THINGS AT HOME ARE RARELY APPRECIATED. Review on Sudarshan, Andheri, Mumbai

Iguess it's a case of "ghar ki murgi dal barabar." [an Indian adage meaning "things at home are rarely appreciated"] as far as Sudarshan Restaurant is concerned. I may have passed by this joint as much as 20 to 30 thousand times in the past two decades since it opened business, but never stepped in to check out. This luxury being just since the place happened to be so close to my friends place then and so close to my place now (since I have shifted to this locality).

I finally made the visit after being pepped up reading the review posted by MS member ‘desaiamol.’ Situated at the junction of Sakinaka on the Sakinaka-Kurla Rd. bang opposite to the new Pop Tates is this well structured joint which opened its doors to peoples nearly two decades back. Owned by Shetty’s the restaurant is surprisingly vegetarian. The proprietor/s also own the Chakra Bar right above the restaurant. However, coming back to Sudarshan the joint has that typical look of a well made up (however the decor has now worn out) Udipi joint where you can expect to find delicious South Indian snacks and maybe a decent South Indian meal, but, I could not be more wrong.

Not that Sudarshan does not serve South Indian food, it is just that it serves much more. The place has that typical feel of an Udipi restaurant to the perfume of the incense stick burning at the feet of gods and gurus. The restaurant serves both South Indian as well as North Indian, Punjabi food. Since it was my first visit and I wanted to try out their wares, I ordered for a most common and a slightly off the hook dish to taste and test them out.

So, Vegetable Navratan Korma and Dum Aloo Kashmiri it was, with Tandoori Rotis and a Vegetable Pulao. Both the dishes were excellent in taste, the white gravy Navratna was rich with pieces of apple and pineapple added on to give it that exotic taste, besides the dry fruits (keshu, walnut and rasin) which got it rich and thick. In the Dum Aloo Kashmiri, the potato was stuffed with a mixture of cottage cheese (Malai Paneer) and keshu, visually it looked very appetizing with chilly red to brown, rich, hot and thick gravy. The tandoori rotis were a bit stretchy, but I give them the ‘benefit of doubt’ since I visited the place past 11.15 pm (closing time being 11.30 pm) and their tandoor must have closed down. The Veg. Pulao was average, but the gravy of chickpeas accompanying it was beyond doubt great.

Sudarshan also has a little cake shop, which was open when we entered, but the shutters were pulled down when we left (12.30 am). Overall it was a satisfying experience.

Navratan Korma, Dum Aloo Kashmiri, six Tandoori Rotis, one Veg.Pulao was enough for three people and the damages for the same was just Rs.133/-, indeed an ‘overall satisfying experience’ as I mentioned earlier… ha ha ha.