It’s the intoxicating smell of crushed shallots and green chillies drenched in coconut oil which drew me to Arippa. This 40-cover restaurant—which specialises in old school naadan fare—reaffirms my faith in that peculiar connection between taste and memory. 

To experience this yourself, head to this month-old eatery on M G Road (opposite Dwaraka).Once you’re there ask restauranteur, Nitish Narayan, to serve you his signature chenda kappa (think boiled casava served alongside a tantalising ulli chammanthi). Better yet, try their kappa with tender beef strips/egg, a starchy tuber combination popularised in the recent hit film Angamaly Diaries.

Rustic recipes
“I hail from a family of hotel industry professionals and this is my second restaurant. But I’m surprised at how quickly word spread about this 1,400 sq feet space, after actor Harisree Ashokan shared a photograph of our artwork featuring him spouting a popular food-related dialogue,” says 26-year-old Nitish, who sourced wood from his own backyard to aid the minimalist décor at Arippa.

So what does one try here besides kappa? I quickly polished their plates with made-to-order fluffy appams paired with a mildly spiced Alleppey chicken. Erachi puttu and fish molly, the next traditional dishes to grace my table, are also fantastic. The seer fish drowning in an overly sweet coconut milk gravy is the perfect accompaniment for the aforementioned steamed rice cake layered with piquant meat filling. Even your grandmother might approve!​

Meal for two `500 onwards
Details: 9633717129