Ok. I admit it. I am a sucker for quirky names. Especially when it comes to restaurants. Especially when someone uses a page from history to come up with a totally unexpected name. EAT INDIA COMPANY derives its inspiration from the East India Company and probably serves Anglo Indian fare I thought. And boy was I surprised, pleasantly surprised to discover that the menu was all about Delhi, Punjab and Lucknow.

But what took my breath away was the huge 100 year old iron kadai that hung over the table in the most intimidating manner. Even before we could recover from our collective gasp, I saw the matt blue crockery and I was sold. The fact that the serving bowl looked like a Tea Cup from Alice in Wonderland added to the charm. And (jumping the gun) as we were walking out, the ‘Somph’ container just tugged at our imagination and told us to mark this place strongly in our memory. A converted ‘Iron Box’ it was so cute that instead of populating this blog with appealing pictures of food, I am just going to show you guys this ‘good bye’ item.

That’s not to say that the food is not worth mentioning. As I clarified earlier, the menu at Eat India has a northern Indian flavour. The Open Kitchen mutes the transparency of the concept by making itself less obtrusive and discretely less out of your face.

The food also, and I must state this clearly, is very Traffic Friendly…as in it is very easy to transport from the plate to the palate. No speed breakers of the spicy hot or extra hard, un-chewable types. In fact the mantra here, and understandably so, is soft, melt in the mouth subtlety. And when you are told about an eighteen member team imported from Delhi and Lucknow…about the regular import of potli masalas from UP, then everything falls into place.

The Ajwaini Fish starters tickle…and don’t bite. The Haryali and Paneer Kababs lap up your feet like the proverbial ‘last wave’…with all the force of the ocean but with the strength of a baby. The breads are also typically turbanned. I for one think that something goes wrong when the tandoor is maintained by anyone from the South…perhaps his Idli/Dosa origins show, even in the preparation of the naan

The full floor open ambience is a delight and the Private Dining Room area that can host two individual discretions is also quite a friendly neighbour. When you realise that the management of the other venues in this building – Urban Asia, Via Milano and the Lost Society – is the same, you get the feeling that this place is showing signs of emerging as the Food Headquarters of Jubilee Hills, if not Hyderabad itself.

Without any offense to my foodie friends, I must also confess that there was a different magic in being at the table with ‘normal’ friends. There were no Photo Ops (Delicious Selfies of the Food). Most people just stored an aromatic picture of the experience in their minds.

But damned if the urge to talk about the food does not come to the fore…again. And I am forced to talk of the Paya Soup that started it all. Served in a handle walla kadai style container it was a curtain raiser that was true to the theme.

And as we took sips of this delicacy, an inner voice seemed to say ‘Aahistha Bol, Aahistha Bold’…Good Food Area. Do Not Disturb. And definitely do not blow your horns.

What a tasty and wholesome way of getting us all normally talkative people to press our Pause Buttons…and freeze the smile of satisfaction that lit up the place.

Thanks Ajay, Thanks Uttam…