Kochi | Restaurants, Food Courts & Eateries

[DileepKS]

If you give good food at a reasonable price, you will have a brisk business here. The problem is, many eateries do not offer consistency. Things depend upon the 'chef of the day'. Many places start well, and then things go downhill. I have personal experience with many.

[Malayaali]

Kashi Art Cafe - Burgher Street, Fort Cochin

Kashi Art Cafe is a very famous cafe among youth and foreigners. Its a perfect hide-out for modern art and photography fanatics. The attached cafe is very famous for its 'out of the world' cakes and masala chai! The place is on low profile and so you dont have much crowd there...its the perfect place for the perfect date.

The very yummy and famous Chocolate cake of Kashi.

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by Kochi Resident

Latest worry is that many restaurants are closing down in Kochi at the same pace which they open. There is a long list
1) Tadka North Indian
2) Somewhere Else in Kadavanthra
3) Chinese Garden in Kadavanthra(NBC has now opened in the location)
4) Kochi Veg corner in Kadavanthra

and lots more. Is restaurant business not feasible in Kochi? What went wrong?

I have been to most of these restaurants. By many restaurants closed due to its several limitations

1. Tadka- the main reason is its a pure veg restaurant whereas the charge is somewhat that of any premium 5 star restaurant. I still remember, one Paneer curry costing 190 rs is atrocious. Secondly location. No people who can afford to pay this much prefer to eat within vicinity of General hospital and all associated ill-sightings over there. And Kochi is never a Veg city

2. Somewhere else- a good cafe cum restaurant. But location was the main problem. No one will notice existence of such a cafe there. Cafes need to be prominent areas.... Secondly it doesn't provide an ambience of a cafe, rather a restaurant. But the owner was smart, that he closed and started Lokah restaurant, which attracts good crowd. He learnt mistakes from his experience.

3.Chinese Garden was a poor cousin of any Chinese food. In early 1990s, when there no proper Chinese restaurant, the Chinese garden in Warriam road may be the only such restaurant. But today it cannot stand in comparison with other Chinese restaurants as well as frequent chinese food festivals....

After all in a competitive market, only quality rules........

[mohammedirshad06]

Mojo Steakhouse



The ultra-chic modern Steak-house of the town, offering a retro-feel. The restaurant is equally famous for its burgers and fast food eateries as well as a music cafe, located in Palarivattom

[mohammedirshad06]

Le Méridien Kochi is decked up to transform its Treasure Trove Restaurant to recreate the delicacies and the festivities of the land of Punjab. The spicy tangy Punjabi flavors are sure to take the creative guest to encompass the perfect setting of Monsoon. Le Méridien plays host to Punjabi food and Cultural fest from the 1st July to 10th July 2011 between 07:30 pm – 11:00 pm. The fest is not limited to scrumptious Punjabi food but an array of cultural programs like Bhangra and Punjabi music.



A food connoisseur can begin the journey with the traditional beverages like Aam Ka Panna and Jal Jeera. To continue the food sojourn, indulge in Punjabi dishes like Kadi Pakodi- a traditional Punjabi dish, the Rara Gosht – a mutton dish steeped in a gravy of spicy mince and soaked with rare spices, Murgh Makhanwala- chicken cooked in soft and melting butter, Sarsson da Saag – a Punjabi treat made of Mustard leaves & spices, the Baingan Bhurtha – brinjals cooked with a simple combination of spices and herbs. For those having a sweet tooth, relish varieties like Phaldhari Ras malai, Dakke Wali Kulfi etc.

Taking the festival to an interactive mode, Punjabi recipe handouts are circulated to the guests who would like to try the recipes back home. Chef would also share some handy tips on the preparation of Punjabi cuisine.

[DileepKS]

A new place is coming up near Oxygen on bypass (between Oberon and Palarivattom). It is called Cochin Majlis Food Mall. The signage is up, but interiors are being done. Likely to open in a few weeks.

That stretch is becoming a food hotspot. Chak De, Spice Route, Naadan Kalavara, Highway Garden, Gokul Oottupura, Golden Fork, all are on that stretch.

