Wendy’s India Finally Opens An Outlet In Kochi (Edapally)

Another bolt from outta the blue. Another major international fast food restaurant chain has finally launched in Kochi! Kochi is happening! Last year, maybe 7 or so months ago we got Popeyes launching in a couple of cities in Kerala, including Kochi in late July. And now Wendy’s India! Its the world’s third largest quick-service  hamburger company with more than 6,500 franchise and Company restaurants in the U.S. and 29 other countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Wendy’s opened its first outlet in India on the 6th of May 2015 with an outlet at Sector 29 Market Gurgaon.

This won’t be my first time eating Wendy’s – they have been around in India for a while. Back in 2016 when I was in Gurgaon/New Delhi for 2 weeks I was able to go and get me a burger and fries at a Wendy’s which was about a 20 minute Uber ride away from my hotel. I remember loving it and thinking that it was better than McDonald’s and Burger King. Their fries were so good and I got a Peach Ice Tea to go with the Chicken Baconator. However, sad news!

Looking at the India menu, it does look like the talon & claws of religion denies us with the best of Wendy’s – no Baconator, not even the chicken one. And ofcourse no beef as it is a national chain – Wendy’s India has a different menu from your American, UK & Canadian ones. Anyways, I am glad that they are here because I have hassled Wendy’s India to get off their asses and expand to the Southern area of India for 9 years! I will order some tonight for dinner!

Blast From The Past – What Is The Saddest Meal You’ve Had?

CHEEZEZIA pizza corner in the now defunct Kochin Food Mall in the Revenue Tower building just past Marine Drive. I can never forget that experience of going there with my cousin one Summer evening and getting the oddest looking pizza ever. This was only my second visit to the Food Mall and the first time ordering the pizza, if you can call it that. We were a little scared but tried them anyway. A medium sized pie with 8 small to medium slices. We slowly picked up a piece each and ate them.

There were toast crusts of what seemed like rusk to us (if you don’t know what rusk is it’s a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread) – basically what they did was they served us a circular disk of rush, on top of which they added some cheese and – wait for it – the toppings that go with a usual BHEL PURI! A fucking bhel puri! The toppings other than the tomatoes were lots or coriander, chopped onions, tomatoes & Sev (a slight crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste). And ofcourse cheese! The sheer audacity to call that a pizza!

We managed a small slice each and then paid and left, laughing so loudly. In no way, shape or form was that a pizza and the people running it should have been in prison doing hard labour for even suggesting that it was!

Bean Barrel – Latest Food Truck In Kochi

The coffee culture has been improving a whole lot in Kochi and the opening of a new coffee place is always a huge welcome. Gone are the days when it was just two kinds of coffee – black and with milk – to a couple of individual fast food joints that served us a latte, an espresso and black coffee. We now have several cafes that can serve you really good lattes cappuccino, mocha lattes, mocha cappuccinos, coffee with caramel & whipped cream, with hazelnuts or vanilla etc etc.

And now we have a standalone cafe called Bean Barrel which is located on the Queen’s walkway in Ernakulam. Well, it’s a food truck but I think they are planning on starting a full fledged cafe – or atleast that’s what it seems like on looking at their website, which is not yet fully launched. It’s serves coffee – different types, some colas which seems to be their recipe, some fruit flavoured popsicles and popcorn (cheese/salt/caramel). We don’t have many food trucks infact maybe less than 10 so I hope they do well.

Mattanchère Spice Cake

Christmas cakes, alternatively referred to as plum cakes, boast a storied history that adds to their festive allure. The decadent fruit cakes commonly linked with Christmas have their origins in Twelfth Cakes, traditionally consumed on Twelfth Night, marking the culmination of the 12 Days of Christmas on January 5th in the UK. However, the preparation of Christmas cake has evolved worldwide and is now approached in various ways. India, too, has its unique historical connection to Christmas treats.

The roots of the plum cake can be traced back to England, where in the weeks leading up to Christmas, it was customary to observe fasting and refrain from various indulgences. Chef Jose Varkey, the corporate mentor chef at CGH Earth, drew inspiration from the royal wedding cake of Prince Charles and Diana. He introduced an innovative double-maturing process, which he proudly dubs “The Living Cake.” This technique represents an evolution of flavors that are carefully nurtured over time. The aromatic spices and handpicked currants used in this process are sourced from the spice market of Mattanchery, offering a culinary homage to the renowned spice market in Kochi.

