KOCHI: The taste of Angamaly is quite historical. For all those claiming it overrated, I say, "Back off!" Having been on a personal quest myself to subtly introduce this to peers, I stumbled into the Green Piece Hotel incidentally. Nestled in a corner of Angamaly town away from all the hustle and bustle, it stood catering to the steady flow of regular customers. Owned by Benny P J, Shaiju K J and Benny M V who originally run a local catering service 3 Men's Caterers, the hotel, in all its essence, captures the past, present and future of the growing town.
Angamaly is known for its exquisitely prepared non-vegetarian dishes. And that's not just pork and beef; mutton, duck and chicken regularly find its way to the plate. The food itself has a history to tell. Resonating the thought, the dishes on the hotel's menu is curated based on this rich taste. And one of them is the Kallu Ozhicha Tharavu curry. The name automatically transports me to a dear childhood memory my father shared once upon a time. The image of my father's 12-year-old self sneaking a drink from the toddy collector after bribing him is still stuck to my mind. When the dish is placed in front of me, I am instantly wishful of those bygone days. Frustrated by these memories I never got to experience, I tear the warm porotta and plunge it into the curry. The first thing my palate distinguishes is the sweetness of the fresh palm wine. Then comes a mix of tangy and spicy flavours before I can chew into the duck. And I am done for.
As I tormented the wheat porotta, Ranjith A R, chef and the mastermind of the dish, says, "Food is about evoking pleasant memories or experiences in oneself. That's what goes behind each dish." Amen to that.
The next on the agenda is Meen Thullichadiyath. The dish is a fish curry with gravy so thick and rich. But I am still hung over the name. "There isn't a specific fish for the curry. We use all freshwater fish, but it has to be small. Only small fish can move around as freely. Hence, the name," says Ranjith. Body-shaming much? The small fish for the day is pink perch. One bite into it and I see all the problems in my life slowly disappearing. "The rich taste owes to the right marination and the final addition of cashew paste. This is another invention of mine," says Ranjith.
The chef, who has experience working at different hotels in the Gulf and across Kerala, has a YouTube channel 'Chef At Home' on which he daily posts his culinary inventions which eventually finds its way to the hotel menu.
Once I am done with the food, I am suddenly overwhelmed by the graffiti on the walls. "It tells the history of Angamaly and all the goodness it represents," says Benny, one of the owners. On the walls, I see Pepe chasing behind a White Yorkshire. The next second, I am helpless in front of the wielded guns from the infamous police firing, as part of the Vimochana Samaram in 1959. The images go on.
But all I hear is white noise. And the truth that I am home.