[Malayaali]

OCEANOS Restaurant - Elphinstone Road, Fort Kochi

A multi-specialty seafood restaurant, specialized in Mediterranean Seafood delicacies. A part of the Elphinstone Residency hotel

cc: oceanosfortkochi

[Malayaali]

Monsoon Food Festival at Ramada Resorts

The menu includes hot and spicy dishes like Pakodas,Misal Pav, Pepper drunken chicken, Turkey Biriyani, Basturma, Herb Roasted Mutton etc. Conclude the feast with a helping of desserts like Peppermint Souffle and Monsoon Caramel.

If the night has not warmed you enough, you can also drop by Club 1100 and avail a ‘Buy 1 get 1 Free’ offer on special monsoon cocktails. Moreover with every adult entry, get a Spa gift voucher worth Rs.300.
The monsoon food festival at Ramada is going to be a feast you wouldn’t want to miss.

The monsoon food festival at Ramada will be held every Saturday’s and Sunday’s throughout July at Fennel- the multi cuisine restaurant at Ramada.
Timings: 7.30 PM- 11.00 PM
Rate: Rs.699 for adults and Rs. 325 for Kids. Taxes Extra.

cc: kochivibe

[joemat03]

Abad food court has got a new chain called Juice lounge from Mumbai or somewhere I suppose serving a variety of drinks including energy, protein, fat burning drinks with GNC supplements in it on the lines of brands like "Booster Juice" n "Boost"

[mohammedirshad06]

Scrumptious seafood at its best! That is exactly what the Pavilion Restaurant at Hotel Abad, Chullickal, is dishing out for its Seafood Bonanza food fest. From continental to authentic Kerala delicacies, the menu has a whole lot of delectable dishes to choose from.

Chef Vinod K S, an expert in seafood cuisine, says seafood delicacies are an all-time favourite. “We have listed some of the popular dishes on the menu this time, too,” says the chef. The menu is compartmentalised into separate sections. There are seafood starters, soups, main course, naadan delicacies, house speciality meal by itself, rice and noodles and pasta.

The restaurant was bustling with people and Chef Vinod, shuttling between the kitchen and the restaurant, spared some time to explain to us the specialities on the menu.

From the list of starters he selected three dishes - jhinga bhajiya, Chinese net and seafood toasties. Jhinga bhajiya, as the name suggests, is something similar to bhajiya we usually make at home but with marinated prawns dusted in besan flour and deep fried. It was a tasty treat. Fried crab balls was something new. It had deep fried seafood and vegetables in coin cakes. But the star of them all was the seafood toasties. The mixed masala seafood stuffed in bread and deep fried was a lip-smacking crunchy and creamy delicacy. “Children love it for it is not spicy,” says the chef. We can’t but agree.

That was truly irresistible. And not just for children, we believe.
Moving to soups, we tasted quite a few like seafood shorba, Peking calamari and hunan clam. The seafood shorba with prawns, squid and a dash of cream was a thick soup.

It was mildly spiced and was indeed refreshing to the core. Much more tastier than the usual shorbas that we get to taste.

The Hunan clan, a chef’s speciality peppered with mussels, was passable. What we loved the most was Peking calamari soup, again a chef’s speciality, which was light with just enough spice. From the main course we had stuffed fillet fish. Stuffed with mushroom, parsley and cheese it can be had with mayonnaise. Truly delectable. The fest is worth visiting just for the fish fillet and seafood toasties.

We also tasted seafood kothu parotta, jumbo thirutha roast and pathiri, nazi goreng (an Indonesian delicacy with seafood rice flavoured with oyster sauce and topped with fried egg), Alleppey prawn curry and Farfalle zexti prawns (herb flavoured farfalle with creamy cheese sauce). What makes the fest special is that each dish featured on the menu has an exotic flavour.
The pasta is recommended for children and also adults who are not counting on calories. It is indeed rich with dollops of cheese.

Those who love Kerala specialities will enjoy the thirutha roast with oodles of Kerala spices. Nazi goreng on the menu was a slightly Indianised version of the Indonesian treat. But it appeals to the Kerala palate to a T.
The fest is on till July 31. Drop in any time between 12 noon and 3 pm or between 7 pm and 11 pm.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/a-seafood...23-60-122.html

[mohammedirshad06]

Friends,

Kochi is a non-veg city and its collection of seafood platter is something beyond imagination, which is known all around the world!!!



But across the islands, in mainlands, its Chicken that getting everyone's platters and appetites. Fried chicken prepared in South American/Texas style is no more a monopoly of KFC. There are dozens of stores across Kerala, particularly in the city, wishing for a KFC wannabe. The fried chicken fast foods are fastly emerging in Kochi, with more than a half dozen opened in Kochi within a year, indicates changing taste senses of Kochinites.

