Chutneys Coffee House, at Banjara Hills, is one of those places that completely justifies its name. The moment you are seated, the table is laid with an eclectic assortment of chutneys of various hues and flavours. Coffee follows, on request, though! Conceptualised as a fast-food joint, Chutneys’ soft idlis and crisp dosas, pongal and pesarattu pair amazingly with their special coffee or the Andhra-style cuppa. The menu has expanded to encompass North Indian with a hint of the tandoori and Chinese cuisine.

Like all other popular eating holes at Hyderabad, the postcard-sized waiting area at Chutneys calls for a little patience. But before you even glare at your watch, you are rushed in and the rest follows with equal promptness. Settling for an authentic South Indian fare is the best bet at Chutneys. At Rs 95, the South Indian thali is quite a steal. Alternatively, you can mix and match your platter with Chutneys’ in-house culinary innovations.

Take their steamed dosa, aka Chiranjeevi dosa, for example: the traditional dosa, steam cooked in Japanese style, minus oil and customised to please the South Indian superstar. Or how about the savoury Babai Hotel idli? An emulation of the pure-ghee-and-butter-bathed idlis of Babai Hotel of Vijayawada, these melt-in-the-mouth idlis are a must-try.

Other Chutneys specialities like MLA pesarattu (served with upma), Guntur idli (topped with karampodi and ghee), garlic dosa, paneer tikka dosa, mushroom dosa will also delight your palate.

Take a little help from the waiter if you feel overwhelmed by the names matching the taste. Food is served piping hot on the customary banana leaf and little bowls of chutneys—coconut, tomato, ginger, dal and many more—lace your platter. Get, set, hog!

Wind up with mango lassi or masala buttermilk and your South Indian gastronomic experience is complete.

Specialties like the pineapple kebab, paneer sabji roganjosh, makki matar pasand and the Jain specialities, stand out amongst the regular North Indian fare, while Schezwans and Manchurians dominate the Chinese section.

Milk shakes, fresh fruit juices and even khubani-ka-meetha are there as well. For Buffet spreads, you need to walk up the adjacent eatery - Chutney Buffet house.

On second thoughts: “Chutneys and More” would've been an apt moniker.