From Paya to Vada Pav, Farzi Cafe in Hyderabad take on classic dishes is original

Hyderabad: ‘Farzi’ is usually used to signify ‘fake’, but one restaurant in Hyderabad adopted the original Persian meaning – ‘illusion’.

The element of surprise is integral to the Farzi Cafe eating experience. It combines traditional Indian spices with modern sensibilities to produce dishes that appear jaw-dropping and exotic at first glance yet are instantly recognizable once you take a mouthful. Farzi, like any skilled illusionist, prefers to keep their cards close to the chest.

Each dish comes with an element of surprise, including Farzi Café’s signature creative presentations, thanks to Aditya Kumar Jha the head of culinary operations. The café is a great setting for various types of gatherings, from family reunions to lounging meetings. Throughout the day, the venue is bursting with people and cheerful music, and the feeling grows stronger with each passing hour.

The menu is designed to seem like a school notebook and is devoid of any imagery or descriptions. You should avoid ‘spoilers’ if you’ve never dined at Farzi. If you’d rather ‘see before you jump,’ keep reading for my list of must-try meals at Farzi Café in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Amuse Bouche

When you arrive at Farzi and make your order, you’re greeted with a stunning amuse bouche that foreshadows what’s to come: bite-sized spheres of Mishti Doi covered with strawberry jam served on a bed of smoke.

Cream Corn Chowder

A chowder is a soup that is thickened with biscuits or roux and typically contains milk or cream. It is spiritual nourishment. This creamy baked corn chowder with bhutta fritters and wild greens does not disappoint. It’s the ideal way to start a leisurely lunch.

Paya Shorba with Palm Hearts

Farzi Café’s paya is a long cry from the spicy, greasy Old City classic. It’s a smooth mutton broth with lamb meat placed within a heart of the palm. If you have tried the original and are a fan and want a different version of paya, stop at Farzi Café the next time you go paya-hungry.

Dal Chawal Arancini

Arancini are ideal vehicles for fusion research for palates. The dal chawal aranchini, on the other hand, is the greatest remix of this dish you’ll come across. The typical desi flavour of dal-chawal erupts into your palette as you bite into one of the deep-fried balls that resemble a humdrum cheese popper. Achaar and papad’s sides balance out the overall experience.

Tandoori Margarita Kulcha

Farzi’s favourite tactic is to offer traditional main course meals as appetisers. These are usually served after the bite-sized dal chawaal. Kulcha packed with Mozzarella cheese and chilli is made into steamed buns, fried in a tandoor, and topped with bloody Mary sauce. Non-vegetarians may enjoy the same recipe with an irresistible kheema filling.

Vada Pav #Farzified

You might assume you’re only being served vada minus the pav, but the deception is revealed after you take a mouthful. Farzi Cafe essentially flipped the vada pav inside out, with the bread within the Vada! A truly astounding accomplishment and it tastes ekdum genuine.

Sikhampuri on Toast

Farzi Café in Hyderabad offers a variety of distinctive meals influenced by local ingredients in addition to its well-known classics. Sikhampuri on toast takes Sikhampur kebab from Hyderabad and elevates it. One, however, won’t be able to detect the pocket of hanging curd in the core that you tend to look for in a Sikhampur. Surprisingly, they are served with egg whites. The kebabs are accompanied by crisp bread and kothmari cream.

Tempura Fried Prawns

Did you know that tempura was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese? When the Portuguese came to the island, they taught the inhabitants the ‘Peixinhos da Horta,’ which evolved into the well-known Japanese tempura. Farzi’s tempura prawns are drenched in sauce and served with nimboo mirchi air.

Black Sesame Chicken Tikka

Black sesame is popular and can be found in restaurants across the world. Chicken Tikka marinated in sesame ash, hanging curd, and cashew paste is served at Farzi Café in Hyderabad.