The Pandhal Cafe in Kochi infused this delightful creation, giving it the name “Mattanchère Spice Cake,” also recognized as the matured plum cake. From being a regular fruit cake to what we now proudly call as ‘Double Matured Spice Plum Cake’ is a journey that started from the CGH Earth Hotel’s kitchen and is now part of the Pandhal cake shop is one of the most favorite nostalgic Christmas delicacy. In Kochi, the Pandhal Cafe’s 40-year legacy, Mattanchere Spice Plum Cake, is a sought-after Christmas delight and is available for delivery nationwide via Amazon. Priced at Rs 1595.

Kochi & Kerala’s Love For Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is one of the most popular food in the world and Kochi is no exception. From the early 2010s I noticed that we keep getting more and more new restaurants in the city and they try to make them franchises as well by opening up new ones in hopes of making theirs a chain. he name of the game is ‘southern fried chicken’ and we Malayalees / Keralites absolutely love them!However since the first time I posted about the number of outlets have closed. MarryBrowns and SFC Plus in particular are the ones that I miss.

All this is due to the large population of expats (loving called Non-resident Indians or NRIs), including my family, in the Arabian gulf. Most of these countries where Malayalees flock to for jobs, along with their families, had already had plenty of KFC outlets. After KFC took the Gulf region by storm decades ago, many locally owned franchises have tried to replicate that success and tweak the recipe and make some changes. Chicking is one such as was SFC Plus (the latter is still running in the Gulf though they have closed don their 3 centers here.

So when I take a look back so many of them closed down. Chikos was another one that had about 2 to 3 outlets in Kochi alone and although they close down, they thrive in a few other cities in the state. Krispy Chicken, which I never got to try, also closed down their outlets in Kochi. So what survives? Well Chicking who were the OG place in Kochi and Kerala in general still rules supreme. They are known to be that family places choice. They are followed closely by KFC who have opened more outlets in the state and in Kochi. Doing amazingly well.

The only other international one we have is Popeyes which is the newest entrant. They only have 1 outlet in Kochi and they do have stalls in a couple of other cities in the state. I eagerly await for them to expand more. AFC & AJWA opened up in the last few years and they are doing decent business. Kochi.in opened very near me and I think that is their only outlet but it’s in a prime location so they should do well. Fried King is ok, nothing special, and not pictured is King’s Crust who have recently expanded and their Korean fried chicken option is amazing. Also not pictured is the famous AlBaik from Saudi but I haven’t tried them yet and finally Maheens Broasted Chicken, which I am yet to try.

My Favourite Choice For Ice Cream, Pizza, Donuts & Burgers

Write about your favourite place to eat: ice cream, poutine, pie, burgers (pick your poison)

Well since we don’t get poutine I will substitute it with pizza and since we got really go for pie, I am going to go for donuts.

Ice cream : Hands down the best/favourite is Caravan ice cream parlour which is a childhood favourite. It’s located in Marine Drive right next to Broadway. Or atleast the OG place is. They have a couple of other outlets but this one is the one to go to. Or order in.

Pizza : Here I will go with P60 formerly known as 360 Degree, which is the best place for thinner crusts, real pork sausage/bacon/pepperoni an excellent cheeses. Most of their pizzas will satisfy you so much, even if they have now increase their prices.

Donuts : I am not a big donut person, in that I rarely do ever get one. But if were to get some Donut Factory would the best choice. Not only do they have a varied selection, their donuts are delicious. Nothing to battle franchises like Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Creme or Tim Hortons but then we don’t have any of them here yet.

Burgers :  Hands down the best place for burgers is The Burger Junction, which also has a couple of outlets because the demand is so high. Their beef and chicken burgers are the best in India and they also have pork products. Hmmm now I am craving one so bad.

Prompt from 70 Travel Prompts or Topics for Your Blog for the Month of November at DownshiftingPro

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen Opening A Franchise Outlet In Kochi

It’s finally here, though I had no clue that it would be. Well, almost here.  Famous American fried chicken company Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is finally coming to Kochi. As shared in a previous post two days ago, the fast food franchise is opening up an outlet on the 5th floor of Center Square Mall which is under 2 kilometers away from me. It’s one of those fast food restaurant chains which I have seen online for years and years but didn’t think that they would come here. But here we are in 2024 and soon I will be able too taste some of it.

Founded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972, Popeyes has more than 50 years of rich history and culinary tradition. Popeyes distinguishes itself with a unique New Orleans style menu featuring a range of offerings that include Chicken Sandwich, Popeyes Signature Chicken and Chicken Tenders. The passion for its Louisiana heritage and flavourful authentic food has made Popeyes one of the world’s largest chicken quick service restaurants with over 3,300 restaurants around the world.

