Eating out has become one of the favourite activities for many in the city of late, and the emergence of several eateries from non-vegetarian breakfast outlets to gourmet bakeries during the past couple of years only prove it. Many theme based restaurants have also come up offering refreshing and unique ambiences to their patrons.
The latest restaurant in the city is the 'United Telugu Kitchens (UTK)' by the entrepreneur duo Kaushik Babu Koganti and Teja Chekuri who owns the Godavari chain of restaurants at 34 locations in the United States of America and Canada.
The duo of Vijayawada partnered with Theji Pinnamaneni, a young entrepreneur, to start the restaurant near Mother Teresa junction with a huge investment. The restaurant, spread in an 8,000 sq ft area was thrown open for foodies on Thursday.
"UTK aims to bring in the authenticity of South Indian and particularly Telugu delicacies and redefine the way people engage with the South India cuisine. UTK has perfected the nostalgic recipes we all know and love and presents them with elevated modernity that packs in a punch," says Ms. Theji.
UTK dishes out many traditional Telugu delicacies under the name 'Telugodi Style' like UTK Kodi Charu (soups), Bamma Gari Rasam, Mokkajonna Ulli Karam, Madanapalli Miriyala Paneer, Konaseema Paneer, Karimnagar Kodi Roast, Bezawada Fried Wings, Palasa Kaju Masala Koora, Nellore Chepala Pulusu, Gudivada Guddu Pulusu, Muddha Pappu-Pachi Pulusu, Avakai Annam and others, she said. Apart from the specials of Rayalaseema, Andhra and Telangana the restaurant also offers the 'goli sodas' in several flavours.
Mr. Kaushik Babu says UTK is not just a standalone eatery in Vijayawada but is going to be known as an Indian version of the Godavari chain of restaurants.
"After setting up the Godavari in 2015 and expanding to 34 locations in two countries we have decided to open a similar chain of restaurants in India and Vijayawada, our hometown was the obvious choice. From here, we plan to expand all over the country with a special focus on the north of India where authentic Telugu food is hardly available. UTK will likely be available for franchisees in another six months," Mr. Babu said.
In the meanwhile, we are going to establish a standard operating procedure for our kitchens to ensure that the authenticity of a dish is maintained across the chain of restaurants, he added.
