BENGALURU: Head to any Udupi restaurant across the country and the vibe might be the same: Simple steel crockery, the clatter and clang of vessels from a kitchen not too far away from your table and a menu that serves your usual ware of idlis, dosas and vadas. All in all, the time you spend there will rarely exceed 30 minutes. But at the newly-opened Urban Deccan Pub, or UDP, in Indiranagar, this experience gets an upgrade, with minutes quickly turning into hours.
We leaf through the menu at our roof-top table and are surprised at the options we come across: Bisi Bele Poppers, Podi Podi Hummus, Sambar Khichdi, Dosa Tacos. “The idea was simple,” Avik Chatterjee, head of innovation and new formats, Speciality Restaurants, tells us. “We wanted to bring in the nostalgic factor of Udupis, but with a modern twist on ingredients.” And this fun fusion extends not just to the food but to the decor and ambience as well. Like many other watering holes in the city, this one too has some fun wall decals, along with blue LED lights that only add to the laid-back vibe. But little touches like being served your food in steel plates ensure the place stays true to their muse.
To begin with, we ordered the Vo-Co-Co and Anna By The Beach. The former is a part of their unique cocktails called the brewtail, and incorporates cold brew coffee along with vodka and coconut syrup, while the latter is a white rum-based drink, with coconut syrup, pineapple juice, podi syrup and curry leaves. (Yes, you read that right.) While both the cocktails themselves were great, we found ourselves reaching out for Anna By The Beach more than Vo-Co-Co. But they both fare equally when it comes to quirky presentation. The coffee cocktail looked just like filter coffee in its little bowl and steel glass and the rum drink really gave us the beach feel. The Vanakkam Kokum cocktail (whiskey with pickle syrup, white wine and lime juice) too comes in an authentic little pickle jar, nicely blending the traditional with the modern.
These drinks went well with the Podi Podi Hummus, which is an interesting take on the dish with its spicy taste, courtesy some chutney powder, and the Bisi Bele Poppers, which proves that any dish with cheese can only get better than before. Among the non-veg appetisers, the Pepper Chicken Fry had a nice peppery kick and the Prawn Ghee Roast Mini Dosa tacos were the perfect bite-sized nibbles for our drinks.
Our main course included Chicken Kothu, Pepper Paneer Chettinad Curry, Cantonment Mutton Curry, Sambhar Khichdi, Potli Biryani and some Chinnavengaya Sambar (deep fried button idlis tossed in sambar). Much to our surprise, it’s the humble khichdi that emerged as our favourite dish, followed closely by the kothu. Both the items were warm, comforting and had a certain homely familiarity to it. The curries were served with Set Dosa and Malabar Parotta and while the mutton did impress, the paneer was slightly too salty for our liking. Word of caution: If you do choose the terrace seating, keep in mind the food might lose its warmth soon.
For dessert, we tried the Tender Coconut Payasam Pudding, Gulab Jamun Tiramisu and some Ajji’s Apple Crumble Rolls with Toffee Sauce. Their selection of tried-and-tested traditional and new experimental combinations ensures there’s something for everyone.
Cost for two for a meal: Rs 1,300 (approx)