Almond house has been in Hyderabad for 29 years now, started by Chaitanya Muppala’s father and now being run by Chaitanya himself who is a stickler for hygiene and perfection when it comes to anything that is being served at Almond House
Their flag ship store at KPHB is a testament to the fact that they wanted to perfect their dishes and then expand and it took them close to 10 years for this branch to come up (Planning, Saving, Construction, Designing. Machinery Setup etc. ) and it is amazing to say the least.
Their “Kitchen First” policy is one of the best things that can happen to any Mithai store as the focus is properly aligned to how they are made rather than how it looks or presented in a fancy store or boxes. Add the fact that they are vying for HACCP( Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification soon which would ensure that every product manufactured has gone through a rigorous quality control check point in a controlled sterilized environment.
Our visit started with a small intro session with Chaitanya who explained the concept behind this new venture and what he has in store for us.
The welcome drinks
Masala Chaas – It was good , but a little extra green chilli and spices would have given it a kick as I like mine a tad spicy
Sweet Lassi – Should have thicker consistency
Maska Chaska Aam – Delicious mango flavored which is seasonal and refreshing, do try it
Pomegranate Jaljeera – Amazing tangy taste
Cold Coffee – Subtle taste of coffee which is not too overpowering on the taste buds, non-coffee folks would enjoy it, coffee addicts might find weak for their palate
Then the Kitchen visit began….
Kitchen head caps and shoe coverings are a mandate as you enter a thorough clean environment, they have Air conditioned Finishing and packaging rooms, air is filtered , humidity controlled, fresh air is sterilized with UV light , air quality and microbial content is checked on weekly basis. Health checks and screening for infectious diseases for all food handlers are done at regular intervals
This reminded me of Hollywood movies where they show research and production labs with this type of environment
We saw fresh Kaju Katli, Motichur Laddo, Chikki, Biskit, Puri’s of Pani Puri , Badam Ki Jali and I got to taste all of these. One word to describe it “AMAZING”
Came back to the ground floor to snack on some of the chat delicacies as part of their new venture “Gappe Vappe” Chaatwala
and we were served…
PaniPuri Bharaniwala – Puri along with 3 variety of Pani (Pomegranate Chaska, Bondi Khatta, Aam Khatta) along with Aloo, Chana and Imli & Ginger Khatta – The Pani would have to be a little spicy as Telangana folks are used to spice in all their dishes
Paneer Kathi Kebab with Rumali Roti – The name itself is quite explanatory, the batter coating on the paneer had less amount of salt as per me.
Sev Puri – This was one of the best dishes on the day, just loved the taste. Suggested to try a slightly thicker Puri as the base which can also help in not getting soggy quickly.
Matar Kachori Chat – Flattened kachori with matar and other spicy ingredients on top made this delicious
Pav Bhaaji Fondue – The Pav was fresh and soft but the Bhaaji could have been spicy and tangy. Concept is nice and unique, just a small tweek on spice is required
Watermelon Rosgulla – 7 kgs of Water Melon goes into making just half of kg of this dish, a different take on the regular rosgulla you get to it in the market
Ginger Rosgulla – Was skeptical on trying this thinking that the ginger flavor would be too over powering but it turned out to be quite subtle.
Sondesh – delicious bengali sweet, popular all over India and abroad. It is often made for festive and special occasions, it has paneer in it but they added Mango to it and made something which is already delicious into something exquisite
