KOCHI: Walking into Car-Go Bites, an eatery by the national highway that is peacefully tucked away amid the lush green garden of Le Meridian Kochi, you suddenly feel the relief of being outdoors. The make-shift cafe is designed out of a shipping container, with outdoor seating, soft pop playing in the stereo and an interesting menu for you to try out, especially if you are also tired of having spent too long indoors in the last few months.
Car-Go Bites opened in November 2020 as a takeaway only facility but had to close down during the second wave. “But that gave us some time to experiment. We received a lot of feedback for the first menu. The break gave us time to try them out, and also work out a few unique combinations Kochiites will love,” says executive chef Sathish Reddy, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, but has been around the world — Pune to Mexico — in search of undiscovered flavours.
He has added some quirks to make every dish on Car-Go Bite’s menu a treat for your palate, something he calls #inspiredkitchen. For example, the naadan konju wrap, which is a great starter if you are a seafood lover in search of a satisfying short-eat. Also commendable is the tenderloin kanthari roast pizza, which is for the true Malayali in every one of us. In this sinful combination, the Kerala beef roast is stuffed into a cheese pizza — the best of both worlds. “Food is subjective if you ask me. People have different ways of enjoying what they eat. It is this curiosity we want to cater to at Car-Go Bites,” he says.
Even the ordinary items on the menu have been modified to perfection. Like the Chicken Nachos, which comes in layers of chopped onions, guacamole, in-house sauces, coriander and what not! It is an absolute flavour burst to enjoy with your peers. The beef tenderloin burger is a must-have too, with tiny slow-cooked steaks stacked up together to give you moist, juicy bites each time. Friendly advice, it is quite filling, so you might want to save it for the end.
But then, the finishing is definitely dessert, and our top picks are the tender coconut cheesecake and red velvet pudding. Even though Car-Go Bites offers curb pickup by the highway if you are in a hurry, we recommend you sit down and enjoy its ambience and hospitality.
Pet friendly Opens at 4pm
Rs 300 for two Takeaway, car dining available