Cochin Delights — Restaurant in Ontario

When it comes to London, ON, you don't really think of finding variety in cuisines and that too ones that provide an authentic experience as possible. My cousins studying in London heard about this new place and we thought of checking it out for dinner and we were quite happy with our experience.

Ambiance/Cleanliness: Ambiance was average. It's quite a typical setting with not much frills or fanciness. The restaurant and the washroom were quite clean. The only weird feeling was that if it's a Kerala restaurant, I expect Malayalam songs to be played especially with the amazing music that this region produces. I was quite disappointing to hear only Hindi songs playing in the background. It could have been the right balance of Malayalam and Hindi songs at least.

Menu: We were given both a specials menu and a regular menu. Adhering to it's Kerala roots the menu predominantly featured the favorites. Many sea food varieties, followed by chicken and beef dishes. The soups section was quite a misplaced section with predominantly Chinese items. They could have avoided this and have some classics like pepper rasam, pepper, chicken soup etc. Also the section on Chinese cuisine seems to bit off, given that it's Kerala-Indian cuisine. I am sure people can find better Chinese places in London.It was also quite surprising to not find Appam/Puttu etc. in the menu which are classic Kerala Items. But given the location of London, I am ok with having a menu featuring North Indian dishes catering to that demographic as well. But definitely they should put away the Chinese items.

Food: We ordered a mix of items both from the specials and the regular menu. We ordered the Avoli Cherulli Peralan (Pomfret in banana leaf and spices), Koondal Dry Fry (Calamari fry), Mushroom Masala, Masala Dosa, Roti, Veg Biriyani, Kulikki Sherbet and Mango Delight as drinks and Elaneer Pudding (young coconut pudding) as dessert.

I would say the flavors were slightly above average. It could have been slightly more better in flavor. They have tried hard to be authentic as possible but the flavours need to shine a bit more. It was a bit underplayed in my opinion to completely enjoy these items. The cuttlefish was a fried a bit too much and the masala was also too much. So the flavor of the cuttlefish didn't come through. The fish was probably the best out of the lot. Good portion size and ratio with the spices added. But the flavor could have been better. The mushroom curry was more north indian style which was good too. Could have had more mushrooms as the tomato and onions were a bit much. Masala dosa was a tad bit less crispy than what I am used to, but the flavors were alright. The veg biriyani was typical. The Elaneer pudding was also decent. I would say my favorite out of the entire lot was the Kullikki sherbet drink. It was an unusual drink with a mix of sweet and spice. Gave a nice kick when we had it.

Service: The service was quite good. A bit mellow on the enthusiasm but it wasn't bad either. They kept on forgetting the utensils for the dishes but that was a minor issue.

Verdict: Overall it was a good experience. Given the location I think it would have a lasting run. My only suggestion is to not reduce the authentic flavors. We can be mindful of the "hot" levels but the spices should not be compromised. There are enough North Indian restaurants everywhere. Stick to the Kerala dishes primarily and that would be your star factor. If they work on this (given that they are only few weeks old) and maintain the current standards on other areas they will have quite a bit of a...

Edit: 29 Dec 2024

Today we ordered the Jerusalem Pothucurry. While the stew itself was flavorful, I was disappointed by the excessive amount of fat pieces in it. It looked to me as if the chef maintained a 1:1 ratio for actual meat cubes to fat cubes. Considering the stew also included potatoes, carrots, and squash that was a disappointment.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve faced this issue here. About two months ago, I ordered the beef roast and encountered the same problem with too many fat pieces. At the time, I brought it to the staff’s attention, and they replaced the dish with a proper beef roast containing just beef cubes. They assured me they would address this issue moving forward, but it seems the promise was short-lived, as the Jerusalem Pothucurry faced the same problem.

On a positive note, the servers were receptive to my concerns. They replaced the dish, waived the charge for it, and even offered complimentary mango pudding, which I genuinely appreciated.

Aside from this, the other dishes we ordered were mostly satisfying. The Duck Mappas, Pidi Kozhichurry, Appam, Chicken Noodles, tea, and coffee were delicious and well-prepared. However, the Beef Cutlet was a major letdown—it was burnt, had an off taste, and contained more potato than beef.

Overall, while I appreciate the staff’s willingness to address complaints, the inconsistency with beef dishes remains a recurring issue. There’s room for improvement, particularly in ensuring that beef dishes contain actual beef rather than excessive fat.

First review from 4 years ago:

The service was very good and the staff were very pleasing. Beef fry and porotta was a deadly combo. Beef fry triggered the memories of home. You should share the recipe of it. The beef roast was also good. But the ghee roast and masaladosa didn't meet our expectations.

Verdict: Beef fry...

I visited this restaurant absolutely a No Go place to me unless they change their serving plates (not so cleaned can be seen in the picture with the dosa only) and cutlery. Served with the only dosa without the sambhar and chutney, got them Separate and took them 3 minutes meanwhile dosa was not warm enough. First restaurant ever seen that serves them separate. Even though I told the sever who took my order, it’s my first time here. They really don’t even care for the first time customer. The wahroom is a complete mess and stinking I have attached the pictures of the dirty sinks, wet floor, toilet smell very bad and sticky floor. I don’t even know how on earth can such a Restaurant still be in business ? It seems like fake reviews posted or May be requested who knows! While I was waiting for my orderd food (dosa) at the table I turned around at some Point and I witnessed 2 servers/ girls drinking water from the water jug, straight from the seving jug ! That’s absolutely inhumane behaviour can’t be tolerated at any cost, didn’t hesitate and confronted them at the checkout desk and they felt sorry about it anyways but the damage was allready done and on top of that they still has the audacity to hand you the paying machine with the tip to option. I am a kind of a person I appreciate where it is due, but this is something, this experience has disappointed me in many years. The restaurant owner needs to take professional measures. I doubt what the kitchen might be looking like Inside if the front has so much to deal with. Though the Dosa was well made with the right amount for the filling however like I said sambhar and chutney not served withy the dosa needs a fix. Not visiting...