You all know that I stopped sharing my crazy food-reviews a long time ago. No, I didn’t stop eating in restaurants but I became a bit lazy in writing food-reviews these days. After I got continuously insisted from friends and some hardcore foodies on this website and I thought, how about a restaurant review this time?

I was looking for a unique restaurant in Udaipur from last few months, but there was nothing that impressed me.

Then a friend told me about the newly opened Udaipuri – A Vegetarian Kitchen. I took it lightly at first but then, another friend of mine asked me to visit it and, I have to admit, I was a bit surprised. I wondered, “What is so special about it that it has became the talk of the town?” Last week, I finally visited Udaipuri to review it and after that, I am still missing my wonderful experience being there for more than an hour.

This restaurant has started its service on 13^th May 2011 (coincidently UT was started on same date last year).

Udaipuri is a pure vegetarian restaurant located at 1, Shastri Circle, Udaipur by Innovating Hospitality owned by the famous Chef Vimal Dhar.

Before moving onto its review, let me make it clear that this is not at all an advertisement. It’s a personal experience of mine which I am sharing with you. If you don’t like it simply raise your hands and move on until I publish my next review.

Here goes the Review of Udaipuri Restaurant!

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Ambience

Astonishing – also sounds a bit partial to describe the brilliantly designed and architected interiors of Udaipuri. A 7 feet tall and nearly 3 feet wide partition made from hundreds of spoons, knives and forks will definitely confine your eyes. That’s the main attraction of the restaurant.

If you manage to free yourself from staring at the marvelous sculpture, your eyes will be stuck to the walls of Udaipuri which has 7 different Murals of Horses, Elephants, Camels, Rajasthani Men, Women and Ganesha’s Idol all made from kitchen utensils, assembled and welded minutely.

That’s not all. Look up to the roof to be even more amazed. Utensils called paraat or thali made of bronze are decked perfectly on top to complete the look of the restaurant.

Synchronization of wall colors and linen with rhythmic traditional Mewari music adds helps to the rest of the ingredients to create the perfect ambience at Udaipuri.

From serving plates to a glass of water, every apparatus used here has its own story and its own uniqueness. For example, a glass which they used to serve water are Turkish curvy glasses, the fishbowl– home of your gold fishes is used here to serve ice-cream.

Udaipuri is a world of matchless beauties congregated carefully to please your presence.

Chef Vimal Dhar says “I was clueless about the interior and had not enough time to plan out neither a heavy budget to hire someone not to play the role.

When I went to buy cutleries and other utensils for my restaurant, I saw hundreds of steel bowls, spoons, vessels hanging in that shop, and suddenly the idea of Murals made by these utensils came in my mind. Second question that struck me was ‘Who’s going to do that?’ But you know they say ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’

Luckily, I met two geniuses from Takhman Art-Mayank and Rokesh who are the only ones credited to create these masterpieces. Both of them had perfectly understood my imagination and finally brought it alive so beautifully.”

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Food

The heart of every restaurant or food joint is their food. Everything else is always secondary. I, however, praise the ambience a lot because I simply loved the concept but for me food is the first priority and for you too, because that is what we are paying for.

Food doesn’t simply travel directly from the kitchen to your plate but it is obviously prepared by someone. So how about knowing those hands which stand responsible to satisfy your carving stomach when visiting Udaipuri Restaurant?

About Chef Vimal

Chef Vimal Dhar ( in photo above) is the owner and the head chef of this restaurant. Chef Vimal has mesmerized the number of high class guests while working for Lake Palace, Royal Caribbean Crew, Hotel Devigarh Palace and HRH Group of Hotels where Chef Vimal was corporate chef for all 12 properties of HRH Hotels.

Not only this, but he is listed among the top 50 Chefs World Wide, handpicked by internationally renowned travel photographer, food journalist and author Melanie Dunea in her coffee table book ‘My Last Supper’ . Vimal made his presence in the Wall Street Journal Magazine by Stan Sessor, international TV Channels Discovery by Tony Bourdain and Travel and Living channel.

His 14 years of experience in hospitality and working in some of the world’s best kitchens is self explanatory when the diners expect high-class-tasty recipes at Udaipuri.

‘I have been slogging already, thinking what would be next after working for so many years? There should be something which else that I want to carry out in my life. I have a passion of trying new things and making them well.

So why not starting my own restaurant? Udaipur has given me so much in life, so what best to give back to this city? Udaipuri came to my mind and here we are today”, says the Chef smilingly when asked what made you start your own restaurant?

Now come to the food menu they serve. There are three different menus that are served at the Udaipuri- Full Meal, Half Meal and Beverages.

Food varieties start from Indian, Continental, Chinese, Lebanese, Italian and beverages comprising of various mock tails, series of amazing coffees, Indian traditional drinks like lassi, butter-milk, lemonade etc.

From the Lebanese Mezze-Hommus to the Italian Lasagna-Polenta and crispy cheesy Gold Coins to funny pani-puri shots (in photo above), there are more than 80 varieties out of which few are originally born in Udaipuri itself like Paalak-ki-Naan and Neemuch Ke Pakore.

They claim to use all exotic vegetables and have a strict policy of not using food coloring and ajinomoto.

To be honest, I had Oriental Gold Coins made up of cottage cheese and processed cheese, Pani-Puri Shots prepared by guava water and pomegranates, potatoes and spices. The Palak Pakori chaat was quiet tangy. And lemonade was super chilled! All courtesy of Mr. Vimal Dhar.

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Rates and Service

Hmmm, what I calculated with a normal idea of food for 2 adults and 2 children it will come up to atleast Rs. 700/- OR Rs. 800/– depends upon person to person. Some don’t prefer starters for the meal.

Service was looking good and disciplined, not to forget that the owner of restaurant is all well versed with hotel etiquettes.

There are 9 stewards, 6 chefs and 4 kitchen stewards. You will be surprised to know that the kitchen is about 300sq.ft of area. The sitting area spread in 1650 sq.ft capacity of 64 seats and they are planning to do some more magic to increase the space.

Note: Lookwise, concept, service, people and everything else in Udaipuri is just wonderful. They are trying to serve elite recipes amalgam of fresh organic vegetables and fruits. Some of these are even hard to find in the local vegetable market.

I am little bit unsure about their rates because I haven’t tried the full meal yet. My thinking is that if a butter naan cost Rs.50 then it should be superior to the naan which you would get for Rs.12. If I pay for good food, I can definitely pay more for better food.

One last thing, weekends are always packed at Udaipuri, so booking your table in advance is always recommendable. You can call 0294-2411267 to book your place.

Hope to hear your personal experience while eating at Udaipuri.