the whole of the Southern Peninsula, from Kerala to Hyderabad to Chennai and cities whose names defy diction.


Meal steal: The signature thaali

Chef K Paramasivam brings out his best, complete with detailed descriptions so that you don't miss out on anything. The adai, kaalan thoran and vazhakai vadai make for good appetisers. The kaalan thoran -- a rare stuffed mushroom preparationu00a0-- wins our heart.

In main course, the tongue-twisting must tries include poondu venkaya kuzhambu, paalkatti masala and urulai poriyal with poratta and plain rice. It's the poondu we pick -- again, a mushroom dish that tastes nothing like you've ever had before. And the last thing you'd expect for a winner on a South Indian menu card.

While you're at it, don't forget to ask for their special pickles -- the garlic, mango and gongura ones, in particular. And some appam, too, served with the traditional mor malagham, or chillies dried after a curd-dip.
In desserts, the paal paniyaram charms. For the less experimentative, there's the rava kesri (and no, it isn't painfully sweet like at most places).

Drinks
Expect no liquor. Just crystal clear tanni, piping hot rasam and filter kapi in the end. Bliss.

Ambience
Aah. A Tirupati idol stands in welcome as you climb up the three low steps. The music is mellow, instrumental, classical. The faces, sans superficiality. The service, cordial and not OTT forthcoming. The manager helps you understand the ethnic block-prints that make the wallpaper stand out. The furniture is all wood, and the general code -- minimal. A good change if loud luxury tires you.

Kaustubh
D-2,Shop No 5 & 6, Southend Building, Behind Select City Mall, Saket
Ring: 44625633
Meal for two: Rs 500
Timings: 10 am to 10 pm