The Little Hut Restaurant

The Scene
The test of a true-blue Hyderabadi is how often he has gotten lost in the maze of the various roads of Jubilee Hills. If it's 2 in every 10 times, you probably live or work in the area, and if it's 5 in 10 times, you probably go there often. If it's 10 in 10 times, you are like the rest of us. (And if it's never, you are most likely an auto driver, or a liar unable to come to terms with his destiny.)

Little Hut on Road No. 36 is not really worth risking getting lost in the area - it's good for a visit if you live in the whereabouts, and either already know where it is or feel you can find out in half a liter of petrol or 10 minutes, whichever is cheaper. It offers (in order of importance) a hookah that you can drag on for free, outdoor closeted seating in quasi huts, affordable prices and reasonably tasty food.

The almost cute place, open continuously from 11am to 11pm (a plus if you are looking for lunch beyond 3:30pm, which should be quite often if you are not recklessly disciplined), attracts a good number of college-goers and youngsters thanks to the lenient prices. They can be scattered all around the outdoors, lending some helpful decibels to the air. Indoors are a quieter affair, though the AC has its issues.

The Food
The standard Hyderabadi fare of Chinese and North-Indian dishes adorns Little Hut's unassuming yet elaborate menu. Salads, soups, starters, prawn and fish entrees, veg and non-veg Indian and Chinese curries, an array of biryanis, plenty of rices and noodles, and a spectrum of parathas, naans and rotis from the outdoor tandoor make up over 150 items.

A meal for two can cost less than Rs. 250, and the portion sizes reflect that. Then, you should remember that real estate costs in this part of town. What the food tastes like depends on how much you like what you ordered, and how hungry you are. In preparing standard dishes, Little Hut sticks to basics, and the results are encouraging - we enjoyed our soup and Mushroom Manchurian. Then we ordered an enticing sounding Little Hut Special Veg Curry among others, and suffered 95 bucks of blandness.

Well, the place is popular - it can't be without reason. And they do put salt containers on the tables - it can't be without reason. Somewhere between those two sentences lies realization.

The Verdict
Little Hut is a good choice for those who are in Jubilee Hills geographically but not economically. Did we mention the free hookah?