A plate of Telugu food may be familiar to most Hyderabadis, but some of the recipes making their way onto restaurant menus today are not. As diners explore lesser-known regional dishes alongside familiar favourites, restaurants are also looking at new ways to present Telugu cuisine without losing its roots.
That is the space Anaganaga – Telugu Culinary Tales is looking to explore with its new 200-cover restaurant in Jubilee Hills. Launched by F&B entrepreneurs Rohith Vasireddy and Gopichand Cherukuri, the premium Telugu speciality restaurant brings traditional recipes from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana into a contemporary dining setting.
Anaganaga is part of Onamaalu, an initiative founded by Rohith Vasireddy, Gopichand Cherukuri, Vinay Reddy, G Krishna Chaitanya, GVS Sudheer and S Anil. The initiative focuses on Telugu food, stories and cultural traditions, with Anaganaga bringing these elements together through its restaurant format.
Bringing these flavours to the table meant looking beyond the more familiar dishes, with the menu drawing from regional food traditions and ingredients that are not often found in mainstream restaurant dining.
“The idea had been with us for nearly a decade, but the last three years gave us the time to research, travel and have conversations around Telugu culinary traditions,” said Gopichand Cherukuri. “We wanted to bring together food, stories and culture, while presenting them in a way that feels fresh and relevant today.”
Located on Road No. 45 in Jubilee Hills, the restaurant is spread across two floors. The interiors use a simple, elegant design with subtle references to Telugu art, craft and culture, without making the theme too prominent.
What’s on the menu
- Regional favourites: Traditional recipes from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Lesser-known dishes: Pachi Pasupukommula Koora, Putnaaku Pesara Gudala Koora and Siri Dhanyala Salad.
- Dessert: Ippapoovu Pudding.
- From the bar: Classic cocktails with Telugu-inspired flavours.
Corporate Chef DVS Pavan Kumar, who has worked with Novotel Hyderabad Airport and ITC Hotels, has led the culinary development. His experience includes working on the pre-opening of ITC Grand Chola, opening Ottimo at ITC Kohenur and later Avartana, besides setting up Avartana at ITC Royal Bengal as Master Chef.
Plans are already taking shape beyond Hyderabad, with agreements for restaurants in Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru in the final stages. Separately, the founders plan to open three more Anaganaga outlets across key cities during the coming financial year, using partnership and franchise models for expansion.
“We see Anaganaga as a premium restaurant brand that can take Telugu cuisine beyond its traditional markets without losing its regional depth,” Rohith Vasireddy said. The expansion will use partnership and franchise models, he added, with the larger aim of taking the concept to Indian and eventually international audiences while retaining its regional identity and culinary research.
Behind the concept are founders with experience across food, hospitality and business. Gopichand brings more than 15 years across technology, operations and brand building, while Rohith began his F&B journey at 21 and later expanded into hospitality, construction and real estate. Their businesses include Indian Craft Brewery, Mr. Philly’s and Leon’s Burgers and Wings, which has grown to 25 outlets across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in three years.
Together, the founders and their partners have built an F&B portfolio with an annual turnover of around Rs 250 crore. Anaganaga is their latest move into Telugu cuisine, with plans to take the concept to more cities while keeping its food, stories and regional identity at the centre.
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