At this new restaurant in Hyderabad, Indian comfort food gets a contemporary twist

TheySee (desi), connected roadworthy no.13, Jubilee Hills, opens successful a lavation of cherry, ruby and burnt reds — a 65-seater lower-deck abstraction that has an easy, outdoorsy mood. Nothing present feels accidental. From the colour palette and chromatic textures to the artwork and landscaping, each constituent is deliberate. There are subtle nods to a modern instrumentality connected Raja Ravi Varma-inspired visuals — a statue of a pistillate with a guitar among them. At the entrance, matchbox-style installations treble up arsenic a photograph corner, astir insisting you halt and click.

Come evening, the abstraction settles into warm, flattering hues. Lenticular Rekha coasters adhd a playful item to the tables, portion mist fans bash their champion against the summertime heat, though the existent alleviation comes from the drinks.

The barroom leans experimental, with elements similar gongura particulate and achromatic cocoa making their mode into cocktails. I tried Nazar Na Lagey, a sweet, crisp premix of pineapple, coconut and basil, followed by Brew Code, a coffee-forward cocktail with vodka and orangish acold brew that felt balanced and familiar.

The food, overmuch similar the space, plays with representation and identity. Ingredient-forward and unapologetically Indian, it is filtered done a modern lens — their motto says it best: desi cheezein, videsi nazariye se (Indian things, overseas perspectives).

Curiosity led maine to Bugs Bunny, a vegetarian starter — carrots dusted with tandoori masala, playful and unexpected. Oh So Corny followed. What sounds similar a riff connected escaped maize turns into a chaat-style crockery — a clever instrumentality connected a cornflakes mixture, layered with textures, wherever maize appears successful much ways than one.

Co-founded by Niharika Gollapalli and Darshan Ramchandani,TheySee brings connected committee cook Suryansh Singh Kanwar, whose travel spans The Bombay Canteen to years arsenic a backstage cook for Hardik Pandya, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Babu, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Nikhil Kamath, among others. That exposure, helium says, furthered his knowing of however India eats. “Cooking for well-known clients showed maine however tastes displacement betwixt backstage and nationalist spaces. At TheySee, those lessons construe into the menu.”

From the non-vegetarian starters, Anda Currypatta stood retired — a Hyderabadi khagina reworked with dumplings. The herb and curry leafage basal adds depth, making it a must-try if eggs are your comfortableness zone. Pankh Rock — wings paired with minced nutrient — is indulgent, portion the Kali Mirch Sheekh stays familiar, delivering what you expect from a classical kebab.

The paper is peppered with playful names — Shetty Anna’s Murg Party, Smokey AF Butter Chicken. I went consecutive for the latter, served with naan. “It is fractional a tandoori chickenhearted connected a sheet — Punjabi successful spirit, dil khol ke khelo (play your bosom out),” says Suryansh. “It was Hardik Pandya’s go-to cheat repast connected the road, and that loyalty becomes the individuality of the crockery here.”

The flavour notes are saccharine and creamy — if that is not your penchant for meat, you are amended disconnected trying dishes similar lamb Natu Natu oregon duck vindaloo.

Niharika Gollapalli, co-founder, says, “Every marque I person built has been astir creating spaces wherever radical consciousness genuinely seen. I person spent years observing however radical respond to experiences, and I similar gathering brands that wage attention. We are being honorable astir Indian food. The astir absorbing displacement isn’t successful good dining, but successful however a caller procreation is reshaping it connected its ain terms.”

For dessert, The Not So Chilli Cheese Toast is simply a playful motion to Hyderabad, filtered done cook Suryansh Singh Kanwar’s instrumentality connected shahi tukda. It layers achromatic cocoa rabdi with breadstuff soaked successful a tres leches-style liquid, topped with nutty brunoise cheese. What begins similar a barroom snack lands arsenic dessert — deliberation of it arsenic a much indulgent, textural relative to sandesh.

To afloat bask TheySee close distant program to sojourn connected a time erstwhile the metropolis isn’t sizzling hot. The vegetation dishes had much to connection successful presumption of flavour.

Table for 2 with drinks is ₹2000 upwards.