Ta. Ma. Sha is the destination for vegetarian Asian food in Hyderabad

The popular vegetarian café Ta.Ma.Sha, known for its Asian flavours and cosy vibe, has opened a new branch in Karkhana, Secunderabad. After setting up in Jubilee Hills and Hanuman Tekdi, the team wanted to bring something fresh to this side of town.

Chef and co-founder Akshay Solanky says he noticed a gap in the market. “There weren’t many good coffee shops here where people could work, hang out or just enjoy a proper meal. Definitely none that served vegetarian Asian food,” he says. So they took over the old Gunrock Café and gave it a new twist — with coffee, food, and a cool space to relax.

Poke rice
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

The name Ta.Ma.Sha has layers. While it sounds like the Hindi word tamasha (meaning a fair or cultural event), each part of the name also stands for something else: ‘Ta’ means ‘she’ in Mandarin, ‘Ma’ means mother, and ‘Sha’ symbolises strength — like in Shaolin martial arts.

The café is bright and cheerful, with sunny yellow walls and lots of character. Think guitars on the wall, a bookshelf, vintage cameras, a turntable, and a space for music and stand-up comedy nights. “It was an old house, and we turned it into a modern spot with a retro vibe,” says Solanky. They even have plans to add a pickleball court soon.

Global food trends

A view of the cafe
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

Ta.Ma.Sha’s menu leans heavily into pan-Asian cuisine, designed with social media trends in mind, making it as Instagram-friendly as it is flavourful. The restaurant also thoughtfully includes a dedicated Jain Asian section, with dishes like Jain-style pizza for those with specific dietary preferences.

The starters are small, chat-friendly bites, perfect if you are there for live music or just catching up with friends. The corn and cheese bites, spinach-tofu rolls, spinach-cheese dim sum and cottage cheese bao buns are easy to eat and full of flavour.

Appetisers at the cafe
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

In the mains, the Korean chilli tofu — sweetened with a drizzle of honey and paired with a crisp carrot-onion salad — is a highlight, as is the house-made kimchi. There is also a rich Korean-style paneer, hearty ramen with Japanese cottage cheese katsu, and a classic Thai green curry served with fragrant jasmine rice and soft bao buns.

If you are craving something closer to home, there is an Indo-Chinese-style Tangara noodle, as well as thin-crust pizzas and a few fast-food-style treats like plant-based meat burgers and even an experimental kimchi pizza.

Blue curacao
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

To sip on, try their non-alcoholic malt or the cheekily named Bitcoin beer, both infused with unique flavours.

Desserts, while largely familiar, still offer comfort. Think rasmalai tres leches, mango mousse (seasonal), cream bun sandwich with chocolate drizzle, tiramisu and black forest pastry. The Thai mango sticky rice is one of the few Asian desserts and worth trying if it’s available.

Meal for two: ₹800 plus taxes.