After 40 years, Indu Deluxe, one of Hyderabad’s popular restaurants located at Saifabad, opened its second outlet in Banjara Hills earlier this month. Traffic bottlenecks had increasingly made the journey to the original restaurant tougher and the new addition is being welcomed by loyalists.

Rohit Reddy, the second gen owner of Indu Deluxe says, “It is nice to see some of our regulars come here accompanied by their friends and children to try the thali or the pulaos.”

Step into the Banjara Hills outlet and it is evident that this restaurant is not selling a unique concept of decor. Nor is it trying to position itself too differently from the first one. Rohit and his partner Chhaya Pal designed the place to reflect the ethos of the parent restaurant. Says Chhaya, “With this second place we want to tell our clientele that we are also at Banjara Hills, offering the same menu, down to the same chutney. What is probably missing is the showstopper omelette.”

This new place has two sections on the same floor and can accommodate nearly 80 diners.  It has a new beverage menu that includes beers, choice of select whisky and a few mocktails. The seating is simple yet comfortable, one that has the vibe of a family dining space at a time when everyone is looking to offer the vibe of Bali or Greece.

The wooden accents and the two-tone tiling on the floor add an old world charm.  

For those who are familiar with the old favourites in the menu, nothing much has changed. Their signature specials remain the thali, chicken fry, mutton roast and the special mutton curry.

The tandoori section is a new addition and Chhaya insisted that I try some of them. She ordered a portion of tandoori paneer and green chilli chicken tandoor. On a day when rice and carbs are off the chart, these are perfect. The green chilli chicken tandoor with the slightly singed edges was a good start to the meal.

After the tandoor trials, I tried the veg thali with chicken fry piece, mutton curry and mutton roast as accompaniments. 

The thali arrived looking picture perfect. The curries had the familiar flavours. I also looked for the signature chutneys which was my — a non Telugu’s — introduction to roti pacchadi and rice combination in my early days in Hyderabad.

The serving of rice and puri are unlimited here, so if the sweltering heat dissuades you from making them at home, head to Indu Deluxe.

The dessert in the thali was a moderately sweet semiya payasam. None of the curries were oily or excessively spicy. The mutton curry was hard to resist, with the nutty gravy paste making it special. The boneless mutton roast was soft and flavourful. The chicken fry piece, however, did not meet my expectations. The pieces were on the larger side, the masala tasted different from that of the Saifabad branch. When I brought this to the notice of Rohit and Chhaya, they assured the OG fry piece will be back.

To calm me down, Chhaya suggested I try the filter coffee ice cream and guava chilli. Both seem to have some effect, and I decided to concentrate on the mutton curry’s flavour and the nostalgia of the roti pacchadi.

Cost for two without drinks will cost ₹1200 (for the special thali).