Pisharody’s: an ethnic restaurant that exudes architectural finesse
From raw food restaurants to organic eateries, Kerala’s food entrepreneurs have lately been thinking out of the box in terms of the hearty fares they offer. Gluten-free, uncooked, and open kitchen are just some of the many food trends restaurants have been picking up on.
The latest to rent seats on the bandwagon and ride it through is Pisharody’s. Once an abandoned, dilapidated ancestral house in Thrissur, Pisharody’s offers you a scrumptious meal in the lap of architectural antiquity.
With a mighty padippura for a gate, the restaurant welcomes you to an elevated poomukham (veranda). Everything old and antique adorn the veranda – an archaic arm chair, palm-leaf hand-fans, palm-leaf umbrellas, and hanging wooden bhasma-bowls to name a few. The traditional brass urns and bell metal spittoons take us straight to the good old days of yore. The wooden doors with interlocks, sloppy roof tiles and planked ceilings lend a palatial ambiance to the restaurant.
Pisharody’s is known for its lunch, served traditionally in a banana leaf. With almost eleven dishes, including banana chips, aviyal and sambar, the lunch you get here is pure delight for anyone with a discerning palate. The restaurant also has a wide array of dosas, most of which have been conceptualized by themselves. ‘Kappa masala dosa,’ a large roasted dosa with boiled spiced tapioca does magic with a decoction coffee. There are more than 32 varieties of dosas here. ‘Open masala dosa,’ ‘gobi masala dosa,’ ‘sweet masala dosa,’ ‘coconut oothappam,’ and ‘uluva (fenugreek) dosa’ are the most popular ones though. A plate of dosa is accompanied by sambar, coconut chutney and two varieties of sauces – one made of onion and the other of red chilly.
An exceptional feature regarding the food here is that everything comes with a dab of puli-inji (ginger-tamarind pickle). You can also chew beetle leaves and areca nuts from a thaamboola thalika (pan platter) kept at the veranda.
It was almost three years ago that a Coimbatore-based hotelier bought this iconic property at Kuruppam, opposite Thekkinkadu Maidan. In no time, the themed restaurant with ethnic cuisine turned out to be a favorite hang-out place among foodies in and around Thrissur town; thanks to its reasonable price, fair quantity and good quality food.
The team also undertakes catering services, maintaining a standard in flavoring, spicing and table-services. The variety in payasams is another distinguishing factor about the menu here. Starting from the basic pradhamans such as paalada and parippu (dal), Pisharody’s kitchen is home for some exquisite dessert varieties such as mango payasam, carrot desserts and a variety of frozen gelatos.
