GREATER love hath no woman than she set up a restaurant to cook the food her husband loves! This is the story of Zainabi Noor and her dashing, handsome husband Noor Mohammed. The Moplah couple in Calicut are known for their popular eatery Zain�s Hotel on Convent Cross Road. It is renowned in the city for its biryanis. The restaurant (or hotel!) is a cheerful, brightly-coloured place with seating on plastic chairs and tables inside and outside. It is a small cottage that is actually somebody�s home. The enterprising Zainabi converted the place into one of Calicut�s most famous restaurants for Moplah food. And her favourite diners are her husband, daughter Shirin Mustafa, and grandchildren Aaina and Isam. The small family gets together at lunch time.

The speciality of the day, like in a five-star coffee shop, is kept on a centre table in the eatery. You take a look at what Zainabi has cooked that day before placing your order. Zainabi, who used to do all the cooking herself when she started Zain�s Hotel 13 years ago, now has help in the kitchen. The cooks are all people she has trained. Now she supervises them in the preparation of her simple, daily menu. The eatery is open for lunch and dinner. The menu remains the same. There is mutton, chicken and fish, cooked as a fry, masala, estew and curry. And there are Zain�s Hotel biryanis, for which Calicut�s rich and famous and simple and common come in droves.

The biryanis are mutton, chicken, fish and prawns. All are in the range of Rs. 52-55 a plate, though you would be advised to take a half plate �which is generous enough for two to share! Zainabi feigns ignorance when asked what is behind the success and popularity of her biryanis. Actually, she does not want to tell! She is Calicut�s only woman restaurateur. She prefers telling the story behind Zain�s Hotel instead. Her husband, Noor Mohammed, went to work in the Gulf. For 15 years, he worked there and could not spend time with Zainabi. Restless for something to do, she decided to start the eatery and boldy went ahead.