ORLO: A Heartfelt Ode to India on Plate

“The idea,” he says, “is not just to fill your plate but also your heart. It’s a very heartfelt project we are building here, and at the core of everything we do at Orlo is India—its food, its people, its Indianness.”

At Orlo, food is more than just sustenance—it’s a medium for connection, culture, and community. Passary describes it as “a simple, honest offering of Indian food” that goes beyond nostalgia. Every dish carries the essence of home—unpretentious, balanced, and deeply rooted in regional traditions. “Every meal,” he says, “is an opportunity to create a community, a connection—whether between us, or the people sitting next to you.”

The restaurant’s name and philosophy are a reflection of Passary’s larger vision—to revive the forgotten rituals of everyday dining. Lunches at Orlo, for instance, are inspired by India’s mess culture—simple, wholesome, and fuss-free. “We are building this as an urban mess with a rural heart,” he explains. “The idea is to eat like you would at home—balanced meals rich in protein, fibre, and micronutrients, food that fills you up but doesn’t weigh you down.”

Each week, Orlo’s lunch menu celebrates a particular region—Rajasthan, Eastern India, or Punjab and Sindh—rotating through comfort dishes that rarely make it to restaurant menus. “When we serve Rajasthani food, we want people to see that it’s not just dal baati churma or laal maas,” says Passary. “There’s so much that happens at the home level—lighter, flavourful dishes that define everyday eating.” In the same way, their Punjabi offerings avoid clichés. “It’s not dal makhani or butter chicken,” he says with a smile. “We serve things like tinde ki sabzi or ganne ka ras ka kheer. Food that’s real, not ornamental.”

Dinner, on the other hand, transforms Orlo into a more curated, à la carte experience. The space itself shifts character—from a breezy, canteen-style lunch zone to an intimate evening setting. “We call it ‘walk in for lunch, come home for dinner,’” he laughs. The dinner menu stays true to the restaurant’s regional philosophy but extends beyond one geography. There’s Sindhi kadhi, lauki chana, and even “home-style” experiments like bhindi chicken or gobi gosht. “No one thinks of combining vegetables and meats this way,” he says. “But that’s how people eat at home in Uttar Pradesh. It’s simple, soulful food.”

For Passary, what makes Orlo truly special is its collaborative spirit. “We have a team of four or five chefs and food researchers who work deeply with regional cuisines,” he explains. “Deepali works with Rajasthani food, Farah with Eastern India, Deepa Chouhan with Sindhi cuisine, and Chef Zaheer with Mughlai food.” These aren’t celebrity chefs but passionate custodians of culture. “Some of them go to villages to learn why people eat what they do,” he says. “We discovered that villagers make excellent probiotics but are often ashamed to share those traditions. We want to change that—to make people proud of their food again.”

The restaurant’s design mirrors its philosophy—warm, unpretentious, and deeply familiar. The walls are plain, the decor minimal, evoking the feeling of stepping into a friend’s home. “We wanted it to look like my home or your home,” says Passary. You will see an almirah with books, a few achaar jars, some art, but nothing overdone. Even the bar concept follows this nostalgic simplicity. “Our bar is inspired by the old Indian theka. We have created six in-house soda flavours—you buy your soda, mix your alcohol, and drink. It’s easy, relaxed, like sitting at a chaupal back in the village after work.”

Orlo isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a bridge between past and present, between simplicity and sophistication. It’s also, in many ways, Passary’s personal journey of coming full circle. “As a restaurateur, it was no fun doing the same thing I have done for twenty years,” he admits. “The city gave me a lot; now I wanted to give something back—to celebrate Indian food in its truest, most heartfelt form.”

With a young team of co-founders bringing fresh ideas and modern sensibilities, Orlo feels both rooted and relevant. “They challenge me, I challenge them. And that’s how the best comes out.”

At its core, Orlo is not about fine dining or fusion—it’s about rediscovering who we are through what we eat. “People are forgetting celebrations,” Passary reflects. “We wanted to bring back that feeling of eating together, of sharing stories, of saying ‘aur lo’—have some more.”

In a world chasing novelty, Orlo stands quietly proud—an ode to home, heart, and heritage, served a meal that's not just tasty but soulful too.