If you cannot make up your mind about whether you want to eat a hearty traditional Andhra meal or go for something Italian, head to Vihar at Rushikonda . Nearly a decade old, the restaurant has introduced a menu that has both.
As I step into the comforts of the air-conditioned restaurant on a warm, breezy day, the spectacular view of the Bay of Bengal greets me.
Being a week day, the otherwise-busy restaurant offers me blissful solitude. Welcoming us with a friendly smile is the chief executive chef of the restaurant Srinivas Gandhi, who explains the concept of the new menu: “From a long time, Vihar was synonymous with seafood and coastal Andhra cuisine. The changed menu will offer a choice to visitors, who can get to relish the best of both cuisines. The Italian dishes in particular are modified to give it a twist to suit the Indian palate.”
Visakhapatnam , Andhra Pradesh : 21/02/2019: Sea food snacks, prawn and fish, dished out from the new Indo-Italian menu at Vihar in Rushikondain Visakhapatnam on Feb 21, 2019. Photo : K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
The beer and cheese soup sets up the mood for me. It is thick and creamy and has a a tinge of beer flavour and is garnished with celery, garlic, onions and carrots. This beery soup is accompanied by crusted prawns, breaded and fried to perfection and served with mayonnaise and a salsa dip. More crumbs come my way as the next to arrive at my table are crumb fried wings and chicken and peppers. I learn I should have paced myself before eating so much. I also can’t resist the crispy corn.
I decide to go native for my main course and the ragi sankati (finger millet dumplings) and natukodi kura (country chicken curry) looks tempting. Though a popular delicacy of the Rayalaseema region, it rarely finds a place in the menus of the city’s restaurants. The flavours are authentic and the dumplings are soft and complementthe smoky-flavoured, spicy country chicken curry perfectly. If it is local flavour you are hunting for, order this. Keeping the ‘healthy’ quotient in mind, the menu offers options like jonna (jowar) roti.
Visakhapatnam , Andhra Pradesh : 21/02/2019: Ragi sangati with non veg curries dished out from the new Indo-Italian menu at Vihar in Rushikondain Visakhapatnam on Feb 21, 2019. Photo : K.R. Deepak / The Hindu
If you still have the space, there is a range of pastas and pizzas. Or just order a refreshing cocktail or mocktail from the sea-facing open-air space of Deck Counter and relax. The food and drinks are served here from 4 p.m. onward till dinner time. The pasta menu has the regular favourites – alfredo, pesto and arrabiata in vegatarian, chicken and prawn options. The pizzas get a twist with options like seafood lover pizza and chicken tikka that find a space alongside the regular favourites of margarita and simply veg.
Next time I would like to try the Italian wedding soup (a clear soup made of chicken broth, keema balls, spinach, cherry tomatoes and egg white) or the seafood bisque soup. But for now, I am off to walk down the steps to the Rushikonda Beach and see if I can enjoy a few more thrills with a ride on a hovercraft or a speedboat.
