There's a certain unbridled energy I experience each time I walk past Times Square in NYC. That energy moved up an extra notch on November 4 as trends from the city's keenly watched mayoral election started to play out on the big screens that New Yorkers like to call the 'Centre of the Universe'. That's not the only big change that New York City has witnessed in the 2020s. Indian restaurants are having their much-deserved and long-overdue moment in the world's unofficial restaurant capital. Restaurants that have demonstrated that Indian cuisine is way more than just chicken tikka masala and butter naan. Chatti by Regi Mathew, that's a short walk from Times Square, is the latest to join this fast-expanding list.
Photo Credit: Chatti
It's no coincidence that it took Chef Regi Mathew to put Kerala's unique toddy show culture under the global spotlight. His Kappa Chakka Kandhari or KCK (that was recognised at the NDTV Food awards this year) in Chennai and Bengaluru has already become a fine showcase for authentic Kerala cuisine. I first met Chef Regi in the late 2000s when he walked me through the concept of a tapas bar (one of the first in India) that he launched in Chennai. He'd spent a long time in Spain studying local recipes, culinary styles and ingredients. Chef Regi briefly made the comparison with Spain's tapas bars and Kerala's toddy shops during that conversation. Except in Kerala, we call them 'touchings'. Delicious local produce from seafood to duck that plays out in small sharing plates, the perfect accompaniment to fresh toddy.
It was Tiby Joseph, my schoolmate from Don Bosco Egmore in Chennai, who picked Chatti for our mini-batch reunion. Tiby is a NYC insider of sorts with roots in Kottayam, the very heart of Kerala's unique toddy shop culture. We had to wait a while to be seated; it wasn't just Malayalees or Indians who filled up Chatti on that Tuesday evening after the mayoral election. Chef Regi is proud of the perfect mix of diners that suggests Chatti's appeal transcends Indians in the US. Chatti takes its name from the traditional clay pot central to Kerala's toddy shops and homes.
Photo Credit: Chatti
The contrast between Regi's upscale, Manhattan restaurant and the earthy toddy shops like Mullapanthal that I've visited in Kerala might seem stark, but there's a common thread. Kerala's toddy shops have long been social equalisers in a state that values equity and free expression. A space where people from all walks of life share a table and engage in conversation over toddy and touchings. It's almost the same in NYC, one of the world's most diverse cities, where Chatti's toddy and touchings offer the perfect glue for New Yorkers with diverse back stories.
At the heart of toddy shop culture is a sense of community and sharing a meal and conversation. Chatti's menu is designed for sharing with an array of small plates and family-style dishes. You will find some of the quintessential toddy shop favourites like the duck mappas (a fragrant duck curry from the Kuttanadu region, cooked with coriander powder and coconut milk) and Pearl Spot Parcels or 'Karimeen Pollichathu' (Pearl Spot fish is grilled with shallots and tamarind masala and wrapped in banana leaf). There are also some delicious modern twists, like the Seafood Moilee Soup with bite-sized appams, the perfect start to an extended meal.
The breads are among the highlights. There's everything from Nei-Pathiri (deep-fried rice bread from the Malabar region) and my favourite, the spongy vattayappam that is traditionally crafted with rice batter and toddy sap. Most regulars at KCK wrap up their meal with the restaurant's legendary cloud pudding. We're happy to report that this lighter-than-air version of tender coconut pudding has also travelled through the clouds to New York City.
Photo Credit: Chatti
It's not just the fresh toddy that makes the trip to NYC. Chatti's beverage menu includes craft cocktails that celebrate Kerala's culinary traditions. We dig the Malayali Old Fashioned, with bourbon, toasted coconut, jaggery caramel, cardamom vermouth and bitters; and the cleverly named Sam Bar, a vodka-based cocktail featuring clarified sambar, with curry leaf foam. Chatti's large bar is one of the design highlights of the restaurant, which is punctuated by earthy tones of green, grey, and copper, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere along with a showstopper laterite wall. Chatti is spread across multiple levels, and the intimate private dining room is one of our favourite spaces in the restaurant.
As we wrapped up a meal packed with nostalgia, one of the locals at the next table asked if we had tried the restaurant's Claypot Fish Curry. Chatti doesn't temper down the spices or try and 'sanitise' flavours to appeal to locals in New York. Most dishes taste similar to KCK and also benefit from excellent local produce in NYC. It's that moment that made me realise that India's micro-cuisines are now global superstars with restaurants like Chatti providing the perfect springboard.