Agashiye: Melting into the authentic taste of Gujarat

Remember Kareena Kapoor in ‘3 Idiots’ describing Gujarati food as missiles? That is how I was introduced to this vibrantly delicious cuisine of the state of Gujarat. However, this doesn’t stop here. The four major regions of the state – North Gujarat, Kacch, Kathiyawad and Surat bring their own uniqueness to this cuisine.

This was my first visit to Ahmedabad and I wanted to make the most of my time. A friend recommended Agashiye. This restaurant is located inside a heritage house turned hotel named The House of MG, located in the heart of the city.

About House of M.G

Mangaldas ni Haveli better known as The House of M.G is one of the oldest buildings in the city. The stunning building hails from the early 20th century and displays the colonial heritage style architecture. This hotel is also home to two popular restaurants – Agashiye and The Green House.

Why I choose Agashiye?

I was looking for a place that offered traditional Gujarati food along with the ambience and this was fitting perfectly to what I wanted. Moreover, two things that attracted me the most were that this place serves traditional Gujarati thali restaurant, which meant more variety. And it has an elaborate menu that included almost everything at an economical price.

My Agashiye Experience

The restaurant is located on the rooftop. However, this place has both indoor and outdoor seating. You will have to pay before entering the restaurant, at the counter near the main reception. Before the billing, you will be served with two options. A silver and a bronze (Kansa) thali, although the menu remains the same. On my way to the rooftop, I was lost in the beauty of my surroundings. Everything was so beautiful and traditional right from the hanging swing to the paintings on the wall.

Since it was a sunny day, I chose to sit inside from where I could see the Siddi Sayeedi Mosque since it was located right across the street.

Kansa Thali Feast

I started my meal with Papdi Chaat and Aam Panna followed by Dhokla and Methi no gota (fritters). The starters tasted delectable and I loved every bit of it, especially Methi no gota as it was crisp and light. Then came the salad that was mainly made of cabbage along with cucumber, bell pepper and tomato soaked in vinegar along with papad.

The main course had a variety of cooked vegetables, served with Indian bread and rice. Although the Kadhi was too sweet for my taste buds, it tasted good with the bhuni Khichdi(lentil porridge) and achaar (pickle).

The restaurant served handmade kesar-vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was tastier than the ones that we have from the vendors since it was creamier. The paan was served at the end. However, I did not like the taste because of its blandness. We ended with cleaning our hands with hot water bowls.

Overall, it was a lovely experience to dine here. I couldn’t have found a better place to experience authentic Gujarati food and ambience together.

There has always been a certain perception about Gujarati cuisine to be sweet. However, on tasting the authentic food here I realised that what they serve is a beautiful blend of flavours.

Hence, not everything that’s Gujarati is sweet 😉