JOIN USEverything under one roof
Food Hut’ — a small eatery in Koramangala, 1st Block — has a fairly simple claim to fame: its variety. Although unassuming in appearance, the joint has a menu selection that could keep any food-lover occupied for quite a while.
Along with staple Indian dishes and continental options like soup, it includes some Chinese cuisine as well as a smattering of rather exotic Arabian fare. In fact, says Muheeb — who runs the eatery — this is exactly what keeps customers returning to ‘Food Hut’ for quick snacks and mid-office hour bites.“There are many other restaurants in Koramangala but nowhere do you get this sort of variety under one roof. Most of the time, customers would find these cuisines in different joints — with a much higher price tag,” he points out.
‘Food Hut’ has plenty of snacks which are perfect for between-meal bites. The babycorn and mushroom manchurian, paneer chilli and drums of heaven — along with the popular garlic chicken — are in huge demand among the students and professionals of the area.
For those looking for heavier fare, there’s chicken biryani, lemon rice and a selection of gravies, which include vegetable kolapuri, vegetable kadai, paneer butter masala and some delicious dal fry and dal tadka. Chinese delights like schezwan fried rice, noodles and lemon chicken are also on the menu.“The idea was to serve good, homely food which people can eat everyday,” explains Muheeb, adding, “our customer base is mostly students. There are a lot of PGs in the area, so they often come for meals. Since there are many office buildings nearby, we also have professionals dropping in. And of course, families frequent our eatery too.”
The Arabian food on the menu — including a grilled chicken dish, mushakal (which is a sort of rice dish) and Arabian chicken stew — draws in a lot of customers because of its relative newness to the Bangalore food scene.
Muheeb says that this portion of the menu is still in a fledgling state — he is still in the process of judging his customers’ reactions to the dishes and modifying or introducing new items accordingly — but he can see the trend catching up pretty quickly. “Actually, Arabian food is gaining in popularity across the City. A lot of people come in to have our grilled chicken. Of course, the Arabian selection is still in its initial phase — we’ve introduced it and are judging people’s reactions,” he says, adding that the other hot favourites on his menu are the biryani and the tandoori chicken.
There is also a selection of rolls — including a chicken roll, nizam roll and the ever-popular egg and paneer rolls, which Muheeb says are crowd-pullers. “We have a rumali roti roll here, which is unique to this joint. It’s stuffed either with chicken kebabs or a vegetable filling. We’ve tried to ensure there are enough choices for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians,” he states.To retain the authentic taste of his dishes, Muheeb has been careful about the cooks he employs at ‘Food Hut’. They come from various parts of the country, including Lucknow, Hyderabad and Assam, and are well-versed in the art of creating their local cuisines.
“We make sure we adapt our dishes to what customers want. We see the demand and modify the food accordingly — but ensure that we retain our own authenticity,” sums up Muheeb.‘Food Hut’ is located in Koramangala 1st Block. For details, call 41150678.