[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

The only good restaurants I have come across (Pathans, etc.) all seem to be in Thrissur town. Could you suggest something good around Irinjalakuda, Kodungallur, Chalakudy? As I am taking some children around, any well known ice cream parlour I should visit?

Thanks once again!

Next time when you visit irinjalakuda, head over to Gramya (Thana-bus stand road), Relax Today's Kitchen (Just after the turn off to Christ Collage, on the right side) or to Cherkulam ( One of the famous Bars, but have a separate family restaurant and you will almost get the restaurant for your family). If you go to Cherakulam, do try the chilly beef, Ayurvedic beef and Pork fry. Also worth mentioning is the Kerala Chicken from Seven Seas - but it is not a family place (this is again a bar, but there is no separate restaurant), so get a take away from there.
Ice cream parlous - there are few at bus stand (Deens, Happy Family and one more bakery) and there is Navya at the Thana - Bus stand road. There is one more at Thana, inside the complex, but I forgot the name.

Hope this helps.

--Anoop

[venkatt1800]

I will be at Mangalore on Jan 15th & 16th. After temple visits around Mangalore, I am thinking of visiting Mangalore-Bekal Fort-Kannur stretch on Saturday. Apart from Bekal Fort, what are the sight seeing spots on this route? Also, would like to know of any tasty Biriyani/Seafood restaurants for lunch in the Payyanur/Kannur area.

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by venkatt1800

Apart from Bekal Fort, what are the sight seeing spots on this route?

Ananthapura Lake Temple (around 30 km from Bekal Fort) - the only lake temple in Kerala. It's the moolasthana of the famous Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple. The legend is that Anantha Padmanabha went all way to Thiruvananthapuram through a cave in the corner of temple. A crocodile resides in the lake and feeds on the temple prasada. You can spot it if you're lucky. It's worth a visit

And the other lesser known destinations apart from the forts (Bekal, Hosdurg/Kanhangad and Chandragiri Forts) and beaches are :

- Valiyaparamba, Kottappuram and Chandragiri Backwaters
- Posadigumpe Hills
- Malom and Ranipuram hill stations

[venkatt1800]

Thanks Klub Class for your inputs. What are your opinions about Rajarajeswara temple and Parassinikadavu. Was just surfing the web and they both seem to be very famous temples in the area. Is it worth driving all the way upto Thalliparamba for these temples?(I have the whole day free. My train from Mangalore is only at 10 pm). Anyone who have visited these temples can help me out.

[Happysmiles]

Discovered this awesome restaurant today, Kuttanad on NH 47, on the right side of the road maybe 20km after Vytilla Junction, while going south towards Trivandrum.

Authentic kerala style non veg food. The service was prompt and sea food ( lots of variety), chicken and beef were simply delicious.
Veg meals came with the full course of items with payassam.

Must try for those traveling south.
You can pre order food too.

[swiftnfurious]

Tried a couple of restaurants in Kochi during my 3 day stint.

1. Shaap curry : This shop was featured in Highway On A Plate. The ambiance is nothing great & is a budget set up. They have only meals & then you can order various non veg items. I ordered a Karimeen pollichathu (Pearl spot fish fry) wrapped in a plantain leaf and the gravy was yummy. Otherwise just a normal lunch which costs 40/-. The fish fry was 220/- for a medium size fish.

Location : Behind Maharajas college

2. Kayees : Quite famous for biriyani and the taste lives upto the reputation. Mutton Biriyani priced at 185/- is quite a value. The moment you dip your fingers into the plate, you can feel the quality of the rice used. The mutton pieces were nice & tender. Had a parcel but the restaurant does feel a nice place to be.

Location : Slightly ahead of T.D Hall near M.G Road

PS: There is a juice shop opposite T.D Hall (by the side of the park) and tried 'Avil milk shake'. I wanted to check out this & just loved the stuff. They actually don't grind it using the mixer, but more like soaking the Avil (Poha) just like corn flakes and top it up with a scoop of ice cream. At 50/-, I found it quite worthy.

3. Ceylon Bake House :

Had Kerala parotta & beef chilly. The taste is good & had tried the place based on my friend's feedback. A slightly above average priced place, ambiance is really good.

Location : M.G. Road, opposite The Avenue Regent.

[vdi]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

3. Ceylon Bake House :

Had Kerala parotta & beef chilly. The taste is good & had tried the place based on my friend's feedback. A slightly above average priced place, ambiance is really good.

Location : M.G. Road, opposite The Avenue Regent.

Is the beef chilly a chinese preparation? If not then will try it out.

[deathwalkr]

After a long time of planning finally tried the Jawbreaker at grill lab last night. juicy messy and a stomachfull :P

But the ambiance was lacking and felt that overall Burger Jn comes up tops!

[deepclutch]

Tried Al-Reem at Pezhakkappilly, Muvattupuzha for Kuzhimanthi, which was very tasty and not really expensive too. They have outlets at Athani (Nedumbassery) and Aroor also. I have become a regular customer here . But, concerns are whether they are overusing MSG in foods.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Tried a couple of restaurants in Kochi during my 3 day stint.

