My sister has been pushing me to try this place ever since she saw a post where @theshaprestaurant served a drink called ‘Chakka Manga Thenga’ in a BONG. Yes you heard that right, and with the brother in law @nikhilprakash1 in town, we headed there for lunch with my dad @suredas. Located right along Calicut beach in Kuttichira, this place is barely noticeable from the outside.

We got here just before Lunch hour and we chose a cozy spot by the window since I wanted the best available lighting to take good pictures. The menu is simple and in Malayalam and one thing that caught my attention straight away, was how wonderfully this place was styled to mimic a traditional ‘Kallu shap’ (Toddy shop). They didn’t serve any toddy though, opting to go the non-alcoholic route with ‘Kanji Vellam’ (Rice Water).

We definitely went overboard with the order and after much confusion we chose a few dishes that I thought might be interesting.

‘Chicken Idichukootiyadhe’ (₹230), ‘Karimeen Tawa Fry’ (₹340), ‘Tharave Mappas’ (₹280), ‘Chemeen Roast’ (₹280), ‘Wheat Porotta’ (₹10), ‘Porotta’ (₹10) and just so we didn’t miss out, we also ordered the ‘Chakka Manga Thenga’ (₹199). The quantities thankfully weren’t too much so there was no question of the food being wasted.

‘Chicken Idichukootiyadhe’ was quite interesting the way it was prepared. Once the chicken is fried, it is mashed together with a masala gravy in a mortar giving it a unique twist in terms of texture and flavour. The garlic really compliments the mix and so does the red chilli and curry leaves.

‘Karimeen Tawa Fry’ tasted delicious with a good amount of masala decked on. The initial bite was a little sour but once you move the excess spices out of the way, the fish comes on it own. Tender and mouth watering, this would go well with ‘Biriyani’ or a glass of cold beer.

‘Tharave Mappas’ was a bit of a disappointment. There was hardly any meat on the bone but the gravy was appetizing and a great combination with the ‘Porotta’. There was a huge piece of bone with absolutely no meat on. Please make sure you choose the right cut next time!

‘Chemeen Roast’ wasn’t much of a winner either, with huge pieces of shrimp head attached to a tiny body. It tasted good though but we wouldn’t order this again.

The ‘Wheat Porotta’ wasn’t too exciting and it was a bit dry but the normal ‘Porotta’ was much better.

They brought in the ‘Chakka Manga Thenga’ towards the end of our meal and it was quite interesting to watch how they prepared the bong by pouring in each of the juices separately. I loved how perfectly sweet it was and make sure you give it a little shake once all the juices have been poured in. I rate this joint a 3.5/5 and I will definitely be dropping in for another visit on my next trip to Calicut.

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Location: https://goo.gl/maps/qtchib4TL4LcqFcG7