The main drag of The Heights officially has a new restaurant showcasing the flavors of South Indian cuisine as Balaji Bhavan is now open at 249 Central Avenue.
Formerly home to Xpress Kitchen, the space underwent a light renovation before being re-launched as the new restaurant. The eatery’s name translates from Hindi to “Balaji house” and come courtesy of owner Balaji Mani, who boasts of having over 22 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry.
Born and raised in South India, Mani is a graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management in Chennai and honed his skills as a chef at the renowned Taj Group of Hotels in India. His specialty lies in n the art of South Indian cuisine and Balaji Bhavan offers a pure vegetarian experience at their restaurant.
One of the restaurant’s biggest stars is its soft, fluffy idlis and crispy dosas, of which there are a plethora of varieties. Balaji Bhavan offers more unique dosa spins, including a “gun powder dosa,” which consists of a rice crepe sprinkled with spiced dried lentil powder.
A vegetable pizza dosa blends tomato, onion, olive, and cheeses, with the restaurant also featuring several uttapam offerings, which are a fluffier and thicker version of the dosa.
Balaji Bhavan sports a menu of lighter tiffin specials for those looking for something quick along with main courses like a vegetable saag, a kaju masala with cashew nuts, or a vegetable jalfrezi that blends a mix of shredded stir-fried veggies in sweet and sour tomato sauce.
The restaurant offers many gluten-free options and now offers online ordering directly through its website. Balaji Bhavan has also established an Instagram account at @balaji_bhavan.
The newest restaurant to hit The Heights is now open on Wednesday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. for lunch, with dinner service hours spanning from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
