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Spice It Up At Ruchi Indian

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: January 21, 2009

TEMPLE TERRACE - At the new Ruchi Indian restaurant, it's all about taste.

It's an eatery whose name is synonymous with the traditional taste of southern Indian fare that its owner, Sudhir Vemuri, experienced as a child and learned how to perfect from his mother.

"My mom is a good cook, and I also like to eat good food," said Vemuri, who prior to opening his Temple Terrace restaurant owned a similar business in DeMoines, Iowa.

Compared to northern Indian cuisine, the flavors are generally spicier, said Ruchi manager Kalyan Jambavathi.

Ruchi's menu consists of soups, appetizers, vegetable-filled dosas, similar to crepes, and uttapam, lentil pancakes served with chutney and other zesty sauces.

An assortment of Indian breads is also meant to accompany the restaurant's wide choice of chicken and goat entrees, as well as its seafood and vegetable curries.

A kids' menu and a lunch buffet, with a range of 14 items, are also available daily.

"We're totally authentic. There is nothing else like it in Tampa," Vemuri said.

Liquor and beer are served on the premises, and a separate dining area may be reserved for parties of about 25 people. An additional banquet room is planned to replace what was an adjacent Indian grocery store.

"We're also good at catering in-home parties for 20 to 400 people," Jambavathi said. "We also like to get the e-mail addresses of our customers so we can send them messages about our specialties."

Pasha Kan, a recent graduate of the University of South Florida's graduate school in chemistry, accompanied fellow chemistry graduate school buddies Praveen Ramaruju and Sridhar Kaulagari, a frequent diner at Ruchi's, to the restaurant.

"Sridhar said the food is good so we're here to check it out," said Kan, who later confirmed his selection of the Hyderabadi chicken biriyani - marinated herb-spiced chicken served with long grain rice - was a good choice.

IF YOU GO

WHERE: Ruchi Indian Restaurant

WHERE: 8447 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace

WHEN: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday; 2:30-4:30 p.m. daily is the staff's break.

INFORMATION: (813) 374-0386 or (813) 802-2088

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

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