South Cafe | The taste of home-style Kerala food!

Prawn Fry - South Cafe
South Cafe
South Cafe

South Cafe in Gautam Nagar, serves home-style food from Kerala that you simply can’t afford to miss. Authentic and straight from the heart, enjoy the simple flavours of one of the finest cuisines of India.

A world far removed from the fancy lanes Hauz Khas village or the ever-busy Yusuf Sarai Market, Gautam Nagar is home to numerous humble eateries. From a Punjabi Tikka to Moradabadi Biryani or soya chaap, you can find it all here.

South Café, fits in well with the unassuming air of the area, dishing out unadulterated delicacies from Kerala. It’s all rather simple with no frills or pretense.

Regi Verghese started this café, way back in 1996, when it catered primarily to Malayalis living near INA, who would miss food from their native place. Thanks to its proximity to AIIMS hospital, the cafe became popular with the nurses and students living in and around Gautam Nagar.

As soon as I reached the café, I placed an order for Buff Fry and Malabari Parotta. A few days back, I had visited Kerala House, near Janpath and had greedily gorged on the Buff Fry. Therefore, I was eager to try it at South Café as well.

A popular dish amongst Malayalis, this is cooked in coconut oil, with spices like black pepper, garam masala, coriander, salt, turmeric, onions, ginger-garlic, chilli, curry leaves and vinegar.

Although, I have never been to Kerala, but my Malayali friends (Mallus, as I would lovingly call them) from my film school, would often rustle up some lovely Buff fry. The over-enthusiastic bunch wouldn’t mind waiting patiently, around a modest coil heater, as it would take several hours to be perfectly cooked. The wait was however, always worth it. My Mallu pals would miss their share of Toddy, a local liquor from Kerala that pairs very well with the dish.

I relished the taste of the spicy Buff fry and the fond memories of my hostel days, that it summoned. Tender, well cooked and seasoned, it, however, wasn’t as spicy as my friends would make it, yet it tasted really good. It was served with a spicy curry, which goes very well with the Parottas.

Buff Fry - South Cafe
Buff Fry – South Cafe

My brother, who had finished a long day at work, joined me at the cafe. Just like me, having food, is his idea of unwinding. So, obviously another plate of Buff fry was in the offing. Also were Prawn Fry, Kozhikodan Biriyani and Chicken Dosa.

We had to wait briefly for our food and that’s when we started watching an old Malayali film on café’s TV. Starring the superstar Mammootty, it had some over the top action sequence, which is now replicated in many Hindi movies. Thankfully, all the dishes came together and we didn’t look at the TV screen again.

The spicy and coconutty flavour of the Sambhar was smashing, but what pleasantly surprised me was the deliciousness of Chicken filling in the dosa. Perfectly cooked and seasoned with black pepper, salt and onions, the tender shredded chicken inside a crispy dosa, is sure to bowl you over. Don’t stop yourself from dipping into the coconut chutney, which was just as delicious.

Our foodventure was literally spiced up further, by the finger licking Prawn Fry. The spicy and tangy masala was the star of the meal. A beautiful preparation of ginger-garlic, mustard seeds, garam masala, coriander, chopped tomatoes and onions, curry leaves and tamarind, was just sheer happiness served on a plate. The only let down were the prawns, as they were so small, that you could easily miss them if you don’t poke around in the masala. But for the price they are served for (Rs 165), there’s not much to complain.

The Kozhikodan Biriyani looked lavish and similar to Berry Pulao served at SodaBottleOpenerWala. With fried cashewnuts and raisins on top, eggs and fried chicken curry under the layers of ghee rice, the biryani was served with a chilli raita containing onions and poppy seeds (similar to butter milk). After having this biriyani, I was only thankful for the diverse flavours, that one can only experience in Indian food.

We paid our bill of Rs 700 approximately, which also included a packet of Banana Chips.

As we were leaving, I saw a bunch of students walking in and placing their regular orders. Gorging on Meals, Kappa and Pazham Pori (batter fried bananas), they all seemed rather pally with the owner and the cafe seemed like their regular hangout.

Simple and earnest with their food, South Café might not fit in your idea of ‘eating out’. Beautiful artifacts may not adorn the place, the staff may be indifferent, but it provides comfort to many, who’re away from home. As for me, I always love places that serve food, as though, they’ve invited you home for a meal. And, South Café just fits the bill.

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In a nutshell:

Location: A bit tricky to find, as it tucked into a narrow lane. Also, parking in the area is not readily available.

Atmosphere: Very Simple and Clean, with no adornment. The billing counter is stacked with Kerala spices, namkeen and Bananas (so you can imagine)

Service: The staff is as swift as dhaba boys, but don’t expect them to run around and laugh at your jokes.

Food: For those who love authenticity over fanfare, this place serves amazing food, at reasonable prices.

Must Haves: Chicken Dosa, Buff Fry with Parotta, Prawn Fry
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Address: 125-A/1, Gautam Nagar, New Delhi – 110049
Contact: +91- 9818998310

Also Read : Restaurants that serve Home-Style food in Delhi 

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South Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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