Tag: south indian coffee
Day Three- Goodbye to Cochin
Day three started with the usual breakfast and a pot of South Indian coffee. It was our last day here and we wanted to make the best of it. We got ready and walked by the ocean to the main tourist area. After visiting a few shops, we decided on a seemingly local and modest restaurant for drinks and lunch. We were expecting some really delicious cuisine at extremely reasonable prices. We ordered a beer and a fresh lime soda (lemonade). The prices were not modest at all. The fresh lime soda was not well made and we were not happy. We decided to cancel our calamari masala and go across the street to Hotel Brunton Boatyard- a beautiful, old building set by the ocean. We walked in and they showed us to their restaurant set in a beautiful yard overlooking the ocean. The warm breeze welcomed us as we sat down- we knew we had made the right decision.
I ordered something called a Meen curry, which was fish of the day cooked in local spices with red rice. My husband decided on a prawn curry served with noodles made with rice dough. Both the dishes were wonderful but the shrimp dish was outstanding. We sat back and enjoyed the view, the delicious food and the awesome view. The trip was short but chockfull of amazing food and some good shopping.
I ordered a lemongrass coulis and guava ice cream for dessert. I love guavas but was not sure how the two flavors would complement each other. Of course a pot of coffee came as well – it was my last chance to enjoy the delicious coffee before we left Cochin. The dessert was amazing – the two flavors were made for each other. The experience was wonderful- the service was outstanding. We were greeted as we left and we promised to come stay with them when we return….
Cochin – Day Two
Day two started with a buffet breakfast filled with Western and South Indian dishes. The best part for me was the coffee- yes I know I keep going on and on about it but I do love it. We walked by the ocean for a while and took a three wheeler to another part where we were looking for a place called Grand Hotel. Before reaching the hotel we stopped at a spice market filled with peppercorns, cardamoms, coffee, vanilla beans and ginger candy. I bought a bunch of stuff and headed to the hotel. It was a modest space with a large restaurant. The food was supposed to be outstanding with extremely reasonable prices. We found the place and walked in. We had also read about a specific fish curry called karimeen. It is a back water fish and was highly recommended. We ordered the fish masala, a prawn curry and bread. I had glass of fresh lime soda- which is essentially lemonade made with club soda instead of water. As we waited for the meal, I noticed everyone enjoying their food around us. Finally the food came.. the fish curry was the best we have ever had. It was a perfect combination of onions, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It was a whole fish and we got busy trying to get every bit and avoiding the small, sharp bones. It was an amazing dish. The prawn curry was good but the fish took the cake- so to speak.
Dinner was at Malabar Junction, a restaurant in Hotel Malabar House. I opted for the tasting menu- a seven course, long meal. The first two courses were okay, a bit bland. I asked our server to make my food spicy- I reminded him I was Indian and could handle whatever came my way. The next few courses were nicely spiced and delicious. The sixth course stood out – it was fish biryani and spiced yogurt. It was delicious, flavored rice with delicate morsels of fish. The dessert was stewed fruit in a Napoleon shape with a sorbet. It was a good ending to the meal but the fish curry from the afternoon stood out as the clear winner.
India- Day One in Cochin
It my first time here in the south western part of India in Kerala. We are in Cochin right by the Arabian sea. I have been looking forward to this trip as I have never been south of Mumbai. The culture, language and food are completely different down here. In fact the common language is English. We reached here yesterday afternoon after a 4 hour flight and an hour long drive to our small, boutique hotel nestled by the ocean. I can see the boats and ferries passing by from our room- it is quite beautiful. We arrived exhausted from our journey and as we walked to our room, I noticed they had a massage center. Perfect.. I booked a massage and went down for a snack of fried fish pieces sauteed in curry leaves and a big pot of South Indian coffee. The coffee here is delicious- very different from the coffee I have back home. It is nuttier and not as complex as some of the other coffees. I love it- it is served with the milk cooked right into the hot beverage. I was happy and looking forward to my massage.
In the evening we headed into the town and walked around looking at all the stores filled with spices and lots of silk handicrafts. I can’t wait to go back and buy some peppercorns and cardamom. We found a local seafood restaurant called Oceanos restaurant. Most local restaurants don’t serve beer or wine- so we had a delicious ginger lime soda. They brought a glass with a bit of lime and ginger concentrate with a bottle of club soda and a little container of simple syrup.
From the menu we ordered a green mango shrimp curry, a Kerala chicken curry, lemon rice and an appam (local bread). The mango shrimp curry was amazing- great combination of savory and sour. We asked for the curries to be medium spicy as my husband doesn’t do spicy. I asked for a pickle on the side to make it spicier for me- the pickle was amazing. The food was really good and so was the dessert- it was panna cotta with honey figs- absolutely delicious. Somehow I was not expecting to eat a panna cotta in South India. The South Indian coffee was amazing- as usual. As we finished, the chef came out and asked how everything was. We complemented him and asked about the mango pickle. He promptly went into the kitchen and filled a jar of it and refused to take any money for it.
The people are amazingly friendly and super nice. There is a large Portuguese influence down here. Lots of seafood and beef as well- which is different than the rest of the country. Stay tuned for tomorrows adventure…