Popeyes entered India in January 2022 with an outlet in Bengaluru. So far, Jubilant has only opened Popeyes restaurants in southern India as part of its cluster approach and has rolled out the brand in cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Madurai and Manipal. I see that they have one outlet in Kozhikode, which opened on the 3rd of April and they have one more opening on the 26th of June. I am not sure as to when it is opening here but atleast it seems to be soon.

5 Top Instagrammable Places In Kochi, Kerala

1. Fort Kochi

Considered by many as the heart of Kochi, Fort Kochi is the country’s first European township and an embodiment of beauty and grace. Here you will find the Chinese fishing nets; in fact, it is the only place in the world sans China where these fishing nets can be found spattered across the harbour. There were 17 Chinese nets to begin with; however, only 8 remain presently. Another beautiful place to visit in Fort Kochi is the Old Kochi, a tiny fishing village. Old Kochi is one of the best Instagrammable places for travellers who just wish to unwind and relax for a while.

2. Mattancherry Palace

Mattancherry Palace is one of the best Instagrammable places in Kochi. Located in the western part of Kochi, Mattancherry is an old locality and a very popular tourist spot. Mattancherry gets its name from an old Brahmin house which was called Ancherry Mattom, but instead got pronounced as Mattancherry by the European colonizers. Just walking through the vibrant, bustling streets of this beautiful locality will leave you in awe and wonder. One of the main attractions here is the Mattancherry Palace which was built in 1557 by the Portuguese and gifted to Veera Kerela Verma, the then ruler of Kochi. Later it got renovated by the Dutch, and this is the reason why most people also know it as the Dutch Palace. The palace is a beautiful combination of the Kerela and European style architecture and is known for its spacious halls and exotic murals covering a length of around 300 Square km depicting scenes from Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

3. Jew Town

Jew Town located in Mattancherry is known for the small antique shops sprawled on both sides of the narrow road selling beautiful apparel, trinkets, gems, sculptures, and other home decor items. It was once an important neighbourhood for the Malabari and Paradesi Jews who settled here in the 11th and 16th century respectively. Jew town was later turned into a prominent trading spot for the Jews; however, most of the Jews living here have now moved back to Israel, and now tourists visit this place mainly for its rustic charm, delicious food joints, and vibrant shops selling some of the most exotic artefacts you can ever find.

4. Marine Drive

Marine Drive is one of the best Instagrammable places in Kochi, not only for locals but also for tourists because of the splendid backdrop of Kerala backwaters and the picturesque beauty that will leave you mesmerized. This walkway stretches for around 3 km and is a great place to take a leisurely stroll or spend time with friends and family and enjoy the magnificent sunset. Boat tours are also available for people who wish to enjoy the beauty of Kerala backwaters and the different kinds of flora and fauna in a more authentic way. There are several restaurants and shopping complexes near the area, so if you wish to enjoy some retail therapy after enjoying the serene beauty, Marine Drive won’t disappoint you.

5. Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum

Interested in the exotic art and rich heritage of India? Then do not give Kerala Folklore Museum a miss. Opened in 2009, this three-story museum is known for its beauty and a massive collection of wooden, stone, and bronze artefacts. This museum is basically a reconstruction of more than 20 heritage buildings of Kerala. Built using inspiration from three different architectural styles of Travancore, Malabar, and Kochi, this museum is certainly a treat for your eyes. Inside, you can find different types of sculptures, paintings, musical instruments, oil lamps, utensils, and tribal artwork on display. The museum is open every day for visitors from 10 a.m – to 5 p.m; except on Mondays and public holidays.a

My Five Favourite Watering Holes In Kochi

Ava Lounge, Radisson Blue 

A vibrant lounge with talented bartenders is as close as it gets to a clubbing atmosphere in Kochi. Though there is no official dance floor, the underground dub music works up the vibe and has people grooving in no time. They have live musicians playing even better music on Saturdays and Sundays making it all the more popular.

Mezzo, Avenue Regent

Situated in the heart of Ernakulam, Mezzo is one of the most popular resto-bars in town. It’s chic, casual and almost always packed. The place has an extensive international selection of liquor and wine along with an exclusive cocktail list. The food too is par excellence. A delectable range of European and Oriental fusion alongside, local seafood delicacies, tapas touchings, and steaks are the perfect companion to your tipple. If you do visit Mezzo, pop by the cafe next door called Coco tree famous for its mouth-watering desserts.

