Like many of you, I have been waiting to see what restaurant was going to replace the former Rice N’ Beans Express located at 24726 S.R. 54 in Lutz for some time.
Well, the wait is over, as owner Kumaravel (he goes by Kumar) Chinnthambi opened his second location of Bhimavaram Ruchulu (BR) Indian Cuisine in late July at that location and photographer Charmaine George and I have found it be excellent, following our first visit.
Kumar, who is from the southern part of India, opened his original location of BR at 10938 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace more than a year ago, and has now brought his sizable menu of (mostly) southern Indian cuisine to a beautifully redecorated restaurant closer to Wesley Chapel.
Charmaine and I started our meal with two appetizers, the very spicy (Kumar admits that most of his food is on the spicier side, which pretty much what South Indian cuisine is mostly known for ) Gobi 65 (Hyd, or Hyderabad style) fried cauliflower (left), and the only semi-spicy (but also semi-sweet) Chicken Manchurian (top photo), which is coated in a thick, ginger-garlic soy gravy that we agreed was truly delicious. The chicken stayed nice and crisp, too.
We followed that up with the dish we both agreed was our favorite of the day, the creamy and delicious Paneer (Indian cheese) Tikka Masala (right), which had only a hint of spice. We also tried both the Chili Garlic (bottom photo) and Garlic Naan bread and we agreed that we preferred the only medium-spicy Chili Garlic version, especially dipped in the tomato-rich Tikka Masala sauce.
And, of course, we had to try the not-overly-spicy BR Special Boneless Chicken Biryani (below right), which has most of the tasty shreds of chicken hidden near the bottom of the bowl.
We didn’t try any of BR’s Tandoor oven specialties (like the Tandoor whole white fish; left), but Kumar says BR Indian Cuisines is known for its freshly ground authentic South Indian spices and traditional recipes. “We proudly prepare a wide variety of authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian South Indian dishes using fresh ingredients and time-honored cooking techniques. We also specialize in catering for large parties, family gatherings, corporate events, weddings and other special occasions”
All I can tell you is that the food is delicious, the place is really pretty inside and we will be back! For more info about Bhimavaram Ruchulu in Lutz, call (813) 388-5972. For the Temple Terrace BR, call (813) 280-9698. Or, visit BRIndianCuisines.com. — GN; all photos (except the whole fish) by Charmaine George
