Chennai’s Poppadum explores regional Indian cuisine with a contemporary touch

CHENNAI: A fresh addition to the city’s dining scene, Poppadum has opened in Kilpauk with a clear and thoughtful idea. It brings together stories of food from across India, presenting them in a way that feels familiar, yet slightly new, balancing comfort with a sense of discovery.

Founder Abbas Shahzad stepped into the food space during the pandemic by starting a cloud kitchen. “My first venture was Butterheads. We served salads, bowls and smoothies. I did not come from a food background, so I learned through experience. Over time, we began thinking about doing something different and bringing a change to the food space in the city,” he says.

That thought grew stronger after travelling to cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “The food scene there is very different when compared to Chennai. There is more variety and more willingness to experiment. That made us feel that there is space for something new here as well,” he says.

The idea for Poppadum slowly took shape about eight months ago during a conversation at the dinner table with his family. After living in Kilpauk for almost two decades, he knew this was the right place to start. “We spent time understanding the area, the kind of people here and what might work,” he says.

With a strong Gujarati and Marwari community in the neighbourhood, the team chose to focus on vegetarian food, while still exploring regional Indian dishes.

The restaurateur shares that the name Poppadum comes from something simple and familiar. “It is inspired by the humble papad, which is found across the country in different forms. It is comforting, but also very versatile. You can pair it with almost anything and it feels different each time,” Abbas explains.

That idea of familiarity with room for variation is what the restaurant hopes to reflect in its menu. The dishes bring together flavours from different regions without making them feel unfamiliar.

Some of the highlights include chilled tomato choka, Naga chilli mushroom, malai kofta, caldeen mirchi bhajiya and elaneer pakoda. The idea is to keep the base familiar, while gently introducing new flavours and combinations.

Abbas feels that diners in Chennai are gradually becoming more open to trying new food. “With social media, people have access to a lot more information. They travel more and try different cuisines. Naturally, they want to see similar experiences here as well,” he says.

Keeping the local community in mind has also been important. “There is a good Jain population in this area, so we have introduced a smaller Jain menu. We are planning to expand it as well,” he adds.

He also sees a larger shift happening in the city’s food space. “Many new places are focusing on smaller, more consistent menus. The change is slow, but people are willing to experiment and give new concepts a chance,” he says.

For him, Poppadum is part of that shift. “Chennai has a strong food culture. We just need to keep pushing and growing along with it,” he adds.