Last Saturday my friend had a sudden craving for Asian cuisine. After debating for a while on whether to travel all the way to Tarnaka for our favourite – Kim Fung, we settled on Republic of Noodles. Republic of Noodles is present at both of the Lemon Tree hotels in Hyderabad, but we decided to check out the older, more established outlet at Lemon Tree Premier Hi-Tec City.
Republic of Noodles has a soothing, almost tranquil vibe, which was just perfect for a casual Sunday dinner. RoN serves food from Eastern and South-Eastern countries of Asia including Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam. We started our meal with the Tom Yum Goong soup. Like most Thai soups the dominant flavours were of lemongrass, and kaffir lime, but neither was overpowering. The dish was light and gentle, and I really enjoyed the mushrooms. However, I wish the bird eyed chillies packed a bit more punch.
Next course was a plate of Honey Glazed Pot Roasted Spare Ribs. Any pork lover will know how good ribs can be, and these were good quality ribs with a decent amount of meat. RoN did full justice to the dish. The ribs were cooked perfectly, and I loved the honey glaze. I was also surprised by the generous serving size. I honestly didn’t expect to get five ribs in a plate of starters.
In the mains, we picked Jungle Curry of Beef served with Jasmine Rice and Thai Chili Basil Noodles. I love Jasmine Rice, and the Jungle Curry was a superb accompaniment for this staple dish. The gravy was loaded with veggies of all sorts and sliced beef. However, this seemed to be a five-star re-imagination of a very rustic dish. Folks looking for a bold and aggressive dish will be disappointed, but I won’t hold it against. The Thai Chilly Basil Noodles were, on the other hand, high in both heat and flavour. This is a must have for the lovers of spicy food.
The aforementioned three course meal for two set us back by just Rs. 2025, which I consider to be very decent for a five star property. The service was efficient, and the food gave little room for complaint. Hyderabad doesn’t have a lot of options for Pan Asian food lovers, and I’d rank Republic of Noodles right at the top, along with Mekong .