Velocity, Hotel Crystal Plaza

Boy has this place changed. From their decent quiet beginnings as a bar for mostly men to come and hangout and have a few drinks while munching on delicious snacks and lunch, it is now a happening spot with live music, djs and dancing. They expanded the place and I think they have had a huge investment from an actor or two who bought the place. Women days and specials bring in the feminine crowd as well.

Couchyn, Grand Hotel

A nice cool, cozy bar with a quiet sedate ambience. Centrally located with ample parking space, it also helps that it is attached the famous and oldest hotel in the city, The Grand. The food is mostly Indianized western dishes and Indian favourites. They have beer, all kinds of alcohol and some cocktails. Family friendly as well and not that expensive.

Blue Rock Resto Bar, Olive Downtown

An ultimate party destination in the area, Blue Rock Resto Bar in Elamkulam caters to all the needs of its youthful and energetic clients. They know the recipe of having a smashing time and ticks all the items on the checklist including swanky decor, electric ambiance, good variety in booze, delicious food and more. From hand-crafted drinks to savory dishes, flavor always takes center stage here. It offers some of the finest options for a night out in the town. 

Four Romantic Activities To Do In Cochin On Valentine’s Day

Alleppey Houseboat with Candle Light Dinner (Overnight)

Best Houseboat for Honeymoon couples in Alleppey. Cruise with an amazing premium dining experience in fully air-conditioned cabins & rooms. An Alleppey Backwater Cruise In Our Premium Houseboats Is Nothing Short Of Soul Soothing. Dining on Board. Exclusive Check-in. Enjoy a romantic candle light dinner and experience the amazing time while you enjoy the fantastic candle light dinner in backwaters.

2 Days Trip to Athirappilly Falls & Alleppey

Visit the best two experiences in Kerala – Alleppey backwater and Athirapally waterfalls. In this short weekend trip, the package covers the biggest waterfall in Kerala and Alleppey’s backwater experience by a private shikkara trip. Though this package involves a little bit more road travel, this is one of the best packages during monsoon in Kerala when the waterfall is in full swing.

Private Day Trip to Munnar from Cochin

Visit the South Indian hill station of Munnar, known for its tea plantations and fantastic views, with this private day tour from Kochi. Highlights include a tea museum, Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Dam, and the Munnar Rose Garden, with time to stop for lunch and shopping along the way. Hotel transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle will be provided A professional guide will show you around and answer questions No need to pack food, as lunch is included in the price of the tour Private tour for a flexible, personal experience.

Full Day Cochin Sightseeing Tour

Kochi Taxi offers a top-rated Cochin City Sightseeing Tour for tourists seeking to explore the rich historical land of Kochi. You can start your tour of Kochi with a sunrise at the Fort Kochi Beach. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the beach is very refreshing.

Miserable Weather As The Rainfall Lashes On The State

It’s been miserable in terms of weather the last few days. The rains, which have been a little less than the previous years, has been in heavy flow since before the weekend, Thursday to be exact, and it has picked up midweek and it’s been a torrential rainfall since. And it is expected to fall heavily till the next Tuesday. In the wake of continuous rains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert warning in 10 districts – Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod.

Rain, accompanied by gusty winds, lashed various parts of Kerala since Thursday night. Yellow alert indicates heavy rain between 6 cm-11 cm. Thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty winds were likely in many places for the next two days in Kerala. People have been asked to exercise caution as Cherthala & parts of Alapuzzha had recorded 7-8cm of rainfall, while in Kochi it has been about 6cm.

All this makes me not want to go out to work. I feel like cozying in bed, taking naps and watching a bunch of tv shows or movies. And ofcourse lots and lots of coffee and hot snacks. I do not feel like going into the shower and shave and go to work. But I guess I have to.

Luv Cutlet – Serving Us Hot Crispy & Crunchy Balls Of Deliciousness

This is now my new favourite evening tea time snack. There is a small busines called Luv Cutlet that makes…..well…cutlets and serve tea in their two outlets in the city of Kochi. They have a few variations of the cutlets – chicken, beef, chicken & cheese, prawn, veggie, spicy and a potato one. There is something for everyone’s taste.

Cutlet’s as what we Indians call them, are these small roundish shaped (or square or oval shaped, it doesn’t matter) snacks that are either chicken, meat or veggie fried in oil with a breaded coating. Traditionally they have been either chicken or beef but fish, veggie & lamb cutlets have also become popular. What is usually consistent is that they taste delicious. Also they are like the perfect evening snack to munch on while your drink your coffee, tea, lemonade whatever. They are also seen as a companion piece to the more popular samosa. However in Kerala, I would argue that the cutlet is more popular.

