[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by thoma

Guys, does anybody have recent updates for a reasonable buffet dinner at Trivandrum? How is Park Rajadhani at Ulloor, anyone?

Buffet at Park Rajadhani is decent enough, nothing to rave about.

Abdul.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by SILVERWOOD

Buffet at Park Rajadhani is decent enough, nothing to rave about.

Thanks. Any other recommendation? Budget is ~<500/- per head.

EDIT: How about some from these?
http://hungrytvm.com/buffets_search.php
Mascot / Classic Avenue / Maurya Rajadhani / South Park / Residency Towers / and the rest?

[RajeshK]

Originally Posted by autotranny

There are 2 Akshayas, one on high road and the other one (the newer one) right opp Hotel Elite International, on Chembottil Lane side.

There was also one, at the corner where Marar road connects to Swaraj round, not sure if it is still there.

I stayed in Marar road for about 1 year during 2002-3 but I don't remeber any Akshaya
I still remember one Sampoorna, its kind of permanent thattukada. Puttu + Kadala + Puzhungiya Pazham was my favourite combination during that time.

Originally Posted by TKMCE

To sum up my experiences

Hotel Sapphire - Jos Junction... The AC restaurant upstairs is fantastic value for the price you pay. Has never let me down whenever I make my way that side.

Saphire was good during 2001-2004 also.. I was there in Kochi during that time and used to go there.

Recently I saw one food court opened near to Boat Jetty and has many option. I tried most of the counters and quality is average+ in most of them.

Thanks
Rajesh

[zenren]

Originally Posted by thoma

Thanks. Any other recommendation? Budget is ~<500/- per head.

Check out Maurya Rajadhani near Statue. It used to be good during my college days, but not sure of the latest prices and updates. Variety used to be much better than Park Rajadhani but at a higher price.

Residency Towers - used to be good.
South Park - had a couple of disappointing experiences, so never went after that.
Muthoot Plaza - Went a couple of times. had a good variety on the list but the combinations between main course and side dishes were not thought out properly on both occasions.

[SILVERWOOD]

Originally Posted by thoma

Thanks. Any other recommendation? Budget is ~<500/- per head.

You can try at Mayura Rajdhani, their buffet is also decent.I stay in this place but never had lunch/dinner.The only meal i have here is b'fast and is very decent.Love the appam and egg roast combo.

Waseem.

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by RajeshK

I stayed in Marar road for about 1 year during 2002-3 but I don't remeber any Akshaya
I still remember one Sampoorna, its kind of permanent thattukada. Puttu + Kadala + Puzhungiya Pazham was my favourite combination during that time.

Rajesh.. Was it Sampoorna or was it the Uduppi Hotel owned by Prasad who then went onto become a Municipal Councilor.

Sampoorna is near Pazhaya Nadakkavu, not Marar Road.

Akshaya was further up, bang on the junction of Swaraj Round and Marar Road, i.e two three shops after Ernakulam Radio Co. Anyway I think they closed that branch in the late 90's.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by autotranny

Akshaya was further up, bang on the junction of Swaraj Round and Marar Road, i.e two three shops after Ernakulam Radio Co. Anyway I think they closed that branch in the late 90's.

I remember there was a place called Nalanda around the same area you mentioned. Not sure if I got the name correct - memories from the late 90's

[SPARKled]

Hotel Grand at MG road. Lovely Kerala food. Unlimited Kerala papad on the table as soon as you are seated. Totally loved the mild chicken curry with coconut milk so much that we ordered 2 portions of it on day 1 and again on day 2. Highly recommended.

[srinivaspai]

any suggestions for a place/s on Calicut bypass road where fresh banana and tapioca chips can be picked up? I would be driving via koyalandi - ramattukkara towards pallakkad

[foby.sebastian]

Any one tried Indian Wok near the starting of aristo road , East fort Thrissur ?

KFC coming in Kesavadasapuram , Trivandrum

Rumors of KFC coming near to main gate Technopark,Trivandrum.

Worth a try :- Zen Zero(VEG and non Veg) , Opposite to Cotton hill school , Carmel towers Vazhuthakadu, Trivandrum.

Update :- Jaya hotel near to bell mouth building thrissur round is closed and its now the LP showroom.

Ambadi (vegeterian) near CMS school , Naduvilal Thrissur round is rennovated but those dosas are not yummy as before now.

Midhila (Vegeterian) especially for those yummy dosas and vadas at round North , Parking and crowd inside the resturant is a negative.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by srinivaspai

any suggestions for a place/s on Calicut bypass road where fresh banana and tapioca chips can be picked up? I would be driving via koyalandi - ramattukkara towards pallakkad

No shops on Calicut Bypass. Better shop at Koyilandy itself. Opposite to the old bus stand which is on the right hand side (the shop will be on the left hand side). You may have to find a parking spot around the stadium area, since the road ahead is very congested. Also there is a decent shop (bakery) inside the new bus stand itself (this bus stand will fall on the left hand side of the road)

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Midhila (Vegeterian) especially for those yummy dosas and vadas at round North , Parking and crowd inside the resturant is a negative.