Lets have a look in some of the KFC Aspirants



1. Fried Krispy Chicken- Oberon Food court and Panamapally Nagar

Part of Oberon Food Circle group, the first store of FSC was opened in Oberon Mall's food court. Another was opened in Panamapally Nagar, opposite Manorama recently.

A typical copy-cat of Chick-king style, as majority of its staff was hired from Chicking, it has wide range of fried chicken combos, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, fries, pepsi and ice-cream shakes

2. Chicken Chicago- Padamugal and Marine Drive

Started last year by a group of American returnee NRIs, Chicken Chicago offers marinated fried chickens, burgers, wraps and combos, comparitively at lower rates than other outlets.



3. Eastern Fried Chicken - Grand Seasons Hotel (Ernakulam South)

Part of new 4 star hotel property, EFC haven't gained much appeal, due to its location inside a premium hotel. Yet recently they have started promotions


4. Golden Fried Chicken (GFC)- Palarivattom and Petta

Part of Golden Fork Restaurants, they have launched the chicken in 2007. Its is one of the few fried chicken fast food outlet, that offers broasted chicken instead of traditional skined chicken.

5. Korean Fried Chicken- Jawahar Nagar

One of the striking different fast food chicken outlet is Korean Fried Chicken, which instead of American tastes, goes for spicy Korean style. Started by a group of Korean Expats of the city, the unique taste stands its USP and attracting good crowds

6. Chickee Stars- Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium

Though slightly different from other fast food stores, Chickee Stars offers more of Hot dogs, burgers and wraps

7. Yummy's Chick- Thoppumpady

One of the few fast food restaurants located in Old Kochi, serving more of burgers, wraps and sandwiches than fried chicken combos

Apart from this, Chicking, Marybrown and now KFC strongly pamper the chicky tastebuds of Kochinites strongly.

[mohammedirshad06]

Thai BBQ House- Fort Kochi





While Kochi is no stranger to foreign cuisine we do seem to be limited in choice. For pretty much decades we’ve grown accustomed to Chinese food, to the extent that even the most starless and generic eateries offer some form of Chinese (or more accurately Indianised Chinese food). So though we quite like our Schezwan or Manchurian or the ever popular Chilli incarnations of Gobi, Paneer and meat (which I doubt are Chinese recipes!) there is clearly a dearth of dishes from other lands. Sure, we have the occasional Shawarma, and our attempts at Pasta or Pizza might count as Italian food but an international range of cuisine it is not.





Thai food ought to be a hit among Kochiites. We love spicy, rich flavored food as much as anyone else in the world. Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly-prepared dishes with strong, spicy, aromatic components. Balance, detail and variety are important to Thai cooking. Thai food is known for its balance of the five fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter. Thai food is considered a conglomerate of 4 regional Thai cuisines- North(influenced by Burma and China), Central( borrowing from Laos, Cambodia), Northeastern and Southern(Malaysian). Clearly Thai food is the authentic taste of South East Asia.



Luckily for Kochi Restaurants serving Thai food have popped up recently of which we now look at Thai BBQ House at Fort Kochi. The proprietor Angus Davids hatched the idea while on a trip to Thailand, where he was introduced to the nuances and intricacies of Thai Barbeque by diminutive chef Somporn Pikul. Before she knew it she would be on the next Kochi bound flight.

The restaurant itself is located in an old colonial era building with a distinct quaint but not overly polished look. The BBQ House serves traditional Thai barbecue or mookadha, a portable charcoal pit with a grill attachment with a moat like feature. Chicken stock is poured into the moat and kept simmering by the live coals underneath. As succulent, marinated slices of chicken, beef, fish and portions of shrimp and squid are barbecued on the grill, its juices adding to the stock below, carrots, broccoli, baby corn, lettuce, spinach and noodles are immersed into the soup and left to cook. The contents are served with three thai sauces nam chim phed(hot and spicy)nam chim phiao(milder sauce) and nam chim wan (traditional sweet sauce). This lip smacking treat comes with a bountiful buffet meal with soup, noodles, fried rice, a chicken and seafood dishes. Your Thai experience is topped off with Thai desserts like sticky rice pudding in coconut milk, pumpkin pudding etc.

