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From dosas to naans, curries to kebabs and all kinds of biryanis, Varam, a new restaurant in Redwood City, serves halal upscale Indian cuisine representing multiple regions.
Inhabiting the former location of the Dragon Theatre at 2120 Broadway St., Varam opened July 1 after about a year-long remodeling process. The eatery catches the eyes of downtown passersby with its colorful outdoor seating, large menu display and, on the inside, decor including vivid wallpaper, which was custom designed in India.
While owner Kamal Konduru hails from southern India, Varam’s large menu, the domain of chef Alex Paneerselvam, represents dishes from all over the subcontinent, Konduru said, giving local diners the chance, as Varam’s website puts it, to “taste the best of India.”
“A lot of these curries and naans and the breads that we are doing, they are more from the north side,” Konduru said. “You see in this menu we have from the south to Delhi; all areas are covered with the food dishes, pretty much.”
The dinner menu boasts a selection of dosas (thin, crispy crepes made from fermented rice and lentil batter stuffed with a variety of filling options) and uthappam (soft pancakes), classics such as chicken tikka masala and samosas, haleem (a slow-cooked stew), and some “chef’s creations,” including rack of New Zealand spring lamb, char-grilled halibut, paneer club pave, and chakra murgh (chicken in puff pastry with spinach creamy potatoes and pilaf), to list just a few. There are also plentiful biryani (spiced and layered rice, meat and vegetables) options. Konduru said the biryanis are his personal favorite.
“I eat biryani pretty much every day. How we make it, it comes fresh and the aroma and the whole taste is very, very different,” he said.
At Varam, diners can choose from many house special biryanis, including paneer, chicken, lamb and shrimp.
Desserts include rasmalai (poached cheese dumplings with saffron-flavored cream sauce), khubani kha meetha (apricot, custard trifle and apricot cream) and gulab jamun with ice cream. There’s also a number of drinks available, including three types of lassi (mango, berry and rose), falooda and masala chai.
Varam is open for lunch as well and, while the lunch menu has fewer choices, it has overlap with the dinner menu and offers some special lunch-only thali options, which are platters of assorted appetizers, entrees, bread and dessert.
Transforming the space from theater into eatery took more than a year but the city has been supportive every step of the way, according to Konduru.
“They have been really helpful, giving us the guidance and help on how we need to do it,” he said. “Location is the primary thing for a restaurant. Redwood City, Broadway, this is one of the prime spots, even though it was not a restaurant space before.”
Konduru moved from India to the U.S. in 2000 and has spent most of his career as a software engineer while getting involved in the restaurant business (he also owns Brundavan Indian Cuisine in Santa Clara and Peacock Indian Cafe in San Jose). Last year, he made the big decision to quit his tech job and put all his energy into the food industry. Going from the tech world to the restaurant world full time is not without risks and challenges but he said he’s enjoying it so far.
“I like it because the thing is, whatever that we do, it’s on us. Either it is positive or negative. We take it and if we do hard work, we put effort into what we are doing, and passion, we are going to be successful,” he said. “If you do good food and good service, people will be really happy.”
Varam, 2120 Broadway St., Redwood City; 650-257-3510, Instagram: @varam_indian_cuisine. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
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