{"id":418847,"date":"2026-07-31T01:59:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T01:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/418847\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T01:59:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T01:59:28","slug":"long-beach-staple-appus-cafe-to-host-thali-style-dinner-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/418847\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach staple Appu’s Cafe to host thali-style dinner for the first time"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are few restaurants in Long Beach that better embody the idea that tradition and innovation are not opposing forces than Appu\u2019s Cafe.<\/p>\n

\"appu'sChef Vinod \u201cV.R.\u201d Venkataraman of Appu\u2019s Cafe. Photo by Brian Addison\/City of Long Beach.<\/p>\n

For more than a decade, Chef Vinod \u201cV.R.\u201d Venkataraman has quietly built one of the city\u2019s most beloved culinary success stories, beginning in an unlikely place: a tiny caf\u00e9 tucked inside the Woodruff Medical Offices. He transformed what was essentially a medical office breakroom into a destination restaurant, marrying the flavors of his South Indian upbringing with Mexican, American, and broader Californian influences while maintaining an unwavering commitment to vegetarian cooking and wellness.<\/p>\n

The concept proved so compelling that Appu\u2019s became a perennial Yelp! Top 100 restaurant. It also earned national recognition for its Maharaja Burrito<\/a>. And, in 2023, expanded into a full brick-and-mortar restaurant on Palo Verde Avenue<\/a>, giving Chef VR the larger kitchen and open-concept space he\u2019d long envisioned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"appu's<\/p>\n

\"appu's<\/p>\n

\"appu'sAn array of Chef VR\u2019s much-loved Indian tacos. Photos by Brian Addison.<\/p>\n

Appu\u2019s Cafe and its evolution have never been about abandoning Indian cuisine. Quite the opposite.<\/p>\n

For many diners, \u201cfusion\u201d has become synonymous with dilution. And, in a sense, there is a realness to that, as it can be a softening of traditions in favor of broad appeal. Appu\u2019s Cafe has always rejected that notion. <\/p>\n

Instead, Chef VR treats Indian cuisine as a living culinary language, one capable of conversing with tortillas, burritos, sandwiches, and salads without losing its grammar. The spices remain unmistakably Indian. The techniques remain rooted in generations of cooking. The flavors remain deeply familiar to those who grew up with them, even when presented inside a burrito or folded into a taco.<\/p>\n

\"appu'sChef VR assembles his nationally-recognized Maharaja burrito at Appu\u2019s Cafe. Photo by Brian Addison\/Visit Long Beach.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s precisely why spaces like Appu\u2019s Cafe matter.<\/p>\n

Traditional restaurants preserve culinary heritage. Fusion restaurants\u2014when executed with intention rather than novelty\u2014demonstrate that heritage is alive enough to evolve. Especially for cuisines as diverse and frequently misunderstood as India\u2019s, giving chefs permission to experiment ultimately broadens appreciation for the classics themselves. A diner may arrive for a paneer burrito and leave curious about regional Indian cooking. Accessibility becomes the doorway rather than the destination.<\/p>\n

\"appu'sChef VR of Appu\u2019s Cafe blends a mixture that is to be added to his cabbage soup, a first in his culinary career. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/p>\n

That makes Appu\u2019s first-ever thali dinner for Long Beach Food Scene Week, running July 31 through Aug. 9, feel particularly meaningful.<\/p>\n

While the restaurant built its reputation on playful cross-cultural creations, this special prix fixe experience<\/a> shifts the spotlight back toward one of India\u2019s most celebrated dining traditions.<\/p>\n

A thali is less a single dish than an edible curation of offerings. It\u2019s a collection of complementary preparations served simultaneously so that contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures create a complete meal. Sweet balances spicy. Creamy offsets acidic. Crisp accompanies soft. Rather than asking diners to choose one entr\u00e9e, the thali encourages exploration across a wide spectrum of flavors, textures, and styles.<\/p>\n

\"appu's<\/p>\n

\"appu's<\/p>\n

\"appu'sThali-style eating at Appu\u2019s Cafe. Photos by Brian Addison.<\/p>\n

Chef VR\u2019s interpretation begins with a first for his culinary career: a cream of cabbage soup. From there, you have a charred cauliflower salad. Falafels and samosas\u2014some of the most recognizable Indian foods this side of the world\u2014sit next to an array of bowls of Chef VR\u2019s vegetable malai, chana masala, and aloo jalfrezi. They each offer a different expression of spice, texture, and aromatics. Basmati rice anchors the meal, giving diners the opportunity to experience each curry independently before inevitably combining them\u2014as every good thali encourages.<\/p>\n

Dessert arrives as cream of wheat payasam, the fragrant South Indian pudding perfumed with cardamom that provides a gentle, comforting finish rather than an overly sweet one. Guests can also add a \u201cMindful Pairing\u201d of wellness-focused refreshments, an extension of Chef VR\u2019s longtime philosophy that food should nourish as much as it delights.<\/p>\n

Reservations are now open<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"appu'sYes, I will have some more, Appu\u2019s Cafe. Photo by Brian Addison.<\/p>\n

In many ways, the dinner encapsulates the journey Appu\u2019s Cafe has taken.<\/p>\n

A restaurant that became famous by stretching expectations of what Indian food could be is now inviting diners to experience one of the cuisine\u2019s oldest and most cherished formats. It isn\u2019t a departure from Appu\u2019s identity\u2014it is the foundation beneath it.<\/p>\n

Long Beach Food Scene Week has always been less about discounts than about chefs taking creative risks, telling stories and giving diners experiences they can\u2019t get the other 355 days of the year. Appu\u2019s first thali dinner fits that mission perfectly: a celebration of Indian culinary tradition presented by one of Long Beach\u2019s most inventive chefs, reminding us that honoring heritage and embracing evolution have never been mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n

Appu\u2019s Cafe is located at 2211 Palo Verde Ave. To view Appu\u2019s Cafe\u2019s entire LBFSW menu, click here<\/a>. To make a reservation for Chef VR\u2019s thali-style dinner, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are few restaurants in Long Beach that better embody the idea that tradition and innovation are not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[167475,167476,167477,131,147669,133,132,167478,167479],"class_list":["post-418847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-east-long-beach","tag-fusion-cuisine","tag-indian-pakistani-afghan-cuisine","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-food-scene-week","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-menu-updates","tag-restaurant-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}