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Ten years back when Noida was still a poor cousin of New Delhi, the brother-sister duo both still in college at the time-set up a restaurant there, called Punjabi by Nature. Neither had any experience in the hospitality business but say they were foodies looking to fill the void of good Punjabi eating places in the NCR and, at the same time, start a venture of their own. Initially, they were helped by their father who runs a real estate business, but today, the two are on their own, clocking an annual turnover of Rs 25 crore and a growth rate of about 30 per cent. Yes, we are talking about Arjun and Pia Puri

Having tasted success in the capital-where they have four restaurants-the Puris now plan to expand nationally over the next two years.

When they started, Noida was a sleepy suburb. But with IT companies setting up shop in the area and the DND toll bridge allowing easy access, Noida’s Sector 18 market, the location of their first restaurant, became one of the most bustling areas of the township. The 180-cover restaurant became a success almost overnight. Chef Jeet Singh Thapa, who had worked previously at lTC’s famous Bukhara restaurant, was roped in to cook up innovative recipes. And innovative they were, starting with the vodka shots in golgappas, followed by beer as a chaser. The dishes that especially got tongues watering, and wagging were the raan-e-Punjab (leg of tandoori lamb), jhangi chaap (lamb chops with Indian spices), tandoori prawns, dahi ke kebab (made of hung curd), and the Lahori masala paneer-all of them served in traditional utensils.

They set out to do something different with traditional Indian cuisine, which is how the idea of serving golgappas spiked with flavoured vodka came up. The vodka mix, a closely guarded secret, is prepared in-house over a month and is available in five flavours-two pepper versions, aam panna, jal jeera and tamarind. Buoyed by the good response to this unusual offering, Punjabi by Nature has now added tequila golgappas to the menu as well.

In 2002, as business improved, the Puris decided to expand and set up a second outlet up in Delhi’s upmarket Vasant Vihar with 240 covers. In August 2006, they followed it up with a 180-cover eatery in Gurgaon. The latest outlet at Raja-Garden opened in December 2006, with 200 covers and an alfresco dining area. Interestingly, different designers were hired for each outlet so that no two would look similar. The Gurgaon outlet has clean-lined furniture, low lighting and modern art, while the Vas ant Vihar outlet displays portraits of Punjab’s old royals. The Noida restaurant attracts both families and corporates, while the Gurgaon branch is a favourite for corporate lunches. The Vasant Vihar and Raja Garden outlets are mostly frequented by families.

This is among the best options for entertaining friends outside a five star. The interiors are warm and inviting and the food, especially the meats and kebabs, are to die for. Their portions are generous. One portion can easily feed four persons. With the brand planning to expand to Bangalore and Hyderabad initially, and then to Chandigarh and Ludhiana in the next two years, more people will get to savour the flavours of the pind.