Try the dosas at Mani's near Swapna Theatre .. Small place but frequented by the bigwigs of Thrissur. You can run into Kalyan Swami or Jos Alukkas during breakfast time

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by autotranny

Try the dosas at Mani's near Swapna Theatre .. Small place but frequented by the bigwigs of Thrissur. You can run into Kalyan Swami or Jos Alukkas during breakfast time

Oh wow, that place still exists? Marked in my to-do list for the next home visit.
Thanks

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Oh wow, that place still exists? Marked in my to-do list for the next home visit.
Thanks

Its far from just existing .. Its going strong and they are looking for good options to expand too.


:

Infact, it is owned by my close friend and I get free food there. So I'm a bit too partial to them.

[Gannu_1]

I thought I’d pitch in with my 2 cents here being from the Malluland and having stayed at Trivandrum (was a toddler), Ernakulam (graduated from the high school), Thrissur (completed my 10th grade) and Palakkad (kindergarten to 8th grade and currently staying here) over the last two decades. Thanks to my father’s transferable job at SBI, we were like nomads moving from place to place every 3 years. It was always fun regardless meeting new people, new places, new culture, new friends, new teachers etc.

The last time we'd been to Thrissur, we dined at Sapphire Hotel. Suffices to say, they still serve the same awesome chicken biryani they did a decade back! The only issue seems to be parking the car. We do it at the open space opposite Alukkas Hotel, adjacent Ammu's Regency, tip the guard and walk to Sapphire. Hardly a stone’s throw from the parking lot. Burger King (not THE Burger King!) at Kottapuram serves heavenly shawarmas and burgers (the jumbo beef burger is a pain to finish!). I still recall back in the late ‘90s (1999-2001 to be precise) how I used to bunk the school with a bunch of friends, catch a matinee show at the Ramdas theatre, head to this place for some shawarmas and get back home with an excuse of late/extra classes. Gone are those days! We used to stay at an apartment at Thekemmadam Road and Hotel Sampoorna was at a walking distance from the apartment. The puttu-kadala curry-pappadam was to die for! In the evening, they serve some excellent etheka pory (sweet banana fry) and etheka bhajji (masala/salty banana fry) - makes for good evening snacks. A single lunch meal they serve can comfortably be had by 2-3 guys. The quantity used to be so much! Hotel Bharath continues to be the best in the vegetarian department. Parking is a pain being located at the road side but excellent lunch meals.

At Palakkad, the hotel that serves the some of the best non-veg. dishes (chicken and beef) has to be Hotel Royal Treat near Victoria College, very adjacent to the new Nedungadee Silks outlet. They also serve shawarmas in the evening starting at 5-5:30 PM and it quickly gets over by 7! They also serve grilled chicken which gets over pretty soon - a lot of customers do take-aways instead of dining here because the AC dining hall is a bit congested and the ambience isn’t all that great. Porottas are very fluffy and large! Cars can be parked by the side of the road or at Nedungadee’s parking lot - the guards do not bother much. Hotel Noorjehan has lost its charm - I feel sorry to say this but both the outlets have gone to the dogs. Their biryani is okay but the last time we asked for butter chicken, they cooked chicken pieces in some random gravy and poured butter all over it. It tasted pretty bad and we decided that’s the last time we’ll go there. Palakkad also gets its first McDonalds outlet near the BPL bypass T-junction, Chandranagar very adjacent to Hotel Chanakya. I haven’t been there yet - they had opened very recently. Then there’s always the good ol’ Trivandrum Chicken Corner - serves the same porichcha kozhi chapathi no matter which branch of TCC you go to anywhere in Kerala! I always make it a point to dine from here whenever I go home for a vacation. As they say, they always serve sastha-sundar-tikau (VFM) food. I’ve tried my best asking some of my Christian friends how the Chicken is prepared this way but none had a clue - their recipe remains a secret I guess.

As far as Ernakulam goes, there is a nice little hotel I have fond memories of during my 11th and 12th grades I had spent there (2003-04). The name is Hotel Unnikrishnan and it is a very small hotel (more like an expanded thattukada you could say with facilities for sitting and dining inside!), located in the road bang opposite to Medical Trust Hospital but the hotel serves damn good food for lunch! Fish fries, fish curry, beef fry - I used to have my lunch during my TIME fast track entrance coaching here. There is a very good vegetarian albeit slightly expensive restaurant located at Warriam Road, a lane from Durbal Hall Road - Sree Krishna Inn. The owner (a gentleman with a nice big belly) used to be my dad’s friend and customer at SBI so we used to go there often during weekends after offering our prayers at the Ernakulathappan Temple nearby. The restaurant building AFAIK has been converted from an old heritage-style home with a lot of modifications and the owner’s wife has done a lot of mural paintings and Tanjore paintings (with gold foil embossings) of Lord Krishna and his naughty activities with the ladies and Radha. You would be hard pressed to believe this was done by a lady - looks damn professional TBH. The BTH nearby also serves good buffet lunch for Rs. 200.

Originally Posted by autotranny

Try the dosas at Mani's near Swapna Theatre .. Small place but frequented by the bigwigs of Thrissur. You can run into Kalyan Swami or Jos Alukkas during breakfast time

Kalyan Swami? You mean the owner of Kalyan Group T. S. Kalyanaraman?