Nimantran: Experience The Taste Of Odisha

Nimantran: Experience The Taste Of Odisha

Food plays a very important role in the cultural fabric of any place. To understand a place or a community better, one must indulge in the local cuisine, the techniques used and the taste palettes preferred. Nimantran, a flagship restaurant of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) does exactly that about Odia food to the uninitiated. 

Nimamtran is a one-stop destination for Odia cuisine and was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on September 3, the 42nd foundation day of OTDC. The restaurant is aimed at popularising Odia fare among tourists and visitors to the state and give them an insight into the vast culinary legacy of Odisha. Not just tourists, it will also give a fresh approach to Odia cuisine for the locals. Located in the heart of Bhubaneswar at Rupali Square near Rama Devi Women’s University, the restaurant is already a big hit among the locals.

Director, Tourism Department, Sachin Jadhav explained the idea behind the Nimantran restaurant and said, “Odisha, an agrarian State, has always been a popular farm-to-table hotspot and this approach forms the basis of many fresh and flavorful dishes. The local delicacies depict versatility due to the ingredients and cooking methods that are specific and unique to different regions of the state. We at Nimantran, aim to offer such region-specific authentic dishes via a fine dine experience through our chain of restaurants. This initiative is an attempt by Odisha Tourism to project the rich culinary traditions of Odisha and also to nudge the private investors in this regard.”

“The response has been overwhelming which brings a lot of responsibility with it,” said the restaurant manager Dilip Kumar Pradhan, proudly. “There has been heavy rush consistently since the day we opened and it is good to see such love for Odia food by the locals as well as visitors to the state. We try to provide the best food and service and are happy that so many people are appreciating it and giving us positive feedback. We have had food bloggers and food enthusiasts who have dined here and shared their insights and knowledge which is heartening to see as the young crowd is so excited,” he added. 

With an average footfall of over 500 visitors on weekdays and over 800 visitors on weekends, the restaurant has managed to capture the imagination of everyone. Not just the menu, but every detail of the restaurant including the furniture and decor gives you a feel of Odisha. Beautiful pictures of the scenic beauty of Odisha, the tribal heritage, the breathtaking Odissi dance and elaborate pattachitra work adorn the walls. This is a first of its kind restaurant dedicated to Odia cuisine where the focus is not just on the food but also on a fine dining experience. 

The menu has been meticulously designed by Master Chefs and food experts keping local preferences in mind as Odia cuisine offers plenty of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians which is a testament to the eclectic culinary heritage of Odisha that Nimantran celebrates and showcases with its menu of almost 70 dishes that cover the entire state. 

The menu is divided into three sets as people in Odisha have different preferences of food depending on the days of the week. There is a menu for Mondays and Thursdays which focuses mostly on vegetarian dishes as most of the people prefer it on these days. The menu for Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays focuses on non-vegetarian dishes while the menu for Tuesdays and Saturdays is a mixture of both.

While chatu besara (mushroom in Odia mustard paste) and chena tarkari (cottage cheese or paneer curry) rule the roost among vegetarian dishes, mutton and fish preparations are most loved among the non-vegetarian dishes. It is difficult to choose a specific dish as the best because the entire menu is curated in a manner that will give you a taste of every region and district of Odisha that have their own unique and distinct flavour profiles. 

The menu not only focuses on taste but it also caters to the health conscious. With a plethora of options in soups and salads, the place must be on every health conscious individual’s list. “I loved the suan kheeri (little millet porridge) and the patal ghanta soup on the menu because apart from being a health freak, I am from Sambalpur. I am happy to see the food of my region represented on the Nimantran menu for the world to taste,” said an excited Namita who is an IT professional in Bhubaneswar.

Apart from the regular Odia fare in the main course, one must try out the badi chura salad, bamboo shoot salad, ragi soup and chakuli burritos. Nimantran has tried to introduce local ingredients like lotus stems and bamboo shoots to the mainstream audience here in Bhubaneswar. These ingredients are mostly consumed in specific regions and areas which we don’t get to eat everyday in the city. 

Equipped with 34 highly trained staff and led by Chef Sanjay Sarkar who has over 29 years of experience working around the world in the food industry, the Nimantran restaurant has received an overwhelming response since it opened. “It’s good to see that not only locals but tourists from outside the state are also visiting the restaurant. Many people are visiting with their friends and family from across India. It is very heart-warming that people from other states get to taste and appreciate authentic Odia cuisine,” shared the chef. 

“Odisha’s art and culture are well-known worldwide but people hardly know of its cuisine. That’s what we are trying to change with this restaurant and the menu. We have a combination of some authentic and typical Odia dishes on the menu and some fusion dishes where we have integrated hyperlocal ingredients into locally famous dishes that bring out the Odia flavour. We are trying to present Odia cuisine with a modern twist that will please both the young and the young at heart,” added the chef. 

As the Government of Odisha is increasingly focusing on tourism by introducing different initiatives, the Nimantran restaurant will help it in boosting culinary tourism in the state. Soon the OTDC is planning to open the Nimantran chain of restaurants at the 17th century CE Rani Bakhri (Queen’s Palace) restaurant in Sambalpur and at the Blue Flag beach in Puri. With the travel season about to begin soon, the restaurant has come up just at the right time.