Chef Arupam Baidya is a storyteller, and his menu, the tale. 

At Parva, a new pan-Indian restaurant on OMR, he attempts to bring together dishes from 23 Indian states under one roof. The result is a menu that moves well beyond the familiar butter chicken-and-biryani formula, inviting diners to explore lesser-known regional cuisines without leaving Chennai.

“Most Indian restaurants serve Mughlai and Punjabi cuisine predominantly. I have travelled around India quite a lot and have eaten from every State. The idea to open an Indian restaurant has always been on my mind, so I thought why can’t we bring everything to one place,” says chef Arupam. 

Drawing from his travels and interest in food culture, he has brought together dishes from states such as West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, among others. The restaurant caters to a growing IT crowd of people from across the country who often find themselves missing the flavours of home. “I used to run a small catering business when I lived in this area and would often get requests for food from different states,” says chef as a chilled aam pora shorbot is set in front of me.

Given Chennai’s heat, the charred raw mango drink, with cumin and black salt, makes for a refreshing start to the meal. We begin with Uttar Pradesh’s palak patta chaat, which must be eaten immediately lest the crisp spinach leaves soak up the chutneys and yogurt, and turn soggy. Chhattisgarh’s bafauri, steamed chana dal dumplings tossed in a flavourful tempering and served with a fresh green chutney, offers a delightful change of pace from the usual paneer tikka that dominates many starter menus.

Another standout was the fish kabiraji, a classic from Anglo-Bengali cuisine. The fish itself is delicately cooked, but it is the intricate lacy egg net wrapped around it that steals the show. The prawn ghee roast is rich and indulgent, layered with spices that make you go back for more and pairs well with the dizzyingly sweet bel sharbat made from wood-apples. 

For those who are still able to stomach soup this summer, the tomato saar and the yakhni shorba are both light and flavourful. While the tandoori section is mostly populated with chicken in different styles, the mutton barra kebab is aromatic and spiced in the right measure. 

A meal at Parva is a lesson in food history and culture. Chef Arupam explains the history behind the chicken dak bungalow, an Anglo-Indian delicacy that is said to have been cooked in post offices (dak ghar) when British officers travelled with mail. It is a delicate, lightly spiced dish that the British once enjoyed, and now so do those with a lower spice tolerance. He also explains with interest, the history and journey of the bedmi poori. “It was called the travelling poori because it was preferred to be carried on long journeys due to its longer shelf life,” he says pushing the poori basket towards us, which has an assortment of six different kinds of pooris from a kochuri, luchi, poori and more. 

The chena-r-dalna, a dumpling made with chena (ricotta) and simmered in the regular tomato based gravy; and the techa paneer gravy, which is heavy with green chilli spice and peanuts, are both good choices to go with the moti pulao or any of the breads straight from the tandoor. The flavours are familiar, yet distinct. 

Being a South Indian, ending the meal with curd is essential and the ace up Parva’s sleeve is the dahi jalebi, a central Indian dessert combination of a syrupy sweet piping hot jalebi, served with a slightly tangy chilled bowl of curd. Eaten together, it evokes nostalgia even in those trying it for the first time. On the other hand, the black rice kheer made with Manipur’s black rice is nutty and intense. 

From dal bhaati churma and litti choka to black til chicken and Himachali rajma, Parva crosses State borders casually many times across the menu and does it without putting on a show. Though it is an indulgent meal that dapples in familiar flavours, hearing the stories and how these flavours come together is an experience. 

Parva is at Shop no.10, Shop in a park, East Coast Road, Sea Cliff Conclave, Akkarai, Panaiyur. A meal for two costs ₹1,200.