Madhu Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Kerala

If you are a seafood lover and you are in Cherthala, you have a few options to choose from. But one place that stands out from the rest is Madhu Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant is run by Madhu Cheta, a friendly and humble host who welcomes his guests with a smile and sometimes even shares his plate with them. I had the chance to visit this place recently and I was amazed by the variety and quality of the dishes they offer.

Madhu Seafood Restaurant is located in the backyard of Madhu Cheta's house, which gives it a cozy and homely feel. The interior is simple but charming, with wooden tables and chairs and a touch of 80s teashop charm. The restaurant only serves lunch, so it's best to call ahead and make a reservation as the seating capacity is limited. The restaurant is also very popular among locals and tourists alike, so be prepared to wait in queue during peak hours.

The menu at Madhu Seafood Restaurant is extensive and impressive. They have at least eight types of fish curries and seven types of fish fries, along with prawns, crabs, squid and other seafood delicacies. All the seafood is fresh and sourced from the nearby lake or sea. The prices are reasonable, but some dishes can be on the higher side depending on the availability and size of the fish.

How does Madhu Seafood Restaurant compare with other restaurants in Cherthala? Well, I have tried a few other places like Tharavadu Restaurant, Hotel Aryaas and Hotel Prakash, but none of them could match the taste and quality of Madhu Cheta's food. The other restaurants have more variety in terms of vegetarian and non-seafood dishes, but they lack the freshness and authenticity of Madhu Cheta's seafood. The other restaurants also have more spacious and modern interiors, but they lack the warmth and hospitality of Madhu Cheta's place. The other restaurants also serve dinner, but they don't have the same crowd and buzz as Madhu Cheta's place during lunch time.

I ordered a lot of items from the menu, but I liked only fried fish and ice cream. The fried fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, seasoned with spices and curry leaves. I tried the podimeen (sardine), avoli (pomfret) and karimeen (pearl spot), and they were all delicious. The ice cream was homemade and creamy, with flavors like vanilla, chocolate and mango.

The fish curries were not very impressive for me. They all tasted similar, with a red gravy made of tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, tamarind and coconut milk. I tried the varal (snakehead) curry and the neymeen (seer fish) curry, which came with one whole fish each in the gravy. They were good, but not great. I preferred to have them with kappa (tapioca) rather than rice, as it was more filling and satisfying.

The service at Madhu Seafood Restaurant was friendly and attentive. The staff was quick to take orders and serve food. Madhu Cheta himself was very accommodating and took preferences into account. He also offered a complimentary lemon tea at the end of the meal, which was refreshing and soothing.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience at Madhu Seafood Restaurant. It is a fine dining spot that offers delicious, authentic Kerala-style seafood at reasonable prices. With its homely ambiance, warm hospitality and standout dishes, it's no wonder why this eatery is so popular among locals and tourists alike. If you are ever in Cherthala, don't...

What a fantastic place. Easily the best seafood specific restaurant that I've visited by a long shot. Madhoo's is a house that's converted into a restaurant, with a non AC and AC section behind the house. From the road you're able to sense the aroma of coconut oil and fresh fish, causing your mouth to Salivate and the stomach to begin the 'rumbling'. The place was absolutely jam packed on a WEEKDAY, which only goes to show the hype behind the place! We waited for a while before we were seated, and we were handed plates immediately. In the beginning they served the side characters i.e Choru, Avial, Upperi etc. Tasted fine I guess.

Then came out first order. Prawns fry, which was a banger of an opener. The prawns were LARGE. Shallow fried in a masala which is addictive, moderately spicy and the flavour of coconut oil. A bit of the masala, prawns and Rice mixed together proved to be a deadly combination, which warranted a repeat of the same order. Next came the karimeen, deep fried pearlspot, crispy on the outside, tender meat on the inside. The only minus was the bones, which proved to be a bit annoying. Then came the Neymeen/ Seer fish! Fantastic is the word. Large steak like pieces of fish, soft, meaty and rich marinated in a fantastic masala! I thought that this was the high point of the meal but no, there's more!

The Podimeen came next, I don't know what it is but it was delicious. Deep fried fish, which is made into a ?powder of sorts fried with curry leaves and pepper, was crispy, but still retained a bit of the meaty texture with the curry leaves adding to the mix giving it a potpourri of tastes and textures! This would be a fantastic bar snack! Podimeen and a pint of beer on a warm day, sounds fantastic! Last was the Maththi/ Mackerel. Had ordered it for the sake of nostalgia, and had served its purpose as well. Fried to perfection, with the tiny bones causing no problem whatsoever. With the rice that was remaining, we'd ordered some fish curry and that sealed the deal. To close things up and cool our burning tongues, we'd treated ourselves to a bit of ice cream.

To sum it up, Madhu's is definitely one of the best places I've ever had seafood at, and the pricing for the amount of food consumed by 12 people, is quite great. A definite must visit if someone goes...

I visited this place on 30/07/23, 1PM. I had Neymeen fry, chemmeen roast, Kalanji fry and Karimeen fry. Kalanji and karimeen was good, the masala mix with fresh coconut oil was very special. Neymeen(king fish) fry was really good, one of the best I've ever had. But Chemmeen(Prawns) roast, it was the best ever chemmeen roast I've ever had in my life. I could eat a whole vessel of rice with that chemmeen roast. Now apart from the food, there is no service in this place. You have to find plates and line up inside the busy kitchen if you want to eat anything cooked. The chechis working there are frustrated because of the crowd inside. It might take 30 mins to 45 mins to get or collect everything u need from that kitchen. I would suggest u make ur colleague find a seat while you gather food from the kitchen, otherwise u might have to eat standing. Rice, sambar, pulissery will be placed on the table, pickle, aviyal and olan will be place in the plate itself. After finishing your food u can pay the chechi sitting there beside the kitchen, they do not keep account of the quantity of food you take. What you report there they give u bill for. Eventhough there is a Parking ground it will never be enough for the crowd there. I parked on the highway and walked 150 m to the place. The road is also very narrow for two cars to pass in opposite directions. Even though the service and atmosphere was poor, I would definitely go again for the wonderful food. I wish they developed it or relocated it to somewhere big and accessible. Ps: wear your working clothes as you might get a splash of boiling oil or masala from the rush...