Experience South Indian Cuisine Like Never Before With Padmanabham

In this blog post, I cover Padmanabham, a new all-day, South Indian vegetarian restaurant in Delhi, brought to you by Upturn Hospitality.

When you think of popular South Indian restaurants in Delhi, a few names pop to mind almost instantly like Hotel Saravana Bhavan in Janpath, an obvious choice for many reasons. A long-running international chain that continues to serve delicious South Indian vegetarian fare year after year.

With food so good, it is a shame I have to be on their waitlist every time I visit them. My problem is: I don't like to wait!

On my last visit to Saravana Bhavan, I discovered a new South Indian restaurant called Padmanabham, just a few meters away from the iconic outlet. Not many restaurateurs would dare to open another standalone near Saravana Bhavan given its legacy and brand value. With odds so heavily stacked against Padmanabham, I honestly didn't think it would stand a chance!

Idiyappam with Kadala Curry

It was purely out of curiosity that I stepped inside Padmanabham. A chance meeting with the owner Vidur Kanodia turned out to be quite nice and useful, as I was given a quick tour of the magnificent property. Vidur later introduced me to Consultant Chef Bakshish Dean who has over 27 years of F&B experience.

Masala Vadai

Housed in a beautifully conceptualized temple with Mandala artwork on walls and ceilings, Padmanabham takes you on a deeply spiritual journey inspired by Madurai's Meenakshi Temple and Trivandrum's Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Mixed Uttapam with Onion, Tomato, Coconut Topping, Sambar, and Chutneys

The 220-cover restaurant is also hailed for its installation of a majestic Balaji statue and Chettinad pillars specifically flown in from South India!

Tahir Saddam - Tempered Curd Rice

Truth be told, the no-fuss menu at Padmanabham is impressive, to say the least; it offers insights into a cuisine that transcends both time and generations, drawing influences from the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Kurma Parotta

A traditional South Indian restaurant at heart, Padmanabham focuses on the fascinating 'vegetarian' culinary diversity.

Appam with Stew

Get a firsthand experience of authentic South Indian food from the coastal belt served on a large, green banana leaf. Down south, this style of eating is known as Bhojanam. Eat as much as you can, for as long as you can, and while you're at it, don't forget to use your five fingers to eat!

Bhojanam

From Vedic age, it is believed that if you use all five fingers while eating, the spiritual power of the five elements (Earth, fire, ether/space, water, and air) will mix with your food and connect to the different organs of your body.



The rotating menu* for Bhojanam changes every day, with unlimited vegetarian delights to savor like the pappadam, banana, chips, pickles, curd rice, four varieties of vegetables, white or red rice, flavored rice, dal, sambar**, pulissery, rasam, buttermilk, and dessert.

[* Rotating menu for Bhojanam -

• Monday - Kerala
• Tuesday - Andhra Pradesh
• Wednesday - Karnataka
• Thursday - Tamil Nadu
• Friday - Kerala
• Saturday - Tamil Nadu
• Sunday - Andhra Pradesh

** 'No onion' and 'No garlic' options are available in Sambar only.]

Bhojanam is an excellent example to demonstrate how authentic yet innovative the restaurant can be!

Rasam, Papad, Idli, Vada, Dosa, Uttapam, and Upma

The sheer joy of dining at Padmanabham cannot be defined in mere words unless it is experienced. Come, experience South Indian cuisine like never before with Padmanabham.