KOCHI: Passion is a burning fire, they say. Come hell or high water, some people won’t take a step away from what gets their boats floating. Dr Aysha Abel, a self-proclaimed foodie has such a passion for food. On the phone, Aysha beams as she revealed her culinary adventures. “My PG entrance exam centre was at Thycaud in Thiruvananthapuram.
I had heard great things about the fish fry at a restaurant in Thambanur. I thought my exam was a perfect opportunity to taste it,” she quips. For an exam that starts around 2pm, she reached the entre after 1.50pm. Of course, she was only late because she spent too much time relishing lunch. “Everyone at the centre thought I was late because it rained, but that fish fry was truly great,” she shares.
Even though she was late for the exam, she did get a seat at the Central University of Kerala at Kasargod. Aysha is now doing her PG in Public Health. It’s been almost one and a half year since she started documenting the food journey on Instagram. Initially, she used to share pictures of her restaurant hopping on WhatsApp. But when her friends encouraged her, she decided to give social media a try. That’s how the Instagram channel doc.foodnerd came about.
While visiting any restaurant, the Kollam-native loves to learn about the history of the place and its flavour trails. Ezhuthani Hotel comes to her mind immediately. “They say the restaurant was created by a foreigner around 1948. He had come back from the second world war,” she says. Though Aysha visited many places and tried many cuisines, her favourite is still Kerala food, especially fresh seafood and her mother’s appam and stew. Aysha is someone who loves to eat when she’s sad or happy.
Food is closely related to emotion for her. “While you’re frustrated or sad, it’s a comfort having tasty food, served by a nice waiter. The service matters, it helps your mood. Some restaurants provide that warmth,” she says. For Aysha, the best restaurants are those that serve quality food with good service. Aysha also tried cooking during the first lockdown. “One has to cook when necessary. It’s not bad, but not as fun as eating,” she quips.