Once upon a time, Kazhakoottam was not even an afterthought for foodies of Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from an Al-Saj, there were not many places to look forward to. How the times have changed! Now, even the thought of having a barbecue cheese burger from Burger Island and a ginger lemon sulaimani from Sulthan’s Sulaimani can make one drive all the way from Karamana to Kazhakoottam.
Today, the Silicon Valley of the district is flush with restaurants, cafes and eateries serving dishes ranging from scrumptious prawn shashlik and juicy burgers to lip-smacking banana fritters and flavoursome biriyanis. Here are the picks of the lot.
Dum all the way
Lunch time means biriyani in Kazhakoottam. The aroma of flavoured rice and chicken bathed in spices and ghee tugs at your taste buds wherever you go. While Thakkaram serves a pitch-perfect Malabar biriyani with masala that tastes quite different from the usual, the mouth-watering sukka biriyani at Kismat is something that gives a smoky twist to the Malabar variant with its semi-fried chicken pieces. Nevertheless, the fiery dum biriyani of Dhariya served with glasses of spicy black tea is arguably the best of the lot. Traditional biriyanis are still popular at Halais and Ajwa.
Breads, wraps and more
How about a bite of delicious tawa-cooked patty covered in salad and cheese? What about a monster burger with fried egg, chicken sausages and juicy home-made chicken patty? Or are you a sandwich person? Regardless of the kind of burgers and sandwiches you want, Kazhakoottam has become the place that can deliver them all.
Burger Island, opposite Technopark main gate, is certainly not the biggest bistro but it dishes out some of the most succulent burgers and sandwiches you can dig into in Thiruvananthapuram, that too at reasonable prices. Needless to say, the place, which opens in the afternoon, is packed all through the evening and closes only at 2 am. Bun Belly Cafe, located a stone’s throw away from Burger Island, apart from delivering delicious burgers, offers an assortment of wraps.
Subway outlet, as usual, remains the place for submarine sandwiches with fillings of your choice.
Grill and oven
The city is just warming up to grilled delicacies but Kazhakoottam has already embraced the trend with Le Arabia’s tandoors and Bun Belly’s spicy skewers.
If you want something more special, try the charcoal grills of the newly opened Slice of Spice near Vetturoad. While the oven at Brickhouse Oven dishes out yummy thin-crust pizzas and a number of eats worth your time, the gourmet kitchen of Cocoa Bean brings to your table a fine-dining experience with their crispy Mexican chicken balls and sauce-rich continental treats. Juicy steaks at Bun Belly aren’t bad either.
Drinks n’ snacks for all
Whether you want to have tea and vada or a glass of creamy hot chocolate with a sandwich, choices are numerous. Afternoon brings truckloads of people to the famous Shekharan Pillai’s tea stall for their quick teas and crispy bites, while the sulaimanis of various flavours are served with steaming shawarma at Sulthan’s Sulaimani.
For a sip of a strong cappuccino or a teasing Irish coffee, the Cafe Coffee Day outlet near Toyota showroom is the spot. If coffee alone is not enough, then try lassis, mocktails and shakes at Dessi Cuppa.
You are spoilt for choice! If all else fails, why not some mouth-watering Italian golgoppas? For that, the extensive chaat menu with its many-flavoured pani puris and other street delicacies at Bun Belly is the answer.
By the looks of it!
Have you ever had a special dum biriyani in an aeroplane? If not, head straight to Thakkaram. It is not just the food that has turned a corner in Kazhakoottam, the cafes and restaurants are all vying with each other to present the customers with the most creative ambience as well.
The jet inside the Thakkaram, the indoor garden vibe of Brickhouse Oven and the dimly lit interiors of Bun Belly... all offer something different from the usual to the foodies who flock to these places.
Something baked
There is nothing like a chocolate doughnut or a piece of red velvet after a spicy meal. Pastries and other baked bites are aplenty in Kazhakoottam with Supreme bakers leading the pack with their range of cakes, desserts and other savouries. Cake World and Cocoa Bean too offer delectable cakes and confectioneries.
