Forget what you know about South Indian cuisine-Kochi is here to surprise you. During my recent trip, I discovered that Kerala's food scene extends far beyond the familiar idlis and dosas. Welcomed by the city's lush greenery and refreshing weather, my culinary adventure began the moment I glimpsed the sea from my ride to the hotel. What followed was an eye-opening exploration of flavours that truly define Kerala. The beauty of Kochi, combined with the traditional Kerala cuisine, will make you not want to leave this city.
Day 1
After a quick check-in at the Old Harbour Hotel, I went for a special cooking demo and lunch hosted by Mahima Simon, a familiar name and face in Malayalee households through her participation in popular cooking reality shows.
1. Mahima Simon's Regional Cooking Demo and Lunch
We attended a traditional Kerala cooking class by Mahima Simon at her home. Once the cooking commenced, the air was filled with delicious aromas of coconut oil, curry leaves, spices, and other beautiful ingredients. The entire cooking tutorial was simplified and went smoothly, the only thing that spilled in this session were some expert cooking secrets. We learned four fantastic dishes from Kerala cuisine -- Paalappam (Coconut Appam), Chicken Mappas (Traditional Kerala Chicken Curry Made With Coconut Milk), Fish Mango Curry, and Vegetable Stew. The food tasted absolutely delicious, comforting, and wholesome.
2. Immersive Journey Through Banana Plantation and Culinary Delights at 'The Place'
Our next stop was at 'The Place' in Kanjiramattam for a one-of-its-kind experience nestled in a lush, green banana plantation. Founded by social entrepreneur Lakshmi Menon, 'The Place' felt like a safe haven, away from all the noise and chaos of the rest of the world. However, calling it an escape would be wrong. The activities planned under the 'Vazha Thoughts' cultural event were engaging, insightful, and full of bananas. We enjoyed several delicacies prepared using different parts of a banana plant such as the flowers and even the white florets inside the flower. Many dishes were also served beautifully wrapped in banana skin or placed on a big flower petal. We also had some craft activities that involved parts of a banana plant, such as making a crab out of different items or a necklace using small flowers. Lakshmi Menon made us think about the wonderful possibilities and versatility of our homegrown bananas, and rethink our West-influenced obsession with avocados.
3. Dinner and Stay at Old Harbour
After a long and wholesome day, we came back to the hotel for a 3-course seated and served dinner. For starters, I chose the 'Beetroot Carpaccio with baked mushroom'. It was beautifully presented with mushrooms, bursting with flavours, and thinly sliced beetroot adding colour and balance to the dish. For the main course, I ordered 'Crab Trilogy', which featured three different types of crab -- Masala, Thai Green, and Au gratin. The flavours were fantastic and the crab was cooked perfectly. The serving size was also good. I finished off the meal with Cardamom Panna cotta with basil syrup. The basil syrup was a bit too strong for the dessert, which overall tasted alright. The texture was good.
About The Old Harbour Hotel
Old Harbour is a 300-year-old Dutch heritage hotel, close to Fort Kochi. The staff and hospitality were on point and the place has an organic vibe and an openness connected with nature, so you do not feel shut inside a building. The interior of the hotel was very well connected with the exteriors. The room I stayed in was beautiful and had an antique-meets-modern charm, with several delicate and interesting artefacts adorning the comfortable room.
Day 2
4. Visit the Beach and See the Marvel of the Cheena Vala
In the morning, I went for a stroll by the beach and caught sight of the Cheena Vala, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, established in the 14th Century. These are "shore-operated lift nets" that are lowered at once in the water using mechanical contrivances, helping to catch lots of fish in a single go. This way of fishing is unusual in India and almost unique to the area. We also saw some individual fishermen in action, trying to catch fish with their nets.
5. Breakfast at the Legendary Kashi Art Cafe
When in Kochi, this is a must-visit cafe for its enchanting fusion of art and culinary delights. Inside this cafe, I felt like I was sitting inside an art gallery, where every nook and corner carries a unique aesthetic (or picture-worthy) quality, and you can feel mesmerised and at peace at the same moment. I tried their famous 'John Abraham Omelette', a healthy and delicious recipe prepared for the star himself. Since John Abraham's visit, the omelette has carved a star spot in the cafe's menu. I also ordered the Cold Coffee With Coconut Milk and Jaggery. I was a bit sceptical about trying this coffee, but the fusion of the subtle flavours of coconut milk with coffee tasted incredible!
6. Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple and Lunch
After breakfast, we headed to Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, a Hindu temple situated in Tripunithura. The temple is considered among the greatest temples in Kerala, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, worshipped in the form of Santhanagopala Murthy. Lord Vishnu is seen here in a sitting posture, a unique pose, unlike the other Vishnu temples where the Lord is usually found in a reclining posture. The temple is famous for its yearly utsavams or festivals. This temple is the first of the eight royal temples of the former Kingdom of Cochin, and we went for an interesting guided tour by the grandson of the titular Elaya Raja of Cochin.
Next, we had lunch at Kalikotta Kottaram, learning about the culinary legacy of the Cochin Royal family and enjoying a unique Banana leaf Sadya showcasing a great variety of lip-smacking royal dishes in different colours, flavours, and textures. Each dish danced on my tongue with its tantalising flavours, but the payasam with poppadom combo stole my heart.
The Kochi experiential food trail with Dr Chef Avin, Co-founder of Lavonne Cafe/Academy, is a part of the Xplore Travel Series by HOGR, a popular food discovery app. Talking about Kerala cuisine, HOGR Co-founder and CEO Jugul Thachery said, "I am myself from Cochin, but I realised during this trip that there is such a wide variety of foods here in even just a 2-km food walk we did. It was truly an eye-opener."