Mango will take a backseat as monsoon advances. Bid adieu to the king of fruits for this year and cheer yourself with newer drinks, breakfast options or a meal of forgotten Mughal dishes.

Inspired by Vietnam and beyond

Hyderabad’s Banh Mi Babe has a new beverage menu that reflects the sense of curiosity and comfort that defines its food. Drawing from Vietnamese coffee traditions, Southeast Asian flavours, and nostalgic favourites, the menu is designed to encourage diners to linger a little longer.

First on the line-up is iced Milo, followed by Vietnamese iced coffee and the indulgent egg cream coffee, where a sweet custard made from raw egg yolk is whisked over strong Indian-brewed filter coffee. Among the newer additions are house signatures such as the Fizzy Saigon, a bright tamarind-forward cooler sweetened with jaggery, and the Pulp Fixin, a refreshing raw mango drink that balances tartness with spice.

For those seeking dessert in a glass, Banh Mi Babe has Mango Sticky Rice, where ripe mango and creamy coconut come together as a drink in a nod to the Southeast Asian classic. The usuals include bubble teas, kombuchas, milkshakes, shaved ice, and seasonal refreshments.

“If the food at Banh Mi Babe is drawn from Vietnam’s vibrant street culture, the drinks mirror its sense of spontaneity,” said Nirmala Vanamali, founder Banh Mi Babe.

Banh Mi Babe, Plot No.57, Road number 71, Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills

Forgotten specials

Riwayat is a limited-period culinary showcase to celebrate forgotten Mughal flavours, rare royal breads, and timeless recipes preserved through generations. Drawing inspiration from the ‘Royal kitchens of the erstwhile districts/subah’. Riwayat is presenting culinary treasures through authentic recipes, aromatic spices, saffron, and time-honoured cooking techniques. It also celebrates the heritage of royal travel dining, where kebabs and breads formed the heart of the meal.

The team will bring out signature highlights in the royal kebab section in dishes such as jhinga hussaini, mahi zaituni kebab, murgh asifiya kebab, zareen dum kebab, nadru shikampur, kathal ghilafi seekh, khumb gilawat and kebab magziyadi. Try breads like roghani sheermal and Naan gil-e-firdaus.

Dum Pukht Begum’s, ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad, June 19-28, 7pm– 11pm, Dinner only

Asian breakfast

On a weekend, while not rushing to work and the staple breakfast menu seems dull, head to Doki Doki at Jubilee Hills. The restaurant has a special Asian breakfast menu along with indulgent western breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles with ice cream.

Curious about the Asian breakfast? Congee? Or the Miso morning oats? A healthy version of oats cooked with miso and spinach and topped with a nice creamy avocado and chilli oil.

The team, however, suggests we start our breakfast with the morning after toast — a shiitake mushroom toast if you prefer vegetarian and togarashi scrambled eggs on a sourdough toast if your breakfast is incomplete without eggs. This can be followed with Aburi breakfast melt, which is a shokupan bread slice topped with soy-glazed mushrooms, or the pad kra pow chicken. Top it up with parmesan cheese and then blow torched to give it a smoky flavour.

For those who love all things Korean, Seoul Pancakes or the kimchi chicken pancake can be your pick. More on the eggs: Bangkok Benedict is Doko Doki’s version with ham and poached egg on a brioche bun with tom yum hollandaise.

There are breakfast sushi rolls as well that replace rice with egg, avocado, asparagus and Kewpie mayonnaise, and some sriracha sauce. Breakfast without coffee is incomplete. So for breakfast coffee, DD has partnered Toops which is working on interesting clarified coffees and the pour over with Pineapple ferment naturals.

Dokii Dokii, Road No. 45 Jubilee Hills, Nandagiri Hills, Jubilee Hills, weekend breakfast only (Saturday and Sunday) 8am to 11am