These 4 Legendary Eatouts in Mattancherry Will Surprise You With Flavor

• 16 Oct 2016
• Eat Kochi Eat
• Features

There's an old saying which goes "Kochi kandavanu achi venda" which means one who has seen Kochi would be so charmed by the city that he may forget his wife. While the city has changed quite a bit over the past few years, there is still something in the city for each of us to fall in love with. And today, we want to take you to one such place - Mattancherry.

Yes, you know the narrow rustic streets, the busy markets, the heady aroma of the spices, and the many tourist attractions that make up Mattancherry. But there's more to this sleepy old town than meets the eye. Hidden in the nooks and corners of Mattancherry are local eateries and restaurants treasured and kept away from the city crowd by the locals like a well-guarded secret. Thanks to our passionate foodies at Eat Kochi Eat though, we've managed to discover a few of these gems, and bring you this list of must-try places in Mattancherry.

Kayees 

Well, let’s start with the obvious. No list is complete with Kayees in it. Home of the legendary Kayikka’s biriyani, this place has truly stood the test of time. From their humble beginnings in 1949, the brand has expanded to multiple branches across the city and today, they are one of the most popular choices for biriyani. What truly made Kayees stand out when they started was their style of preparation, something not known to the city of Kochi at then.

Must Try: The Kochi style dum biriyani that we know today was pioneered by Kayees. Along with bits of pineapple, the long rice biriyani of Kayees is accompanied by their famous pulinkari and achaar. The original Kayees still stands in Puthiya Road, serving happy customers for lunch and dinner. Besides their signature biriyani, their appam and cutlet combination, noolputtu and beef, aripathiri and mutton chaps are much sought after evening snack dishes.

Shantilal S Mithaiwala

Just a minute’s walk away from Kayees, this amazing sweet shop located in Gujarati Road and run by a Gujarati family since 1953 is one of the oldest and longest running sweet shop in Kochi. In a town which has seen hundreds of eateries open and close over time, Shantilal has established a name for themselves due to their discipline & consistency in the art of making sweets.

Must Try: Now run by descendants of the founders, Shantilal treats you to an array of milk (khova) based sweets including their milk burfi & milk peda. Besides these iterms, the shop also serves yummy ghatia, jilebis, kachori, and more. No visit to Shantilal is complete without their signature tea, famous for the masala they use.

Fathima’s Restaurant

Over to the other side of Mattancherry, this little restaurant located in Panayapilly is guaranteed to delight the carnivore in you. Originally started as a roadside thattukada around the same location a little over ten years back, Fathima’s made a name for themselves courtesy of their beef items and their unique way of cooking, helping them move into their current location where they run a small restaurant.

Must Try: While you salivate looking at the delicious display of food in their glass shelf, we recommend you order their truly one of a kind dish – the beef kondattam along with maniputtu (a version of noolputtu). A burst of flavors in your mouth, the spicy beef kondattam is cooked using coriander seeds and chilly flakes in a crispy preparation. Other must try items here include their BDF and chicken kondattam.

Rinoo’s Juice Shop

We saved the best for the last. For a town that’s filled with restaurants and eateries throughout, Mattancherry really had a dearth of a juice shop. That was until Rinoo’s opened shop over ten years ago. And the rest is history. This shop, located at Puthiya Road junction doesn’t boast a huge variety of drinks. But the few they offer are truly a revelation to foodies. For most Kochites who only got to experience rich unadulterated juices after Haji Ali started, this little place in Mattancherry will truly be an eye-opener.

Must Try: Open until 2 in the morning on most days, their butter fruit (avocado) shake and shamam (musk melon) shake are to die for. Truly in a class of their own, these shakes stand out because they are made without any water content right in front of your eyes.

These outlets were covered by Eat Kochi Eat during their Explore Mattancherry event in association with WtzupKochi on October 9th. The first food walk in Kerala, the event was attended by over 80 members from places as far and wide as Thodupuzha and Thrissur, proving once and for all that good food always brings people together. The walk also celebrated one year of the Facebook group that has been taking over Kochi dish by dish.

For more updates and information on their events and reviews, join Eat Kochi Eat here.

Words: Akhil C Cherian\

Photos: Jay Menon, Aghil Menon, Nithin Samuel