Following recent comments on the forum, I was a little nervous that a meal at Cochin could take some time coming but decided to go ahead a book a table nevertheless. 

Even at 7.45pm on a Saturday evening the restaurant was already busy and the staff very welcoming. So far so good! We placed our orders - and settled in to some black lentils and rice flour poppadoms with three great dips - all smooth and offering very different flavours - sweet mango, raita but smooth and a fabulous spicy tomato chutney (so good we had to order two portions as my father adored the tomato chutney!)

The menu concentrates on dishes from the Kerala region of south west India. Cochin is a city in the south west coast which apparently has a great natural harbour which attracted all the spice traders in the past and they & their products have left a great impact on the city's cuisine - I did get that from the menu and not my geography A Level from a while back!

The items we ordered certainly did back the fact about spice traders as the blends of taste were fabulous in all four dishes - none were overpowered by oil too often found in lesser establishments and if you are not keen on coconut in your curry then this may not be the restaurant for you but I highly recommend you give it a try - your tatsebuds will be pleasantly tantalised.

The Meen Mollee was according to my mother very tasty although her preference would be smaller pieces of fish rather than a whole piece, the Nadan Kozhy Curry my husband ordered went down very well with all of us! Tender chicken in a smooth sauce from the blend of ginger, garlic, pepper and green chilies with curry leaves - not one taste dominates the dish.

My father & I went for lamb dishes - the Kochi Varattiyathu & Aattirachi Curry - both very succulent and tasty with blends of coconut,shallots, fennel seeds, curry leaves and plum tomatoes and chilies, ginger,garlic and tomatoes for the latter. All washed down with Cobra lager, but for this that prefer wine there is an extensive wine list both new and old world wines ranging from £11 - 18 excluding champagnes - they give wine recommendations with every item on the menu.

Main dishes range from £6.25 - £12.50 for a Tiger prawn curry, vegetarian curries are priced from £3.95 - £4.95 (the vegetable side dishes are all priced at £3.25).

The decor is sophisticated (no flock wallpaper nor bright colours) and comfortable, with linen tableclothes and generous napkins. We left feeling well fed but not stuffed satisfied that the dishes were fresh and really relatively healthy! The evening bill was under £80 and Acto the Manager informed us that the menu os about to be extended to offer even more choice to the customer - we will certainly be returning and recommend that you give it a try.

 

Sandi Bloomfield