Kopi Luwak, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi Kerala - a Review

Kochi is a seeing a boom in the cafe culture. For those, who love to just sit around sipping a cup of their favourite beverage, nibble on some gourmet delights and watch the world go by, Kochi is the place to be. 

The cafe Kopi Luwak is the new kid on the block bringing in the exotic coffee and more to Kochiites. For those who are still wondering what "Kopi Luwak" means, this is what wikipedia tells you - "Kopi luwak or civet coffee, is coffee that is from Indonesia and includes part-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet.Fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through a civet's intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection – civets choosing to eat only certain cherries – and digestion – biological or chemical mechanisms in the animal's digestive tract altering the composition of the coffee cherries".

The cafe owned by Sheeba Manishankar(who also owns the boutique on top of the cafe) and Nirmal has been in the news lately for bringing the very expensive Kopi Luwak to the people of Kochi. 

With word spreading far and wide, not only the people of Kochi are making a visit this beautifully done up cafe but it also has people coming in from different parts of Kerala to savour this much talked about cuppa that is priced at approx Rs 1600. The interiors of the cafe uses a lot of upcycled artifacts and is a colourful blend of several elements put together by the designer herself. 

The many travels have been a source of inspiration for the cafe and the owners have worked towards creating an experience with a difference. They did not want to have similar seating all over and have designed it in a way that each seating arrangement is different and unique, the boat sofa, for instance, is a big hit with the visitors. 

I especially liked the outdoor seating with umbrellas hanging from the top which adds to the ambience. They have also very thoughtfully added a counter to cater to the outdoors. 

We decided to check out the place. We found a simple nice seating in the inside room next to the popular boat sofa and ordered a pesto sandwich(which turned out to be an open sandwich) and a burger. 

The pricing is slightly on the higher side for the food served. A meal for two would cost you approx Rs 600-700. 

Verdict - It is a really nice attempt at executing a good concept and bringing a cafe with a difference to the city, however, to make it one that people will go back to, the owners will definitely have  to pay a lot more attention to the details. Taste, presentation of food and also service needs to be looked into carefully.

 

360 Degrees Pizzeria Panampilly Nagar Kochi - Restaurant Review

Its been a year in Kochi now. When we landed here from Mumbai, I was a bit anxious about how we would blend in here and how the city would treat us. 1 year here and I can say that it has been a peaceful time, made some good friends and have been enjoying the flavours and colours of the city. It has been a relaxing good time after the tough few years. We have been experimenting and there are really so many places to go to that offer varied cuisines and an ambience to go with. The 360 degrees pizzeria has been on our list ever since we made our first visit few some months back. 

 The pizzas are really good with a generous helping of the toppings, in fact so much so that it has been a very long time that we tasted one from Dominoes or Pizza Hut(no offence meant to the two big brands but the 360 degree pizzas definitely have more variety, more toppings, taste that shows that there is a lot more than just ingredients added in and is definitely value for money). A great place to go to with family and friends.

 The service is good and the seating is nice for a big group too. If you wish t order in, they also have a home delivery service which is good. Have tried the home delivery too a few times now and its been good service every time.

I personally like the Smoking Tandoori(with a tasty mint mayo) and the Pollo Pesto. We have tried the Verdura when we had a few vegetarin guests over and it too turned out to be good. The last time we went there we decided to try out some desserts and loved the panna cotta (my 6 year old niece wants to go back again for their panna cotta:), the baked cheesecake and the Tiramisu. Overall a wonderful experience. Sure will go back again.
 

Kashi Art Cafe Fort Kochi Kerala

Kochi for us is not a city, it is a feeling!!

Kashi Art Cafe. Have been hearing a lot about this beautiful cafe from the lovers of the art world.  I could kind of identify with the feeling as hubby and I have been frequent visitors of Samovar(the Cafe at the Jahangir Art Gallery Mumbai, which is now closed down). It has been on the list for the past few months. Fort Kochi has always been on the map for us, being in love with Jew Town, the art inspirations, the aroma of the spices and the oh so Kochi charm that is has.

One Saturday after lunch and daughter's music class we decided to check out the Kashi Art Cafe that we had heard of. A quaint cafe located in one of the bye-lanes of the beautiful Fort Kochi, Kashi Art Cafe was one that we took an instant liking for.

A beautiful sculpture invites you in the courtyard at the entrance adding that so very arty feel to it. There was this art exhibition titled the Womens Project on at the time , black and white works by two good artistes. We walked past the entrance and found ourselves a seat. Comfortable seating and lovely ambience. The place soon filled up with people of all age groups. From the body language you could tell that most of them were regulars there and there were a few like us who were first timers happy to find a place to sit down and catch up for a while and also have a good bite.

Done in good taste, a simple decor idea with lot of greenery; it has a very art world inspired feel to it. It is the go to place for many artistes in the Fort Kochi area. The staff is nice, served us quickly and also seemed quite used to people sitting around for long doing almost nothing. The staff was courteous without intruding into our space. That was a nice feeling really. 