Luv Cutlet is serving Malayalees their version of the cutlet which are bigger than most and also their outer coating is more crunchier and crispier, making the experience that much more satisfying and yes it is also more tastier. They taste awesome any day but especially more when it is cold & raining and you want something hot to eat while you drink your coffee or tea, I hope these guys grow throughout the city and expand towards the rest of Kerala.

Coffeeshop Chains In My City

Cafe Coffee Day : This is an Indian chain and the biggest in the country. They have been around for quite a few years and have 5 in the city. 1 in Lulu Mall, 2 on MG Road – the OG near Shenoys and the one near Medical Trust hospital, the big one on Kaloor-Kadavanthara road and 1 on Pathadipalam which I have never seen.

Costa Coffee : This British owned coffeeshop chain started in Cochin back in 2012 when they launched their little open air shop on the ground floor of Lulu Mall. They now have just 2 in the city, one in Lulu Mall & the other in Center Square Mall.

Starbucks : Starbucks is the latest entry in the city having established in India a few years ago. Currently we have two in Kochi – the first one started in Lulu Mall in late 2020, and around 8 to 10 months ago they opened one near Holiday Inn on the bypass.

We will soon see Tim Hortons come to the city but that will be in 2024 (I hope).

Terrible Traffic Block In Cochin

Whooo! What a terrible day! Well guy today was the king of traffic blocks. And if I had actually left the office on time I would have been able to avoid it. Today I left the office at 5:30 pm and looked to book a cab to come back home. It was getting really windy and I wanted to leave before it started raining. I had some trouble in getting one as an idiot driver canceled the trip half the way to my office and he had also waited for a while before starting. Asshole!

Anyways I booked another cab and waited for him to reach me. It started to thunder and lightning quite a bit and I started to get worried. The cab came and I got in but half the way through we were caught in a huge traffic jam. It was so bad that were were barely moving. We took a different route but using a service road we found that the side of the road and the gutter were filled with water. It was tough going and we saw a couple of accidents on the way. This was why the block was so bad. Somehow he managed to get us out and we took a less used and less crowded route, which added 5 kilometers to the journey, but I guess it had to be done.

I got down at the pharmacy near my apartment building and bought my inhaler and a spare. I then came up to my apartment and got some tea and a couple of biscuits. It was 8:20 pm by then and I was tired as hell. By 9:30 I had a quick dinner of tuna curry and chapati and in a while I will get an apple and eat that. And then I’m gonna try to get some sleep.

The Top 5 Grocery Delivery Services I Use In Kochi

Since Covid-19 there has been a growing spurt of online grocery store services that sprung up and have been doing great business. Most people, me especially, do not want to go out to a store and get my family’s grocery. Want to avoid it? Order groceries online from the top online grocery store and sit back and relax. There are several apps that you can choose from and not all are available throughout India. I use a few on a regular basis and chose based on options and availability. If I were to rate them that’s a different thing altogether as I feel that Lulu is probably the worst in service.

1. Big Basket

Big Basket is India’s leading online grocery store. Here you will get quality products, be it rice, dairy, spices, gourmet products, or any other items related to your grocery needs. And if savings on grocery shopping is at the top of your mind, Big Basket is the place for online grocery in India. Here you can get various discounts and offers such as a 10% cashback or an extra 5% off on your orders using the Big Basket coupons.

Other than the quality and discounts, they also ensure on-time delivery, same-day or express delivery, and signature packing.

2. JioMart

JioMart is one of the top online grocery stores in India. Launched as a joint venture by Reliance Retail and Jio Platforms, Jiomart was founded in 2019. It works as a mediator between the nearby grocery stores and end customers. It mainly deals with the delivery of groceries and daily essentials. Currently present in more than 200 cities and India’s towns, it is also known for offering products at an affordable price range. Jiomart has posted a 3x growth in customer acquisition in 2020-2021.

3. Amazon Fresh

Amazon expanded its horizons in the grocery industry and became one of the top grocery shopping sites in India. You can now shop online for your monthly groceries with Amazon Fresh. Shop from a wide range of items, cooking essentials, beverages, household supplies, and other daily necessities. You can also get an extra 5-15% cashback if you purchase more than Rs 1000. Visit the site for more information.

