Besides the landscapes, beautiful beaches, heritage and the famous shopping malls, the city is famous for its cafes and restaurants. Kochi makes a good destination for food lovers with its multicultural cuisine. It is not surprising to note a new restaurant opens here every week or two.
On the other hand, there are restaurants with a heritage of more than 50 years. Here are some of those restaurants that have stood the test of time with its delicious offerings that they have shaped the culture of the city.
Kayees Rahmathulla Café
This is a small restaurant famous for its mutton biryani, locally known as Kaikka’s biryani and eponymously named after the founder VK Kayee. In fact, the dish has been voted as the best biryani one could find in Kerala. Reports say that artist MF Hussein always dined at Kayees whenever he came to Kochi. The café started off as a small tea stall in 1940 and is now run by V.K. Musthafa and his family.
Ceylon Bake House
The restaurant founded by Ahammad Haji in 1953 after returning from Ceylon, hence the name. Ceylon Bake House is one among the first hotels to introduce Chinese dishes in the city. They were known to ‘Indianise’ the authentic Chinese dishes to suit to the Indian palette. Yet it is their biryani that attracts the masses to the food spot.
Chiyang Restaurant
Chiyang holds the legacy of being the city’s oldest Chinese-themed restaurants. They launched in 1980 and serve Indo-Chinese dishes. Food writers say that Chiyang has definitely played a key role in popularising the then relatively new Chinese cuisine among Kochiites and in general Kerala. The spot is famous for its special chilli pork.
