Malabar on a platter

The warmth of the staff of this quiet little place and the never-ending stream of people, who walk away with a parcel or two, is impressive for a place that opened barely a year ago.

The owner, Rafeeq, confesses that the only way to fight tough competition is to not compromise on taste and to deliver quick service. And true to his belief, the taste of the food items here is one-of-a-kind. Reason: the ingredients are all ground afresh and nothing is bought from outside.

The place is the favourite haunt for Keralites, Mangaloreans, Tamilians and Kannadigas.

Appam and kadala curry, puttu and kadala, kappa and meen curry, idiappam, also called nool appam, are among the popular vegetarian dishes. The non-vegetarian spread includes chicken curry, fish curry in Kerala style, Kallumakai spiced with lots of coconut and curry leaves, and pepper chicken and chicken chukka to mention a few. 

The customers who come here comprise college-goers and professionals.

Sometimes, even families come here to get food packed and take it home. The price is easy on the pocket and the customers vouch for the hygiene of the place. “The food is served hot and is cooked fresh as and when the order comes in. Nothing is made earlier and kept,” says Rafeeq, whose line of cooks and helpers have been brought down from Kerala.

Praveen, the head chef, says that the joint is popular for its Malabar biryani and chicken gravy, “It’s the taste alone that has popularised the place. The spices are brought from Kerala. It is dried, cleaned and ground right here. This adds to the taste. The localites, who frequent our place, like most of the non-vegetarian dishes to be spicy. Care is taken to cater to the local taste,” Praveen adds.

Rafeeq says that the joint is crowded during noon time. In the evening, people prefer to take away their order.

“We open in the morning because we have our regular customers who come in for breakfast. They sometimes  come back for lunch also,” he says.

Those who frequent the restaurant vouch for its hygiene and taste. Koshy Mathew, who lives in the vicinity, says that he comes to pick up fish fry and chicken. “The chicken curry, prepared in typical Malabar style, is a favourite of ours and goes well with idiyappams (string hoppers) and Kerala parottas,” says Koshy Mathew.

“Sometimes the appams are made right in front of you and you can take the liberty of telling them your requirements,” he adds. Fayaz, a businessman, says the price is reasonable and the quantity is good. “I work around the corner and I usually come in for breakfast, lunch and even dinner sometimes. The people are warm and friendly and more than anything, the place is clean,” he sums up.