HYDERABAD: Nue Cafe, founded by Pravishta Nadella and Aditya Jaiswal to bring a global culinary experience to Hyderabad, recently turned one. As part of the celebrations, they introduced, for the very first time, the concept of casual fine dining in the city. With a menu curated by chef Vikash Vumudi that meets the standards of the very best fine dining restaurants, coupled with a laid-back atmosphere, Nue is set to take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city into an urban oasis unlike any other.
For those wondering if casual fine dining is an oxymoron, chef Vikas breaks it down for you. “To put it in simple terms, the food, plating, taste and quality will all seem like that at a fine dining restaurant. Right from the base to the garnishing, everything is well thought out and customised to the guests’ taste. What’s casual here is the overall experience, meaning, you won’t have a waiter checking in on you every minute, you have your privacy and own space, making you feel at ease, at home,” he explains.
One of the biggest assets on their menu is their interesting mix of bowls. “Our Buddha bowls are for customers who crave different textures on one healthy serving that comes with several elements,” he shares. Their Ramen bowl and Udon bowl are two other big winners on the menu. It’s a good place for Asian delicacies with a different taste profile.
‘Taste bhi, health bhi’ seems to be their motto, as Vikash says it’s all about health without it being boring. “Most people nowadays are conscious and wary about what goes into their bodies. That said, it shouldn’t mean health has to just be about greens and bland tastes. At Nue, our menu is the healthier, the merrier, with some fun and exciting mix of ingredients.” Their grilled murrel with Jasmine rice is sure a hot favourite. The pizza double zero flour is made using flour that is imported from Italy, which is rested for 24 hours to achieve that soft, rich texture for the crust! There’s so much experimenting and freshness in each of the items on the menu — right from chaat and ramen bowls to pizzas, small plates, meat and bread.
Some of their healthy servings include the pani puri which is made with quinoa and stuffed with sweet potato. Then there’s the mixed berry papdi chaat that’s made from foxtail millet and sago flour , served with healthy mint chutney. Their aloo tikki is made the Lakhnawi style with green grapes, pomegranates and chaat masala used as toppings. Their Norwegian salmon with brown rice and sauce is sure to be a hit among health freaks. Even their burgers are all grilled to ensure maximum health.
Desserts can sure be trouble when health is a priority but chef Vikash has no qualms about that. “Our apple pie ice cream is not made of maida but confit apples that ensure you have a crunchy base — so you have a good crust, and apple and ice cream bubbling with flavour. Our funnel cake with filter coffee ice cream is another classic, a unique combination found nowhere else in Hyderabad,” he says.