This Edapally restaurant serves authentic old-school Kerala cuisine

Bharyaveedu & its coffee shop does a lot more than milk the ‘nostalgia’ factor amongst foodies though.
Kizhi biryani
Kizhi biryani

It’s always the little things that matter. There’s no exact science to prove this but it’s probably why numerous eateries don’t make the cut despite providing decent customer service, maintaining high sanitation standards, hiring chefs who cook to please your palate and not your Instagram filters.

Some restaurateurs, like Divya Lijo and Urvasi Sumesh, seem to clearly comprehend this notion and try to pay attention to every minor detail. From using low-cost, eco-friendly coir cladding along their entrance walkway to hiring artists to create beautiful multicolour doodles on their walls, these women entrepreneurs are making a conscious effort. This may be the reason their brand-new initiative, Bharyaveedu, is gaining popularity the old-fashioned way: word-of-mouth.

In fact, we heard about this 82-cover spot on Edappally-Pukkattupady Road from our colleague. He couldn’t stop raving about a heartwarming plate of chicken kizhi biryani he had. Apparently, the concept of well-marinated white meat, boiled egg, and flavourful kheema rice wrapped in slightly-toasted banana leaves reminded him of the school lunch his Mom would prepare back in the ’60s aka pothichoru—steam-wafting rice and accoutrements like thoran, achaar, and papadum.

“It may not sound like gourmet fare, but such fond gastronomic memories have a strong recall effect. And we’re honoured that patrons are experiencing it while savouring what we serve. Dated dishes have made a comeback as forgotten favourites,” explains the duo, who have strong ties with the hospitality industry as their extended family owns resorts and home stays in Thattekad, Chinnakanal, and Anakulam.   
 

Malabar chilly chicken
Malabar chilly chicken



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Their trial menu isn’t all vintage fare though, it also sports varied multi-cuisine favourites including what has become a local favourite: fiery, char-grilled pepper al-fahm, which when paired with their creamy dried-fruit falooda is quite filling. They even serve grilled Norwegian salmon, however, it’s on a subject-to-availability basis. Though the name Bharyaveedu—a tongue-in-cheek reference to how earnestly one gets treated at their in-laws’ household—can be misleading, this is a family-friendly and fairly upmarket spot. Besides a vertical garden aligned café on the ground floor called Sandwiched (be sure to try the fluffy-yet-loaded beef omelette), we’re told that the diner’s manicured courtyard is on the verge of being turned into an al fresco dining space too. 

With culinary staff who previously worked at local haunts like Highway Garden and the commercial kitchens of Harvest Caterers, one can expect a few twists of tradition. The Malabar chilly chicken for example, where piquant refried pieces of chilly chicken are sweetened with caramelised onions. After sampling our way through their spread, and trying an off-menu dish called kizhi porotta which turned out to be a more refined take on kothu porotta, the only thing we regret is not having enough space in our tummy to polish off their tangy prawns kizhi kettu and fragrant Kashmiri pulao.
 

Drinks served at Bharyaveedu
Drinks served at Bharyaveedu



Open from 11 am to 11 pm.

 anoop.p@newindianexpress.com
@godsonlymistake

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