Fish simmered in a spicy gravy; fish deep-fried; fish boiled with coconut milk; fish cooked inside a banana leaf — The Fishing Net's platter has fish in every form. The seafood specialty restaurant has prawn and crab dishes too, not to mention squid and scampi on certain occasions.
Chef T. Rajan form Kerala proudly points out the must-haves on the menu. “The traditional sura puttu and meen moilee are two dishes you can't have enough of,” he says. “We have sourced recipes from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.” Rajan is from Cochin, where no meal is complete without fish, in one form or the other. “I grew up eating fish every day,” he smiles.
The nandu milagu saaru sets the tone for the meal. The soup leaves a peppery trail along the palate. The Goan seafood soup with bits of prawn meat that follows is even spiceier. Unlike other forms of meat, there's something about fish that leaves one craving for more. The nethili fry is one such dish. The deep-fried fish are crisp and soft — it's impossible not to order a second helping!
Grilled prawns, seasoned with fried shallots, curry leaves and red chillies, is yet another delight. The prawns are cooked just right with a mild coating of masala . On the platter are a variety of curries that can be had with rice, pulao , idiyappams or kal dosai . The fish moilee, a mild seer fish curry, goes well with aappam and rice. For those who like their food red-hot, the Andhra-style fish curry, a fiery gravy with tender seer fish, is a must-try. You can also have dishes made with karimeen and pomfret.
Fish, when cooked inside a banana leaf takes on a whole new flavour. And when marinated in a reddish masala and shallow fried, it's magic. As we gently open the leaf, we are hit by a flavourful aroma. The thin slice of fish inside is absolutely tender. Stir-fried squid, butterfly prawns (medium spiced, batter-fried prawns), chemmeen ada (Kerala-style prawn patties), banjarakebab (seer fish tikka), meen pollichathu (grilled fish sautéed in a tangy masala ) are some of the other highlights on the menu.
Combo meals
An open-air barbeque doles out steaming-hot grilled fish and prawns. You can also try the combo meals that come with rice/ aappam /fried rice, a curry and dessert. Speaking of desserts, fried ice cream, served with a sprinkling of sugar syrup, honey and nuts, is a must-try. There also is a fresh fruit platter, rasamalai and Sachertorte with ice cream, among others.
Spread across a cosy lawn with a rock garden and a gurgling waterfall, the new restaurant is perfect for seafood lovers. There's also a boat out front, complete with a mast and a real fishing net!
The Fishing Net is located at Hotel Rathna Regent, Avanashi Road. It is open for dinner from 7 p.m. to midnight. For reservations, call 98940-93637, 0422-4294430/31
