The chef at this Kerala-centric eatery isn’t reinventing the wheel. Instead, figuratively speaking, chef Rejimon P R is giving it the fanciest rims money can buy. We expect no less while walking into Crowne Plaza’s 64-cover restaurant, to sample their latest offerings. Rejimon recently finished resuscitating the menu—which, after a year or so, some patrons had started considering a ‘humdrum’ assortment.
“Last time, we weaved a tale with Kerala’s lesser-known delicacies from Malabar, Central Kerala, and Travancore regions. Many anecdotes of this gastronomic story remain untold, that’s what we are attempting to do now,” explains the chef, pointing to the 19 new delicacies added to their re-engineered menu.
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Some of their ‘greatest hits’ are still available—like the seafood thengapaal; recommended if you’re in the mood for a pleasant soup featuring chunks of assorted seafood hovering in a tangy albeit watery coconut milk broth.
Ancestral prowess
Upon delving deep into their latest cadre of specials, the masterchef shares that these dishes are his versions of heirloom recipes procured from popular home cooks like Sabida Arif (Thiroor), Vijaya Lakshmi (Thiruvananthapuram), etc. A favourite of ours is their attirachi nei pathal, a texturally balanced snack with the proper keema-to-flour ratio. This is closely followed by a serving of fluffy string hoppers alongside green pepper-infused mutton chaps and an old-school take on spicy Syrian beef koorka roast.
The only dish that we thought wasn’t totally successful was the seriously fiery kanthari chicken, yet I was still glad I tried it. However, the diner may want to rethink about serving it as the first dish on a tasting menu, as the Scoville units may fluster even seasoned Indian palates. Their excellent vazhapoo ela ada payasam may soften the blow though.
From 7 pm to 11 pm.
anoop.p@newindianexpress.com
@godsonlymistake