Vietnamese Pho
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Is it ironic that someone who does not enjoy noodles has opened a noodle shop in the heart of the city? Sandesh Reddy does not think so. The Chennai-based serial restaurateur, in fact, thinks that a chef’s preferences should be taken out of the equation when designing a restaurant’s menu.
It is why his go-to order at his latest venture — Slurp Shop — nestled in one of the nondescript lanes off Cathedral Road, involves a hearty bowl of dumplings and fried rice. This obviously does not mean that you and I must negate the noodles on the menu. Contrarily, we must carefully survey what is being prepared at this mini restaurant’s open kitchen counter, ask the waitstaff about what’s what, and then tuck in and wait. Swaddled in black walls with simple decor, Slurp Shop, seats 15, and is located where Finale Patisserie and Bake School once stood.
The aim of the place is to serve a meal that one craves. “We’ve taken away the serious energy of the restaurant. I think the crux is that at the end of the day, if you like what you’re eating and if you can relate to it, you’ll come back. That’s pretty much been the thesis of everything that I’ve built in the last 20 years,” says Sandesh.
The merit of the thesis lies in testing the noodle bowl. But before we get to the meat of the matter, we dabble in four kinds of dumplings.
A plate of dumplings
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
At Slurp Shop, the steamed dough pockets are designed to be suspended in sauces. On its menu are the Miso So Corny (shiro miso and sweet corn), Walking Street (Thai-style coconut chilli and lime), Nuts About Chilli (peanut butter, chilli crisp, and garlic), and the Netflix and Chilli (the classic chilli oil and soy mix) sauces.
Of the four, the prawn and garlic dumpling in the Thai-style coconut, chilli and lime sauce; and the vegetable and water chestnut dumpling in the chilli oil and soy sauce, are stellar. The first combination proves that ancient pairings like prawns and coconut milk are a match made in heaven. The chilli crisp is addictive too. A special mention must also be made of the mushroom dumplings in the miso and corn broth. The thick sauce is hearty.
The noodles follow suit; a number of options inspired by Sandesh’s travels to different parts of the world including Singapore, Tokyo and Kyoto. What we like best is the Vietnemese pho with bok choy, tofu and thick rice noodles in a flavourful broth jazzed up with techniques that are involved in the making of dashi, a Japanese soup stock that is often used as a cooking base. “We like to cross-employ techniques from across countries,” says Sandesh.
If you are in the mood to experiment, also try the Tokyo summer slam, a cold noodle in a sweet-salty coconut broth. The noodle would work better with cucumber and some additional sweetness added to the broth. The Wan Chai Supreme on the other hand, a simple noodle in a peanut-chilli crisp sauce, is made of the same sauce that is used in the dumpling. While both these noodles are experimental, one finishes the plate wondering if an ingredient was left behind.
Milosaurus
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Ensure that you end your meal with the Milosaurus, a cake topped with dino milo, a delight in a bite.
Sandesh wants people to walk into Slurp Shop and remember that the restaurant business is for everyone. he says, “People often ask me what it takes to open a restaurant. You can buy most things here including the chimney and oven off the shelves. The freezers are located in a compact manner below the counter which doubles up as tables. The washing area is small and neat too. This is how we are choosing to optimise space here. Anyone can and should be able to open a restaurant if they want to.”
Slurp Shop is at Ganesh Apartment, 101, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram. A meal for two costs ₹1,800.
Published – August 06, 2025 04:57 pm IST
