KOCHI: With lockdown-related restrictions now completely eased in Kochi, many city residents are exploring eating out options. To cater to this demand, multiple dine-in spaces have also sprung up across the city. Many Kochiites who were hesitant to venture into the food business have also started setting up outlets after the third wave subsided. Arabic and Turkish cuisines and continental dishes have the most demand, claim many food owners. Many dine-in spaces are staying open late into the night nowadays.
“Having spent almost two years indoors, people are willing to experience things which they couldn’t earlier. For instance, if you drive from Aluva to Edappally, you can spot hundreds of restaurants that are open late into the night. A few years ago, this wasn’t the case,” said Alex Jo, an IT professional, who is also a food blogger. Families are also stepping out with their kids to eat at night.
The case is no different at beer and wine parlours across the city. “This Wednesday night, three of us went out to get drinks. We visited three beer and wine parlours in the Kaloor-Kadavanthra area, but they were all packed and parking was full. The spaces have also been done up well to welcome the post-pandemic crowd. Before the pandemic, you would hardly find such rush in Kochi’s hang out spaces on a weekday,” says Neethu Joseph, a doctor living in the city.
Along with restaurants, cafes in Kochi are also experiencing an expansion. “Earlier, though Kochi had cafes, none were great or served enough international flavours. Coffees, regular burgers, and sandwiches were all we had. Now the options are umpteen, there are places which explore good continental dishes, snacks to artisanal ice creams,” says Alex
European, Italian, and fusion flavours are selling well in all cafes across the city. “In Kochi, it is hard to survive with a specialised cuisine. People love to experiment here. People are also looking to have a good time in places that have a good ambience — the “instagrammable cafes,” quips Teenu Terrence, a food blogger.
Health comes first
Lockdown also seems to have made Kochiites health conscious. For some, a break from fast food during the lockdown made them rethink their options. “For the sake of my health, I quit depending on frozen junk food I was so used to before the pandemic. Instead, I now rely on sprouts and microgreens. I started exploring other healthy diet options too. There are so many new vegans and vegetarians in my friends’ circle,” says Jiddhu Satyan, an ardent foodie and a businessman.
To cater to this demand, many new healthy eating spaces have also come up in the city. Green Bowl a restaurant in Panampilly Nagar known for its varied salads including Brocolli Apple, roasted greens orange and pineapple chicken is one of the top spots for health lovers in the city. “We started last year. At the time, there weren’t many restaurants that gave healthy eating options exclusively, especially salads. But now, footfall has increased. The choice of a healthy lifestyle seems to be catching up in the city,” says Jobin John, founder and chef.