Yo! Vizag brings to you the 24 hour food trail – the choicest eats and the precise time that it will be available. Be it early in the morning or late past midnight we bring you places you can find scrumptious food depending on the time of the day. From a cup of chai to a lavish buffet, a traditional South Indian thali to scrumptious fishy delicacies, we take you through a food trail that will keep you binging all through the day.
Everything Stops for Tea
Early morning walks along the beach is a refreshing indulgence. The R K Beach Road stretch is declared a no traffic zone from 6 AM to 8 AM. Rent a cycle, skate, jog or power walk, spice up your fitness routine with a drop of tea! This is a great place to try the delicious ginger and Irani tea, if you haven’t tasted one yet. Sit on the ‘katta’ facing the sea and leisurely sip your morning chai.
Breakfast Bites
The stand-alone tiffin centres in the city serve some great South Indian breakfast delicacies. Venkatadri Vantillu on the Balaji Nagar main road is popular for its butter sponge dosa, ghee kaaram dosa and steaming hot idlis.
Sairam Parlour, another popular joint is tucked in one of the busiest lanes of Dwaraka Nagar. It’s a breakfast den for all working professionals who step in for a quick bite. Best known for its dosas, their cheese dosa is a must try. Gorge on the fluffy and light idlis which are served with steaming hot sambar. And at Sairam parlour, don’t miss the filter coffee.
For a more relaxed yet equally tasty traditional South-Indian breakfast, head to Hotel Daspalla or Hotel Meghalaya, and savour their mouth-watering tiffins.
The traditional ‘Andhra’ special breakfast is the delicious combination of pesarattu and upma, the pesarattu-upma. This is a whole green gram lentil dosa sated with upma. Though technically these are two different dishes, the combination is a well-known, highly-relished breakfast option, served hot with ginger chutney and coconut chutney.
Midday Meal
Managed by the Daspalla Group, Tycoon & Heritage are stand-alone restaurants in Vizag. Tycoon is a multi-cuisine restaurant serving Indian, Tandoor, Chinese and Continental vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. They also have the typical Andhra Thali on the menu. Heritage is a pure vegetarian restaurant serving South Indian style food with the Andhra Thali being their specialty. Heritage also serves vegetarian dishes from Chinese and Continental cuisine.
If it’s a meal with a view, check out Horizon at the Dolphin. This is a multi cuisine restaurant on the 7th floor overlooking the city. The a-la carte Lunch Buffet has Indian to Chinese, Continental, Italian and Russian on offer. The vegetarian and non vegetarian starters are delicious titbits worth a try. Seafood preparations of Lobster and Pomfret in varieties of grill, masala fry, chilli etc are not to be missed, likewise the Afghani Naan. Amongst the desserts, the fried ice cream and Dolphin tower come highly recommended.
Vizag da dhaba – A Fishy Affair
Vizag is also a popular seafood destination; so don’t forget to sample the scrumptious wares at the Sea Inn, known to many as ‘Raju Gaari Dhaba’ right on the Rushikonda beach, about 15 kms from the city. The fare is typically Andhra and predominantly fish-based. In a quaint palm thatched roof structure, this kitchen dedicated to coastal Andhra cooking is not to be missed – it conjures up a selection of seafood, non vegetarian fries and curries (chicken, lamb, fish, crab, prawn). The crab is prepared in thick gravy and is served with steaming hot rice. These spicy dishes are complimented by Biryanis. Vanjiram and Chandua curry are local fish preparations which are a must try. Unfortunately, there is no dinner service.
An evening at the Beach
The beaches are known for their muri-mixture, a preparation made of puffed rice, onions and tomatoes, mangoes and some chopped up bhaji, boiled peas and coriander. Hot roasted corn on the cob spiced with lemon, salt and red chilli powder is a local favourite too. For a heavier snack on the beachside, check out the numerous beach-side outlets that offer everything from cheese and mushroom omelettes to pani-puris, momos, chicken nibbles, pav bhaji to noodles, iced tea to cooling fruit sherbets and everything else in between. Notable for its crowd amongst the carts on the pavement is ‘Kailash Pav Bhajji’ where plates of piping hot bhaji and soft buttery pavs are served hot off the pan.
Dining in style
Aqua at The Park hotel, located by the poolside amidst an intimate coconut grove serves authentic Italian rustled up in a wood burning Pompeii style oven. The restaurant has exquisite starters like bruschetta & crostini, Napoli style thin crust pizza’s with unique toppings, calzones in many variants, Tronchetto – special rolled pizzas with various fillings, hand-crafted artisan pasta from north Italy, genuine Gnocchi with different sauce/meat/vegetable options and Risottos made with Carnaroli rice & Parmigiano Reggiano.
“It’s like dining on the deck of a ship; though of course, without the salty sea-spray!” is how a content patron described the classy dining experience at the Infinity Bar & Kitchen in Novotel Hotel Varun Beach. Indulge in a scrumptious meal under the starlit skies, on the hotel rooftop with a breathtaking view of Vizag’s picturesque coastline. This bar & kitchen is one of the highest located restobars in the region. The restobar presents multi-cuisine menu which offers Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Thai, European and more. From the appetisers to main course to desserts, each item on the menu is tested, tried and designed by chefs to inculcate local taste in each of the dishes.
Located in the open space on the 7th floor of Four Points Sheraton, Space offers a top-of-the-world experience in fine dining. With an amazing view of the city and sea, this cosy place serves a range of cuisines from Indian to Continental, Barbeque and even Sizzlers. They also have a bar-counter lined with high chairs, neon lights, good music and a projector for telecasting matches.
Ming Garden is the one of the finest Chinese and Thai specialty restaurants in Vizag. It dishes up a stylishly designed mix of traditional and contemporary offering of Thai and Chinese cuisines – specifically the Szechwan style, which is known for being hot, spicy and strongly flavoured. Do not leave without trying out the – Lat Mai Kai & golden fried prawns.
Sweet and Spice
Vizag offers plenty to satiate cravings of the sweet tooth too. Sarvani, Siva Rama sweets and Gruha Priya are some of the best places where you can sample authentic Andhra sweets and savouries. While you’re at it don’t miss the Putharekulu, that are made from a wafer thin sheet of rice, sprinkled with powdered sugar or jaggery, ghee and sometimes dry fruits too. Bobbatlu, kaja, sunni undalu, cashew chikki and kalakand are other Andhra favourites. For savouries, take home jantikalu, chegodilu and chakkilalu. Appadams and vadiyams are usually available at these stores, and you may want to try the pelalu vadiyalu (a local speciality), dried chillies and sesame papads (aapadams).
Clubbing the night away
On Friday and Saturday nights you can party your way to the wee hours in the morning at the Tribe. Peanut masala, crispy corn and a lot of chicken starters is what satiates the crowds as the drinks keep coming. The music adding to the ambience is usually house, progressive, Bollywood and EDM.
Vue, the lounge bar at Novotel overlooking the sea, plays some pulsating music and offers some great cocktails. The karaoke nights are quite popular at this place.
