Kazhakkoottam in Thiruvananthapuram has upped the ante as a food paradise

Dawn to midnight eateries in and around Kazhakkoottam make it a gourmand’s dream come true

Whether it be a Tamil Nadu-style biriyani at 3am,  porotta and Vizhinjam chicken fry, a plate of  kappa biriyani or  irachi choru, or shawarma, rolls and burgers with shakes, juice, tea and coffee, Kazhakkoottam awaits gourmands, day in and out.

It is no surprise that the Kerala government has included Lulu Mall-Kazhakkoottam [Technopark] stretch as one of the corridors for its proposed nightlife project. The NH66 bypass and service roads are teeming with food spots, big and small. Except for a few places that close at 11pm, the rest are open till 1am or even 3am.

It is not just the IT workforce in Technopark and the nearby campuses of Infosys, UST and TCS that throng the eateries. “On weekends, we have people coming in from the city in large numbers. Nearly 60% of the customers fall into that category,” says Sarith Shershah, owner of Turf Café, famous for its coffee, burgers, shakes, and various continental delicacies. Kiran V, an IT professional, adds: “The service road, especially the one from near Kulathoor to Technopark Phase III gate, has become a food street. Although COVID-19 forced many to shut shop, new eateries have sprung up after the lockdown.”

The most-talked-about spot these days is Saranyaa Mess on Attinkuzhy Road, where biriyanis are available from 3am to 11.30pm. It is the dream project of Salem-based Saranya, who works with an MNC in Technopark. “My parents were in this field long ago. When I came to Thiruvananthapuram five years ago, I missed out on a place where I could have a heavy meal after my night shift, like the joints in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where I used to work earlier. Biriyani was the best option for me. It was meant mainly for those who work the night shifts.”

To her surprise, customers began arriving at her restaurant from the city too. “Social media gave us so much publicity that there were days when people used to queue up by 2.30am,” says Saranya.

The 50-seater, non-descript place on the first floor has 21 staff working in different shifts from 1am to keep the kitchen running, she says. While biriyanis (chicken and mutton) are served throughout the day, the mess also has dosas, idli and kothu porotta among other dishes. On weekends, there is ‘Salem kari virunthu’, a non-vegetarian platter with over 20 items, including chicken and mutton biriyani, curries, fish delicacies etc. It has to be pre-booked though since only 50 of them will be served.

Thiruvananthapuram’s first premium resto bar— BLND, came up on this stretch last year. The ambience, music, food, and, of course, the cocktails and mocktails have made it one of the hotspots to hang out. The menu is an eclectic mix of ethnic and global flavours – fish moilee, Quilon beef roast, mutton coconut fry, noodle rolls, beef bulgogi, steaks, pastas and wraps.