Page 66 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024

FOOD TRAILS | KOCHI

the gunpowder we use over idli, but has a In addition to the karimeen, they have an
much more intense ‘prawny’ flavour. assortment of prawn dishes, beef, duck, crab
Having eaten at a 5-star establishment, and king fish (neymeen). It is a first- come-
I was next keen to try what the locals eat first-serve restaurant, so once the dishes are
and where they eat. A restaurant almost finished, that is it for the day.
universally recommended by everyone The prices are so reasonable that one can
starting from chefs at the hotel, to my driver, try almost everything on the menu if you can
to my tour guide, to the hotel manager and find the appetite. Most dishes range between
my few friends in Kerala is Vellakanthari. Rs 250-Rs 400.
This is a restaurant whose name you will I started with the Karimeen Pollichathu
hear often, and it is unique, in that it serves and then Neymeen Fry, which is Pearl Spot
more than 30 fish dishes. grilled with banana leaf and the king fish,
Located between a toll station and which is deep-fried.
a police station on a dusty highway, one The problem with a restaurant like this
can easily miss this place if you are not is that the food has been cooked long before
looking out for it. A few steps down from you are going to eat it and so textures and
the highway you are led to what looks temperature of the meal do get compromised
It's an unique menu at
Vellakanthari like someone’s home, thatched roofs with by the repeated heating and refrying of the
multiple women serving the large crowds food. I found the fish to be too dry for my
waiting for a table. The restaurant is run by liking and that is possibly because it has been
a husband and wife and their daughter, with sitting in its vessel since the morning and
about 15 to 20 other women who all work then reheated a few times. The Prawn Fry
together to make Vellakanthari what it is. was again a bit stiff for my liking; however,
You are warned this is a no-frills the authentic flavours are something to write
restaurant where even the menu is hanging home about. There is a definite difference
off a tree at the entrance and there is between the way the masala is made at
another menu on a whiteboard inside the Vellakanthari than at the other fine-dining
restaurant. The only luxury here is a fan, no restaurants. I tried a little bit of everything
air-conditioning, and the décor is minimalist including the Crab Roast, the Prawn Curry,
with steel tables and plastic chairs. the Prawn Fry and the Malabar paratha.
The dishes are pre-prepared and placed As an experience, it is definitely high on
at one end of the restaurant. All you have to my list because it is so unique in the way
do is identify what you want to eat from the this restaurant has been structured. There is a
menu, and if like me, language is an issue, great choice to be had and it is home-cooked
then you can point directly at the dish you Malayali cuisine.
want and they will scoop it out, heat it and But, while eating here was an experience
serve it to you. This is as quick and as basic for me, it is not one I would recommend to
No-frills food is served
as it gets, but people queue here for hours most people. It is worth going and trying
as a starter. Chef Latha and her team were to eat. if you can endure the heat because it is
kind enough to serve me great banana The menu is extensive and I am told an unique concept, but if you are in Kochi
dosa, but what surprised me most was the that a lot of dishes available at Vellakanthari only for a few days there are better meals to
myriad of pickles they serve this with. We are typical dishes eaten at home, but never be had.
all know about mango pickle, lemon pickle, found in a restaurant. A good example of After trying fine-dining in a 5-star hotel
however, Chef Latha’s collection included this would be the Fish Head Curry. It is a and dining like the locals in a shack by
manga achar (mango pickle), kadumanga well-known delicacy amongst Malayalis, the highway, it was time to try something
achar (tender mango pickle), naranga however, not a dish routinely found on middle of the road. When in Kochi this kind
achar (lemon pickle), karakka achar (dates restaurant menus. of cuisine is best served by Paragon.
pickle), chemmeen achar (prawn pickle), fish They specialise in Pearl Spot or karimeen, Established almost seven decades ago
pickle, beef pickle and a few other varieties. which is a local fish and has now been in Calicut, Paragon has now got multiple
There is also a dried prawn powder, which declared the fish of Kerala. This is a small restaurants across Kerala and also has a
is seasoned with Kerala spices, which adds fish, which is flaky and is the fish of choice very successful outlet in Dubai. They serve
great flavour to any dish. It is almost like for the locals. a fusion of Malabar region’s Moplah and

64 | UPPERCRUST | JUL-SEP 2024