Vizag's cuisine is Andhra coastal — spicier and more tamarind-forward than any other regional cuisine in India. The local fish curry uses a paste of dried red chilies, tamarind, and coriander that is particular to the coast; the prawn fry with curry leaves and green chilies is the dish locals recommend to first-time visitors.
For street food, the RK Beach promenade is the obvious starting point — corn chaat, bhelpuri, and pani puri stalls run all evening. For a proper sit-down meal, the small restaurants near the harbour in the old town area (around Jagadamba Junction and Gajuwaka Road) serve the most authentic versions of Andhra seafood. Bamboo Chicken, a tribal dish from the Araku Valley area where marinated chicken is stuffed into bamboo and roasted over an open fire, appears on the menus of several restaurants around the city and is worth trying.