Lounge loves: K25-Karavalli
A menu marking a quarter century of being the go-to destination for south-western coastal cuisine
Much as critics and gourmands may hanker after the new, good restaurateurs know that the secret to survival is not innovation but consistency. Up in New Delhi, Bukhara at the ITC Maurya celebrated 35 years of the same menu in 2014. Down south, Karavalli at The Gateway Hotel Residency Road (formerly Taj Gateway) is marking a quarter century of being the go-to destination for south-western Indian coastal cuisine. Helmed by the debonair executive chef Naren Thimmaiah for 24 of its 25 years—a record of sorts, certainly—the restaurant is currently hosting K25, a showcase of classic dishes from its menus over the years.
On a recent evening, we worked our way through a selection that included the most unusual Oggaraneda Aritha Pundi (steamed and seasoned rice dumplings), delicious, deboned Crab Milagu Fry (pan-roasted crabmeat in a pepper masala), a fabulous banana leaf-wrapped Meen Eleittad (marinated and pan-fried black pomfret) and a lip-smacking Maavinakai Mensukkai (brine-preserved mango in spicy-coconutty stew), wiping up the last drops of gravy with appams, Malabar parathas and idiyappam, before finishing with a sampler of desserts, the highlight of which was a tamarind ice cream.
Refreshingly, chef Thimmaiah has no qualms in admitting that Karavalli replicates the recipes sourced from Moplah, Bunt, Konkani, Namboodiri, Christian-Portuguese and Havyaka Brahmin homes from across Goa, Mangaluru and Kerala. But the quality and the consistency can be credited entirely to the chef and his team.
K25-Karavalli Classics, ₹ 3,200 plus taxes. The Gateway Hotel Residency Road, 66, Residency Road, Bengaluru.
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