KOCHI: Pravinkoodu Shappu is a no-frills eatery jetting out to the paddy field, but the place serves the yummiest quail egg roast. Beef and banana-fry seems like the weirdest combination ever, but it’s only till you visit Sree Muruga Cafe at Tripunithura. Want to taste the best tangy-spicy fish pickle? Head straight to Hotel Sivamayam in Idukki. Be it pazhamkanji or seafood spaghetti, landing in the right food joint is a cakewalk if you have TastySpots to guide you. Launched about five months back, the android app features nearly 350 listings, complete with pictures, video and map. “Our USP is the quality content we provide, it’s genuine and unbiased,” says Abdul Manaf, founder and CEO.
Dish-oriented navigation is one key feature of the app, as it offers an array of options based on your location. “The app is all the more helpful if you are travelling. It takes you to the best local eateries,” he says.
It also takes the user on a virtual trip so that you get a feel of its ambience. “There are very crowded places that may not be fit for a comfortable family outing. After watching the one-and-a-half-minute video you can decide whether to go there or not,” he adds.
Though many fine dining restaurants are featured, their focus is desi, less-known places that serve excellent food. It took the team two years to compose the data of 300 plus eateries with videos and all other details.
“Now that we already have a platform it’s easier. At first it was difficult to convince the owners who seemed skeptical about our motives. Now all we need is to mention our name,” says Alan, project lead.
He adds TastySpots was not conceived as a restaurant directory and they are not interested in increasing the numbers. “It’s more like a curated list so we are keen on keeping the numbers fixed. Once we reach the limit we will add a new one only after omitting a comparatively less-recommended name.”
There are celebrated names like Paragon
and Kayees, but along with them you will find unheard joints located in far-flung places.
“In Paravoor there is a place run for boatmen known as Nair Kada. There is no road and you will have to walk for some time. You get puttu and special dal powder along with home-made halwa or laddu. Most of such joints are not run for money, they take over from their ancestors and enjoy serving food,” he says.
TastySpots also have an option where users can suggest good places that are not listed in the
app. “When we get reasonable number of recommendations we visit the place and if we find it good we include it,” he adds. He says only a very small percent of the food courts they visit get into the list, “we also make sure that the place is more than two years old, especially in cities. Some of them get great reviews in the beginning, but after six months they end up mediocre and eventually shut down.”