Restaurant Review: Soam, Babulnath

Soam had been on our radar for some years now but whenever Mom would suggest going there, I would quickly circumvent the suggestion by jumping in with a demand to go to our family's all time favourite restaurant Samrat instead. I had visions of having to eat a set meal (thaali) burgeoning with  ghee-soaked, garlic-and-onion-less, spice-free 'satvik' dishes, which made me shudder. Especially when contrasted with rich, perfectly spiced Dum Aloo and tangy Aloo Chat which is our fixed order at Samrat.

A glowing recommendation by my cousin A reduced my resistance somewhat. A is not the sort to wax eloquent about insipid food, so I readily agreed when les parents suggested Soam for Sunday lunch.

We reached just on time at 12:45 and snagged the last vacant table. The restaurant is small-ish but pleasant, with creamy mango-yellow walls, simple wooden tables & stools, and tablemats fashioned out of dry pressed leaves.

The leaf tablemats and beaten-metal plates at Soam

The menu was a revelation - instead of a set thaali meal, the menu had separate sections for staters, one-dish meals, mains and desserts. There was a separate menu for low-cal options as well. And the what was remarkable was the kind of dishes available on the menu - snacks and mains from Gujarati, UP, Bengali, South Indian and Maharashtrian kitchens which aren't usually seen on fancy restaurant menus, all offered here with a culinary twist. For instance - smaosas stuffed with spinach and cheese. Kothimbir wadi livened up with the addition of corn. A red rice dosa (made with organic red rice flour) chock-full of cucumber shreds, served with the traditional coconut chutney. The Bengali potatoes-cooked-in-curd-with-minimal-spices served up with puris stuffed with a gren pea filling. And the most amazing khichadi, with the masterstroke touch of a garlic-and-butter tadka. The khichadi was oh so good, we ordered some to be taken away for dinner!

Green pea-stuffed puris, served with potatoes cooked in a mildly spice yoghurt-based curry

Red rice dosa with cucumber

Paapdi Chaat

Seasonal special - baked mango yoghurt. Mom and Dad liked it, I found it so-so

All of the food is tasty without being laden with spice or oil. That's why despite pigging out to glory (6 dishes between 3 people), we didn't feel heavy or bloated or listless the way one usually does after a rich Sunday lunch.

The menu has lots of interesting dishes yet to be tried (paanki, chilla, bajra pockets etc) so a couple more trips are anticipated. :) But the khichadi will always feature in our selection.......

Vaghareli Khichadi - shortest and easiest route to heaven!