We were there after lunch and so wanted just something light, the whole idea was to get a feel of the place. Ordered ourselves a fresh lime soda(there is an added flavour of an ayurvedic herb that gives a nice refreshing feel to it), a black tea for hubby and a slice of homemade cake (with dates and walnuts and a generous helping at that).  

Have been told by friends who are regular at the Kashi art cafe that it is a nice place to visit for breakfast. The chicken sandwich and the chocolate cake on the menu is a must try. 

 We were back with a nice feeling of having spent quality time in a lovely place. We will definitely go back again for a good relaxed breakfast or brunch some day. It is nice place to just go with a book or your laptop and get to some good reading or writing in a relaxed ambience.
 

Restaurant Review : Irish House Kala Ghoda Mumbai

The New year starts with a promise to myself to be here at the blog more often(last year was crazy with the moving and the board exams, so had to be away from blogging for quite a few months). Inspired by Darren Rowse's post on chalking out a blog calender for the year right at the beginning, I have begun work on it. Resolutions resolutions..A trip to the food blogging world is always an overwhelming experience with so many yummy recipes, the tempting pics and perfect food styling. So this year I wish to try out many of those bookmarked recipes from the blogs(my list is just exploding).

The first post of the year is a walk down memory lane. The Irish House pictures have been waiting in the wings for quite a while now. So today when I was browsing through my camera pictures I decided it is now time for them to take centrestage. I don't know if deep down it is a feeling of missing Mumbai that made me pull out these pictures today and write the post. Moving from one place to another sure have their share of goods and bads.

As I sit in my home in the lovely city of Kochi(Kerala) typing away this post on my laptop, the pictures bring back beautiful memories of the magical city of Mumbai and evenings with hubby over good food.

Irish House, for me, is symbolic with good food, service and great ambience. For anyone who has visited this pub once, the place has a pull that will take you back again.They have a good food menu to go with the elaborate bar menu(cannot comment much on that as I stick to my orange juice or the virgin mojito). Lovely ambience with high energy levels is yet another factor that brings people back in here. The coasters and the framed writings on beer and drinks on the wall are catchy and bring on an instant smile.

Youngsters straight from office stepping in for a quick drink with friends before heading home, the corporate managers out on a business cum fun evening, the seniors who love the city and its energy and couples who look forward to spending an evening together, you will find the entire range here.
Nice to watch people and there is so much talking that each person's body language does. Interesting to watch people and how each one behaves and reacts differently in the given set of circumstances.

Stepping into the building that has a small entrance from the sidewalk at Kala Ghoda, I didn't know what to expect upstairs. The small entrance opens into a wide stairway with a huge mirror at one end. The doors opened and I soon realized that what seems to be such a quite entrance actually houses a whole buzzing world inside.

Wooden flooring, dim lighting with the bar area very well lit, comfortable seating (even if you walk in as a large group) makes it a fun place that promises to make it a memorable time for you.

Here are some more captures from Irish House. 

 As I write this post in the new year, Irish House has a whole new menu for 2016 and so there's lots more to look forward to. We tried the fish and chips, the bouquet of fries with the yummy dips, the falafel burgers, spaghetti with chicken, and the moussaka. It was all yumm. Will I go back there again? Yes, anytime I can:)...waiting.
 

Restaurant Review - Gokul Ottupura Panampilly Nagar Kochi

It has been a few months in Kochi now and we have been trying out a few eating joints. A place is all about the food and the people is what I believe. The faster you find good food and good company, the better you will like the place.  

The Gokul Ottupura at Panmapilly Nagar was one recommended for its vegetarian fare. The Gokul Ottupura, I am told has 3 more outlets in the city - at Jose junction, Kadavanthra and Kacheripady. The restaurant has a variety of dosas and naadan(local) Kerala dishes alongwith a spread of chaats(there is a separate chaat counter). The North Indian fare includes a variety of rotis, parathas and vegetable curries to go with it.

 A craving to go out for a dosa the other night and Gokul Ottupura is what came up top on the recommendations. A nice small place located in Panampilly nagar, it is a popular joint that has a steady flow of people at all times. A covered outdoor seating with benches and tables which further extends inside to rows of tables and chairs, this place has enough seating to accommodate the many fans. There seems to be a regular clientele that loves coming in here for the dosas and other vegetarian dishes. The chaat counter too was busy throughout. You would also be able to find a parking space easily.

We started with trying from the chaat menu, the taste was good and is a place to go to when you have the chaat calling(the street food fans will understand this better I guess). A masala dosa, paper dosa, podi dosa, rawa dosa, all ordered as we sat down. The dosas were crispy and tasty. I also ordered an aloo paratha to take a bite into the North Indian menu, it was tasty, however, I would have liked a little more of the stuffing to have ranked among the good aloo parathas.

This however, is no fine dining restaurant, just a place with a reasonably good vegetarian fare at affordable prices. The service was quick, the staff courteous and the food good.

For more pictures, reviews and the menu..check out the zomato page on Gokul Ottupura