1. Shaap curry : This shop was featured in Highway On A Plate. The ambiance is nothing great & is a budget set up. They have only meals & then you can order various non veg items. I ordered a Karimeen pollichathu (Pearl spot fish fry) wrapped in a plantain leaf and the gravy was yummy. Otherwise just a normal lunch which costs 40/-. The fish fry was 220/- for a medium size fish.

Location : Behind Maharajas college

2. Kayees : Quite famous for biriyani and the taste lives upto the reputation. Mutton Biriyani priced at 185/- is quite a value. The moment you dip your fingers into the plate, you can feel the quality of the rice used. The mutton pieces were nice & tender. Had a parcel but the restaurant does feel a nice place to be.

Location : Slightly ahead of T.D Hall near M.G Road

PS: There is a juice shop opposite T.D Hall (by the side of the park) and tried 'Avil milk shake'. I wanted to check out this & just loved the stuff. They actually don't grind it using the mixer, but more like soaking the Avil (Poha) just like corn flakes and top it up with a scoop of ice cream. At 50/-, I found it quite worthy.

3. Ceylon Bake House :

Had Kerala parotta & beef chilly. The taste is good & had tried the place based on my friend's feedback. A slightly above average priced place, ambiance is really good.

Location : M.G. Road, opposite The Avenue Regent.

The old names are not really keeping the quality and taste they're famous for. Today, small outlets like Pandari's (C P Ummer road, Pullepady) are quite famous. For Chicken Biryani in Ernakulam city, I will suggest Pandari's Pullepady, Jeff Bohra style Biryani Thoppumpady and Chillies above Tandoor for Spicy version and Grand Hotel. Had tried Timur Kachi Biryani Off Medical Trust and I never really liked it. We really miss the authentic Hyderabadi, Dindigul Thalappaakkatti style Biryani here. It's all Thalassery/Malabar style everywhere.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

Chillies above Tandoor for Spicy version and Grand Hotel.

Chillies have lost their touch. Their biriyani now somehow feels bland, especially when you have the option to try out biriyani's from various outlets. And I felt the quantity is a bit less.

[vb-saan]

No entry in this thread for two and a half years!

Visited a few places around Ernakulam/Kochi during my recent visit back home – mostly based on what I saw on popular YouTube videos:

Chaya Peediya, M.G. Road
Nice little joint, opposite to Maharaja’s College ground. Nothing fancy here; they have a variety of tea and snacks, and their beef biriyani (irachi choru) was pretty good as well. And tried Pazham Pori and beef combo for the first time here

Kashi Art Café, Burger Street, Fort Kochi
Always loved the vibe of this café; good place to spend a lazy afternoon, and the food is not bad either – a bit pricey though.


Chakkarapanthal, Kakkanad
A movie-themed restaurant with movies playing on big screen; unfortunately, a bit underwhelmed with the overall food experience, maybe my expectations were high after seeing a couple of videos on YouTube. Service was very good though.

Cafe LatLong, around Edapally
Found this on Google search, nice interiors and that’s about it. We were the only customer there – food, drinks, all pretty average.

The Chocolate Room, Oasis Grand Mall, Edapally
Went there to try the Chocolate Bomb – pretty good, and their coffee is not bad either.

[neil.jericho]

I didnt even know such a thread existed! Thanks to vb-san for bumping this thread up.

Cochin has some good restaurants but there are quite a few which are more hype than substance. Some of the recommended places now are

- Nasi and Mee (near Maharajas Ground)
Very good quality food. It gets filled up quickly on weekdays so its better to go before 9 PM. Service is consistently poor. The staff just come and leave your dishes on the table and go. It is quite noticeably understaffed once the place fills up. You literally have to force the waiters / waitresses to come and do their job.

- Thai Soul (Grand Hyatt, Bolgatty island)
Excellent food. They have happy hours so you can get a buy 1 get 1 offer on adult beverages. Unlike Nasi and Mee, the service quality is impeccable. Great place for family dinners. It's a little on the pricier side but you do get what you paid for. Highly recommended!

- Black Pearl (Renai Hotel, Palarivattom junction)
This is an old favourite. Consistently good food and they sometimes have a live music performance as well.

- Kebabistan (Ravipuram)
Again, an old favourite when it comes to ordering food for parties. The food is just perfect for family get togethers and birthday parties and the pricing is quite reasonable as well. They home deliver without any issues.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Kashi Art Café, Burger Street, Fort Kochi
Always loved the vibe of this café; good place to spend a lazy afternoon, and the food is not bad either – a bit pricey though.

It was better and cheaper few years back. Heard new guys are managing it now. Not so good now.

Try Casino next time you are here, especially their seafood restaurant. Highly recommended. Their buffet is one of the best in Cochin.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

It was better and cheaper few years back. Heard new guys are managing it now. Not so good now.

Try Casino next time you are here, especially their seafood restaurant. Highly recommended. Their buffet is one of the best in Cochin.

Thank you for the recommendation; will check it out in my next visit.

[jailbird_fynix]

TBJ (The Burger Junction) make the best burgers in Kochi. There's one at Panampilly Nagar, Kakkanad and Edapally. I would recommend the one at Panampilly because it's their largest and most welcoming branch.