Hajmola Sorbet

Take a sip of this desi palate cleanser that will appeal to your inner child before moving on to the main meal.

Matka Cholle with Lucchi Puff

Farzi Cafe has several surprises in store for guests, but not every dish is #Farzified. Poori cholle is one of those wonderful pairings that require little to no fiddling. The cholle here merits special notice; it’s the true Delhi-style powerful and spicy gravy that’s impossible to obtain in Hyderabad. The lucchi has been slightly modified to be flaky with a crunch.

Farzified Missal Pav

The traditional Maharashtrian missal pav is transformed into a bunny chow at Farzi Cafe. The ussal curry is poured into cut-open buns and topped with sev. As you can see from the photo, it’s both nutritious and tasty. The Farzified missal, on the other hand, lacks the rassa topping and isn’t as hot.

Kori Gassi with String Hoppers

Kori is Tulu for chicken, and gassi in Tulu means rich gravy. Mangalorean cuisine has a special combination of spices and ingredients that make it highly addictive. The ghee-and-coconut gravy is served with string hoppers or idiappam.

8 Hours Cooked Haleem Risotto

Risotto is another dish that appears to be a favourite among the city’s experimental chefs. Following the butter chicken risotto and the chicken 65 risotto, there is a haleem risotto. The haleem is cooked until it resembles a sauce and then combined with arborio rice.

Bheja Fry with Coriander and Cumin Appam

This meal combines two trends: black and charcoal. The appam batter contains coriander, cumin, and charcoal from a coconut shell, and it is served with bheja fry. This is different from the traditional appam and stew. The modified batter makes the appam brittle, preventing it from being soaked in gravy. This may be a divisive invention that will disappoint those looking for the comfort of the classic appam but will function nicely as the pub fare. This meal is also served with chicken sukka and water chestnut in two different variations.

Parle-G Cheesecake

A Parle-G biscuit sandwich topped with gems and served in a sweetened malai syrup. It’s a meal designed to recreate your childhood memories of Parle-G and jewels. It makes the list since it is one of the most renowned and well-known Farzi Cafe inventions.

Rasmalai Tres Leches

Rasmalai and Tres Leche are the two desserts everyone enjoys. It’s no surprise that this is a fan favourite. Rasmalai with carrot cream and a rose petal net is served over a bed of Tres Leches sauce, which integrates milk in three distinct ways.

Fenni nest, Chenna balls, flavoured milk

To resemble eggs in a bird’s nest, chenna balls (similar to rasgulla but without the syrup) are put into a nest constructed of fried fenni (Indian vermicelli). When the food comes to your table, rabdi is poured from the top to finish it. This is yet another fantastic treat that would appeal to everyone who likes creamy Bengali desserts.

Bailey’s Lollypop

This is the ideal dessert for when you’ve had a little too much food or alcohol but still want to end on a sweet note. The Bailey’s lollypop softens the alcoholic pungency of Bailey’s, making it suitable for people of all ages and palates.

Drinks

Farzi Café boasts a stylish bar counter with a mixed bag of wins and failures. They provide their unique drinks in addition to conventional cocktails, and the staff is always glad to make recommendations.

The Butterfly Martini (Rs 997) and the Drunken Seller (Rs 997) are both vodka-based cocktails. While the Butterfly Martini is popular due to its strong ginger and vodka flavour notes, the Drunken Seller has a vodka base and a red wine float on top, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Farzi Cafe manages to live up to the buzz that surrounds it. Diners have been coming to get #Farzified since the restaurant first debuted. The recipes that succeed in keeping the originality of flavour while introducing extra features, such as visual gimmicks, are Farzi’s greatest assets.

All recipes have an element of surprise while remaining faithful to the original dish’s spirit. There’s a lot more to enjoy on the menu, including mini raj kachori and open dal gosht, as well as shawarma biryani and butter chicken bao. The menu will be revised every quarter to ensure that you always have reasons to return to Farzi Cafe.