Good Eats Part II: Kerala Edition

This is the second edition of a post devoted entirely to the joy of eating (almost). We included links to websites and address information whenever possible so that any of you heading to the Subcontinent soon can use this as a guide to culinary rapture. This post is dedicated to Anantica and Ryan and to all the guests of their upcoming nuptials in Cochin. Mazel tov!

Best Thali on a Banana Leaf:

His: Ariya Nawas, in Trivandrum

Hers: Saravana Bavan in Munnar

Best Dosa:

Massive Paper Dosa at Saravana Bavan in Munnar. With six different dips!

Best Breakfast:

Homemade dosa with veggie-full sambar at Royal Mist Homestay in Munnar. (Note:This was our favorite homestay in all of India. A little pricey but worth every penny for the amazing food, thoughtful conversation, and incredible personal attention. Anil and Jeeva will make you feel totally at home.)            

Best Seafood:

Hers: The banana leaf-wrapped kingfish at Oceanus in Fort Cochi

His: Buying seafood by the Chinese nets in Fort Cochi and having it cooked up at The Marina Restaurant (2^nd floor, above the official tourist office, next door to the gas station)

Shockingly Cheap and Delicious Lunch:

Pure Veg Thali at Sri Krishna Café. Unlimited rice and veg for 30 rupees (that’s 60 cents)!

Best Snack with Tea:

Fried Kerala banana fritters on a houseboat outside of Alleppey

Best Fresh Fruit Juice:

Fresh pineapple juice with a dash of cinnamon at Bella Homestay in Alleppy

Best Non-Indian Food:

His: Pasta Puttasnesca at Café del Mar in Varkala

Hers: Spinach Momos (Tibetan dumplings) at Little Tibet in Varkala

Plus some bonus, non-food related categories (turns out we sometimes do other things than just eat...)

Most Legit Aryuvedic Health Experience:

A consultation at the pharmacy about 100 yards to the right of Shri Krishna Café (if you have just come out the door) on Cheralai Rd in Fort Cochi.  You can’t miss it; it has a ton of bottled medicines in glass-front cabinets. A half hour consultation and four meds ran Zach about seven bucks.

Best Way to See Kerala’s Backwaters:

A 4- or 7-hour trip with Kerala Kayaking, the brainchild of a quirky entrepreneur named Binnu.  If you’ve already done a houseboat tour or taken a local ferry, just tell him and he’ll personalize a route. If you can handle at longer trip, he’ll take you out to parts of the backwaters that are usually unvisited by tourists.

Best Way to Get Behind the Scenes in Tea Country:

Most tourists hire a car or tuk-tuk to take them out to Top Station. Go on a hike instead. You’ll need a local guide; your guesthouse should be able to recommend one.  You’ll run into groups of tea workers harvesting along the way. If your timing is good, you’ll get invited to have tea with them!

Best Way To Avoid Varkala’s Hippy Backpacker Scene:

Varkala has some lovely scenery, but the tourist scene is pretty insular. Escape by walking from the helipad through Varkala’s tourist district (it’s one street) and just keep going. Soon you are in fishing villages. 4km on, you’ll arrive at Kappil Beach-- just a sliver of land between the ocean and the backwaters. Heaven!