4. Lulu Hypermart

Lulu is a global chain of malls and they have one in Kochi, established in 2014 and a newer one that opened in Trivandrum. With its pleasant and novel variation from the usual supermarkets, LuLu offers grocery delivery and more with their app and website. When it comes to grocery though, they have a lot more variety that they do not offer on the app, which is odd but I guess they want to save some for the huge throng that come in daily to the mall.

5. Swiggy Instamart

Swiggy (and Zomato by the way) is the newest entry and one that I have really started to use these last few days. They offer delivery in different & convenient slots from within an hour or you can chose a slot during the rest of the day. This is very convenient and I like ordering during my work but having a delivery slot when I am more free or done with my work. Their new store in the city helps to have them deliver from the stocks there rather than what they did earlier and have their delivery partners go to different stores.

It’s A 4 Cup Coffee Kinda Weather

Since the last couple of weeks, it has been raining quite a lot. The weather has become very cool, dare I say kinda cold by our standards. It wouldn’t be cold when you compare it to temperatures in places that get snow but it is cold by Kerala standards as we are a tropical climate place. The current temperature is 27 degrees Centigrade but with winds at 10km/hr and the sun staying partly hidden, it is very cool.

This kind of weather is perfect for hot or grilled food. Evenings are for hot samosas, egg/chicken/meat puffs like the ones I ordered in yesterday. Hot puffs with minced meat inside or drier masala and half a boiled egg inside it. Delicious and goes down well with a hot latte. It is so warming for the body at the time I tell ya. Or you can have some pakoda or banana fritters which we make at home using ripe Nendran bananas. If you have a tea shop close to you, like we do, you can instead go and ask for hot vadas for your evening snacks.

These days are multiple cups of coffee days. Not that I drink less coffee on other days but yes these days it’s more of the 4 cups of coffee a day variety rather than the 2 or 3 cups a day version. If not more. Now it’s getting to be close to 4 pm and I usually start craving my coffee at that time. Off to the kitchen!

My Favourite Bars In Cochin

Couchyn at The Grand is a restaurant on Grand Hotel, MG Road Ernakulam in Kochi. It is a preferred destination for several old timers in the city as it is attached to one of the oldest & famous family restaurants in Cochin. A perfect place for wining and dining, drop into enjoy your favorite beverages, cocktails & mocktails. Recommended food pairings are their Trivandrum style chicken, fish fingers, tandoori chicken and French fries.

Blue Rock Resto Bar at Olive Downtown – very cool and awesome location at Kadavanthara. They mix fine dining dishes with fast food and snacks. They have happy hours and offers as well. A tad more expensive than Couchyn. Best pro is that you can get burgers & pizza from the hotel’s cafe downstairs to pair with your beer while you sit in the bar. Recommended is the crispy fried prawns, pork chops & their pizzas.

The Ava Lounge & Bar is hotel Raddison Blu’s bar which is on the 6th floor. Comfy chairs and Couches, thoughtful and polite staff, variety of beer, wine and liquor with a great ambience & service. Decent prices for 5 star hotel however you must go during their happy hours from 11am-4pm. Afghani chicken, tempura prawns and French fries are the only food I have tried from there and I highly recommend them. It tends to get crowded during the evenings and on weekends.

Heavy Rainfall Lashes The State Of Kerala

Flooding rains have been lashing the state of Kerala for the past few days which light breaks in between. Some parts of the state have seen some disruption regarding these heavy rainfall activities that have been over the state for quite a while. During the last 48 hours from 8:30 AM on Tuesday, some parts of Kerala recorded three digit rain as well including the cities of Kozhikode where 115 mm of rains were seen and Kannur where 120 mm rainfall was recorded.

Other parts that saw significant rains include Wayanad 63 mm, Karipur 56 mm, Alappuzha 44 mm, and Thiruvananthapuram 31 mm. Cities of Kannur, Kozhikode, Thallasarry, Kasargode, Wayanad, even going down to Thrissur and Palakkad saw some flooding rainfall activities yesterday as well as today. The Cyclonic Cicrulation over the Southern region is still persisting and the offshore vortex has moved a little inside. Thereafter, some relief can be expected only around May 20. Before that, weather conditions will remain rainy and cause some disruption to the residents of North Kerala.

For us here in Kochi, it has rained so heavily throughout the day and especially at night. It is so cold that I am now sitting in my room starting work and drinking hot black coffee without the ceiling fan switched on. I usually cannot even think of switching the fan off while I am in the room, unless the ac is on full blast. But it is that cool.