Hungry Hopper Opens in Vasant Vihar with Kerala, Tamil and Sri Lankan Coastal Cooking

Hungry Hopper has opened in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, as a 30-seat coastal restaurant drawing on the food traditions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Founded by hospitality entrepreneur Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra, the restaurant is a unit of M.J. Hospitality. The founders plan to open four to five further outlets over the next three years.

The menu is built around freshly made hoppers and appams, regional curries and seafood from the catch of the day. It takes in Kerala’s coconut-led cooking, Tamil Nadu’s spice profiles and Sri Lanka’s tangier flavours. Dishes include plain, butter and egg hoppers, flat appams, neer dosa and string hoppers, served with curries such as Jackfruit Kari, Coastal Chicken Kari, Prawn Kari and Crab Moilee. Other plates include Fort Cochin Pepper Jumbo Prawns, Kanyakumari Pepper Crab, Kerala Fish Fry and Kothu Roti, with vegetarian dishes such as Malabar Jackfruit Cutlets and Chettinad Mushroom Parotta Tacos, and biryanis from Thalassery and Vaniyambadi.

“I have always felt that the real measure of a restaurant is not the attention it receives when it first opens, but the place it earns in people's lives over time. That comes down to the decisions made every day, how a team works, how standards are maintained and how thoughtfully the business evolves. We are approaching HUNGRY HOPPER with that long-term perspective. The ambition is to build a brand with its own identity and the discipline to grow without losing sight of what it stands for,” says Jai Batra, Founder, Hungry Hopper.

“With the launch of HUNGRY HOPPER, we wanted to introduce Delhi to the diversity of coastal food cultures in a way that feels approachable yet distinctive. My background in design and culinary arts has shaped how I look at food, not just as a collection of flavours, but as an expression of culture, craft and identity. I hope this becomes a place that encourages people to discover something new and see these cuisines from a fresh perspective,” says Malika Chawla Batra, Co-Founder, Hungry Hopper.

Guests are encouraged to try different hopper-and-curry combinations, eat with their hands and share dishes.