KOCHI: Come football season, cafes will transform into sports venues where football fanatics throng to watch the matches, shout, eat, drink and celebrate. Cafe 17 is well known to Kochiites for its football match screenings. During the premier leagues, the cafe will be filled with football fans of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, and their chants, banter, and healthy competitions — all under one roof amid some good food.
The restaurant has now taken the football passion to its fairly new outlet in Ravipuram. The World Cup screening is the talk of the town along with a specifically curated menu just for the game. The quaint space at Ravipuram welcomes one with the flags of all 32 teams hanging in the front. As I opened the door, the heady passion for the game was visible in each corner. The already telecasted matches are being played on the big screen.
The owner of Cafe 17, Praveen Mohan greeted me with a warm smile, his unending love for Manchester United, too, is visible in the interiors. Framed pictures of the ‘Class of 92’, the players who inspired a generation, and MU’s flag all are present. The FIFA menu is galore of fried food. “While watching the sport, the items should not require any cutlery. It should be something to munch on,” says Praveen.
I tried the Nachos Platter first. Nacho chips drizzled with mayo and cheese sauce are a sight for the sore eye. It should be dipped in tangy salsa sauce. Glancing through the menu, what caught my eye was ‘La Pulga’ Dynamite chicken. Seeing Lionel Messi’s nickname on the menu, without further ado, I ordered it. The batter-fried boneless chicken came with a fiery colour. The outer coat mixed with mayo and the spicy Sriracha sauce made it all the more ‘dynamite’, however, the spice level was balanced.
The World Cup screening did witness the footfall of families too. “The sport is slowly picking up. This was a much-required change,” says Praveen, while moving the World Cup Platter to my side. “This one is our fast-moving item,” he points out.
The platter has chicken wings, stir-fried beef, fish fingers made with Mahi Mahi fish, and French fries. The beef is prepared in an oriental way, with slight honey glazing and chilli. Sweetness doesn’t dominate, which makes it better. The juicy smoked chicken wings were the right addition to the platter. However, the fish fingers have a slight fishy taste.
The other item, ‘Rissois De Camarao’, the Portuguese marinated shrimp turnovers, are loaded with cheese, with salsa dip on the side and leafy veggies making it a good combo. And the super crunchy chicken supreme is an excellent choice when the game turns interesting. Under the veg category, the Jalapeno poppers could invite thumbs up from the ‘Mulaku bhajji’ fans out there. Stuffed with cheese, the pan-cooked crumb has a flaky texture.