Any foodie , even those with the most eclectic of tastes, would confess to an innate craving for home-made food. There is something quite unique about these delicacies that make them a class apart. From the absence of adulteration and unwanted additives to the extra attention with which they are prepared, there are countless reasons why such dishes are irresistible. Frescobites, a newly launched eatery in the city, attempts to recreate the magic of home-cooked food through its array of indigenous dishes.
“The idea for Frescobites struck me during one of my trips to the Europe a few years ago, in my previous career as a business consultant,” says Praveen Kumar Parambath, the man behind the venture. “One common attribute I noticed among all restaurants in Europe was that the food served in a restaurant belonged specifically to the corresponding region. Yet European restaurants made sure that even an international customer like me enjoyed the dish, by providing a quite endearing culinary experience. At Frescobites we strive to bring about such an experience for foodies in the city, so that they can relish Kerala-style food prepared and served with international standards,” he says.
As I stepped into the restaurant, the calm interiors (especially the colourfully designed walls that noticeably lacked close-ups of the many dishes it served) and the friendly staff welcomed me. Thankfully enough, I was not bombarded with a 10-page menu with a hundred-odd dishes. My options were less, yet sufficient. I had to choose between non vegetarian and vegetarian soups for appetisers. Under the main course – I was confused between the many Kerala delicacies including appam, puttu, dosas (plain, set, masala and egg) along with chicken fried rice, ghee rice, chicken and mutton biriyani. The curries also had the usual suspects – there was the obvious kadala curry to accompany the puttu along with chicken, mutton and vegetarian stew for other dishes. Nadan kozhi curry was not available that day, much to my disappointment. There were also a few Chinese dishes such as chilli paneer and gobi manchurian.
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Examining the menu made me ask the obvious question – does the Italian name of the restaurant match with its platter of indigenous dishes? “The name was chosen deliberately,” smiles Praveen.
“Fresco in Italian literally means ‘Fresh’. The idea is to deliver Kerala-style dishes with European panache,” he adds. “Additionally, we offer unique dishes like the American and French omelette, which are hard to get in the city,” says Praveen.
After a lot of thought, I went for the chicken biriyani which was priced moderately at Rs. 150, along with a cappuccino. I also ordered an American omelette, just out of curiosity. Contrary to my expectations, the food arrived on time. The first impression was good – the biriyani was less salty than normal and definitely delectable. The rice tasted different too – the restaurant obviously used the Malabar (Jeerakasala) rice. The chicken pieces were also yummy. Overall, the most noticeable attribute of the biriyani was a moderate use of spices and external additives. I also liked the fact that the quantity of the dish was again just right. The coffee was standard, yet refreshing.
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Since the biriyani satisfied my appetite, I decided to pack the American omelette to go.
It came with two slices of bread and French fries. The omelette had a noticeable lack of spices, green chillies and onion – typical constituents of Indian omelettes. That did not affect its taste, however. The eggs used were evidently fully cooked making the meal and the dining experience from ‘Frescobites’ all the more memorable.
Frescobites is located near the Ulloor Bridge, Kesavadapuram-Ulloor Road and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Contact: 09048760502