savThe in-house décor at Gokulam Park’s all-day diner has undergone a makeover. Thatched roofed canopies and Kollywood’s Dappankoothu remixes will remain a staple until the end of the week as part of their week-long Dhaba food festival. Now, if you’re wondering how fast-paced koothu music fits into the Dhaba landscape, we suggest you surrender yourself to the interpretation of Chef Arul Selvan. “South India has a thriving street food culture that is, slowly but surely, transforming the food served at the highway eateries. These menus are no longer restricted to rotis, dal and sabji and serve up some of the best local cuisine of the region from idiyappams to vazhai poo biriyani. The possibilities are endless.”
However, it is the starters that are almost a meal in itself, that have our attention. From the live counters, a spicy rabbit roast and caramelised kudal milagu kalvaruval are the crowd favourites, but we begin with the delicious muttai masala kalakki. A beaten egg dish with onions, chillies, tomatoes and a pinch of garam masala, this softly set scrambled egg is perfect. Another starter, we can’t help but order twice, is the Rampe chicken—juicy marinated chicken chunks wrapped in a rampe leaf and then deep fried. Fragrant from the use of the leaf, each bite is a flavourful combination of heat, zest and sweetness, all rolled into one.
From the main course, the vaan kozhi biryani and the aachi ayala meen kulambu do not disappoint. Surprisingly enough, the fish gravy pairs very well with a missi roti. For those looking for a vegetarian equivalent, we suggest the Rajasthani gatta pulao (a fragrant rice dish with chickpea dumplings), lauki ki dalma (bottle gourd with split green gram) along with the jowar rotis or the nattu thakkali kadasal paired with the oats masala dosa.
Top it all off with a tall glass of flavoured lassi, but if you are in the mood for dessert, try the wheat barfi or the jaggery gajak.
Priced at Rs 1,100 per head. On until February 17.