Get all your southern flavours, comfort at Delhi's new 'Padmanabham'

Padmanabham is no run-of-the-mill restaurant with its authentic cuisine from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
​The thali comes from one of the aforementioned regions each day.
​The thali comes from one of the aforementioned regions each day.

The thing about regional restaurants is that they can either be like a Jackson Pollock painting or an exquisite tapestry. The Pollock-like establishments are characterised by individual dots (read dishes) of rare excellence and clarity standing out amid a meaningless pastiche; the most unfortunate regional eateries serve cuisine.

Happily then, the food at the all-vegetarian Padmanabham is a deftly woven tapestry of south Indian cuisines from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, with the dishes merging seamlessly together, even as the flavours retain their distinct identity.

Newly opened in Delhi’s Janpath and helmed by Chef Bakshish Dean, it is a large 200-seater space, located smack next to what one could consider its most formidable competition, Sarvana Bhavan.

Given that The Bhavan has been a Delhi institution for decades, one might expect a David vs Goliath situation, but upon reaching their adjacent doors, it’s hard to tell where the waiting line outside for one begins and the other ends (the restaurant is packed all the time and the management is unable to even make reservations because of the constant rush, so plan accordingly).  

Vending our way through the packed tables, we arrive at our own, to be greeted with piping hot rasam, peppery from the start, fierce to the finish, just the way we like it.

The following duet of idli-vada is the best we’ve had this side of the Satpuras, and this is a hill we’re ready to die on.

The idli, whether wantonly dusted with gunpowder or pristinely plain, is as soft and pliant as the heroine of an old-timey movie, even while the vada is a revelation. Hot and crisp on the outside, light as air on the inside.

We’re also lucky enough to make acquaintance with both the Stew-Appam and the Idiappam-Kadala Curry. The former is smugly genteel with the stew a subtle but gloriously creamy medley of curry-leaf perfumed vegetables, while the latter is more robust, consisting of a boldly spiced gravy of black grams.

The appam and idiyappam are also rather distinct, coming in a traditional rice noodle hopper/pancake style as well as thick slabs slivered off a Swiss roll-like medley of red and white rice.

Finally, we come to the piece de résistance, the Bhojanam thali. Since we’re special snowflakes, we’re lucky enough to get the authentic banana leaf presentation, which is set to go public from the second week of February.

And after experiencing the intricacies of service, we get why the restaurant is taking their time to roll it out for literal mass consumption.

Comprising pappadam, banana (chips and fruit) pickles, curd rice, four kinds of vegetables, red or white rice, separate flavoured rice, dal, sambar, pullisery, rasam, buttermilk and a dessert, the thali is just as exhaustive as typing that litany out was.

The thali comes from one of the aforementioned regions each day. Having come on a Wednesday, we get the distinction of tasting the Karnataka thali. Told you we’re special.

In the interests of brevity, we shall keep this short and, just like the Hesaru Bele (moong dal) payasam at the end of our meal, sweet. Much like the rest of our meal, the tastes and textures cascade beautifully together even as we make rather a mess on our verdant banana leaf platter.

Particular favourites include the pineapple gojju (a sweet, spicy, smoky curry of the fruit), and, of course, the payasam. Speaking of the mess we finally leave, move over Pollock.

Where: 52, Janpath, Connaught Place.
Meal for two: Rs 600 (including taxes)

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