With ingredients imported from Thailand, fresh vegetables from farms and painstakingly made homemade special sauces all at affordable prices(less than Rs.300) this is a culinary delight not to be missed.

Content courtesy:- Kochiservnet.com

[Malayaali]

Originally Posted by mohammedirshad06

Apart from this, Chicking, Marybrown and now KFC strongly pamper the chicky tastebuds of Kochinites strongly.

Breadworld, which has around 6 outlets in Kochi offers good fried chicken!

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by Malayaali

Breadworld, which has around 6 outlets in Kochi offers good fried chicken!

True!!!! If we count several hotels, it again goes up. Last Vacation, I had a better fried chicken combo from Coco-tree in Avenue Regent... I must admit, it tastes more better than KFC and Chicking. But quantity-wise is less and its more of formal style of dining than a fast-food..... Travancore Court also have a 24 hour chicken/pizza combo.

There is one near Medical Trust, opened recently. I forgot its name!!!! Likewise Best Bakers and KR also have similar American styled fried chickens, though its KR Hot Chickens more popular than its american chicken.......

Regarding Burgers, its more universal than these outlers. One of the best, I had outside typical fast-food outlets was in Coffee Beanz. Its awesome that they serve good steak burgers, rarely seen outside.

[vijaymv_in]

I agree with Coffee Beanz Burger. Try Lamb Burger from Cocoa tree. The one I had was really classy.

Originally Posted by mohammedirshad06

True!!!! If we count several hotels, it again goes up. Last Vacation, I had a better fried chicken combo from Coco-tree in Avenue Regent... I must admit, it tastes more better than KFC and Chicking. But quantity-wise is less and its more of formal style of dining than a fast-food..... Travancore Court also have a 24 hour chicken/pizza combo.

There is one near Medical Trust, opened recently. I forgot its name!!!! Likewise Best Bakers and KR also have similar American styled fried chickens, though its KR Hot Chickens more popular than its american chicken.......

Regarding Burgers, its more universal than these outlers. One of the best, I had outside typical fast-food outlets was in Coffee Beanz. Its awesome that they serve good steak burgers, rarely seen outside.

[DileepKS]

Is there a place that serve REAL burgers, not the cutlet-in-a-bun contraption that people here call burger?

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by DileepKS

Is there a place that serve REAL burgers, not the cutlet-in-a-bun contraption that people here call burger?

In Kerala, most of the burgers in fast food joints are made of minced meat, which is actually a cheap version. Burger fast foods like McDonalds, Hardees, Wimpy, Wendy, Burger king normally use only white meat, not minced meat.....

I am surprised how Chicking and Marybrown, which served White Meat burger in UAE, serves minced meat burger in Kerala....

In such cases, fried zinger is an alternative than burger.... But in bakeries, what Dileep is said true, where they put cutlets in bun.....

Perhaps, if we note, a few changes have taken place in Chicking or Marybrown menu, after competition of Mcdonald's and KFC in India.... Now Chicking burgers are given in toasted/grilled bun whereas it was not eariler case... Likewise Marybrown introduced tower burger and things like that, to counter Mighty zinger and Mac Maharaja of KFCs and McDonalds

[DileepKS]

And the Crispy Chicken in Oberon has downsized the bun, cutlet and fries. The combo meal used to be enough for the KIDS earlier. Now it is enough for BABIES maybe!

[vijaymv_in]

Dileep try the one from Cocoa tree. One of the better one in Kochi. However I dont know whether its minced meat or not.

V

Originally Posted by DileepKS

Is there a place that serve REAL burgers, not the cutlet-in-a-bun contraption that people here call burger?

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by DileepKS

And the Crispy Chicken in Oberon has downsized the bun, cutlet and fries. The combo meal used to be enough for the KIDS earlier. Now it is enough for BABIES maybe!

Crispy Chicken is one of the worst I have ever seen.... Perhaps, they have experience of being one of the numerous REFRESHMENTS we have here in Dubai and trying to imitate KFC with that kind of model.....

And no wonder, why they reduced the size.... They don't know, customers look for uniformity as far as brand value.... Gone those days we are looking for some American chicken concepts... Today almost all international food brands are coming up to Kochi... There is no point to believe, this crap will enjoy patronage forever, unless they change themselves...

Have anyone seen their idiotic ads? It would be more horrible than food itself