‘Namaste Baripada’, Say Pathy Brothers With Their Delectable Cuisines

‘Namaste Baripada’, Say Pathy Brothers With Their Delectable Cuisines

A heaven for foodies, Baripada is also identified as ‘The Paradise of Mutton’. This quaint town in Mayurbhanj district is dotted with restaurants, eateries and dhabas that serve a variety of delectable cuisines, prime among them being, the age-old delicacy – ‘Mudhi Mangsha’. It is said that a trip to Baripada is incomplete without tasting its culinary treasures. When Team My City Links visited this town, it was led straight to ‘Namaste Baripada’, a restaurant widely known for curating the best of local cuisines.

It is said that the way to a person’s heart is through the stomach. Owners of ‘Namaste Baripada’ Gurujyoti and Nigam Pathy seem to have made an ever-lasting impression on people’s mind and heart by serving delectable chevon (goat meat) and other curated delicacies. Located at Takatpur, the restaurant has become a popular name among the local masses. 

‘Namaste Baripada’ offers a wide range of traditional food. Its specialty lies in the fusion of traditional food and other cuisines which gives the dishes a unique taste. What sets this restaurant apart is the variety and pattern of food which is not only unique but also authentic. Apart from ‘Mudhi Mangsha’, ‘Kachi Dum Biryani’, Chicken ‘Shabnami’, Chicken ‘Takatak’, KFC style fried chicken, Mutton ‘Handi’ are some of the most sought-after dishes in the restaurant.

The Pathy brothers follow the tradition of preparing special dishes based on different occasions and offer those to customers as a complimentary treat. “During ‘Raja’ festival, we offered complimentary ‘Paan’ and ‘Pitha’ to our customers. Similarly during ‘Makara’, we made ‘Lentha Pitha’ which is an authentic dish among the Mohanta tribe here. This apart, we offer buttermilk or ‘Tanka Torani’ to all our customers,” said Nigam. By adopting the best of all dishes, ‘Namaste Baripada’ believes in indulging its customers with some exquisite dishes of the region which have been popular since ages. 

Apart from its mouth-watering dishes, the ambience of ‘Namaste Baripada’ has also added to its popularity. There is a selfie zone for Gen Z, outdoor dining with soothing music as well as indoor dining with relaxing atmosphere. The restaurant also provides services for parties where a small group of around 50 people can easily get together. An outdoor booth for light drinks is also on the anvil. 

How was ‘Namaste Baripada’ born? Nigam said, “I was a student of media and mass communication while Gurujyoti was in the events management business. Both us ran a company named Shrashta Events and Promotions for eight years. Despite the ongoing business, we had set a target to open a food joint. After three years of planning, we finally found a place and set up our restaurant. But fate had other plans. The pandemic led to lockdown which both of us were not prepared for. We were completely clueless about what the future holds for us. Due to Covid-19, all the events had come to a halt. After some deliberations, we decided to go for a cloud kitchen.”

Gurujyoti further informed, “Besides being foodies, we are expert cooks too. Instead of sitting idle at home, we chose to cook and offer our dishes to people. And we were not worried about the items being wasted as we have many friends who are foodies.” 

The restaurant was launched just before the outbreak of COVID 19 and hence, people opted for hygienic and healthy food. Luckily, ‘Namaste Baripada’ was able to cater to their needs. Besides, the restaurant also made deliveries to hospitals. “It is a proud feeling that we have managed to gain the trust of people. This is what sets us apart from others,” said Gurujyoti. 

It has only been a year since ‘Namaste Baripada’ was launched but the restaurant has managed to win the hearts of people with its dishes. The owners credit social media for this recognition. “We put up stories on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram besides pages on the digital media to reach out to the maximum number of people. We already had a customer base due to the events management business. That helped us retain our customers,” informed Nigam.

Foodies since long, both Gurujyoti and Nigam are very choosy about their tastes. “We have visited many cities across India on different occasions. After finishing our commitments, we would go inquiring about the local dishes and cuisines of that particular area. This gave us a wide perspective about the likes and dislikes of people, especially foodies,” Nigam said.

The restaurateurs are now planning to introduce fresh flavors in the town. The brothers are currently busy with extensive research on curating their own food. “We are now inviting executive chefs from across the country to help us experiment with different cuisines. We plan to expand our restaurant to other cities as well. The idea is to maintain the quality and taste of the food at every outlet we open,” Gurujyoti added. ‘Namaste Baripada’ currently offers over 500 dishes on its menu.

Apart from its delicacies, Mayurbhanj is also known for its natural beauty, temples and culture. “Our aim is to lure tourists visiting the district with our trademark dishes and win their hearts with the food served at ‘Namaste Baripada’,”  Nigam added.