Zoka — Restaurant in Kerala

Trilogi: With names like Chemmeen Ilayappam, Attirachi Mutta Churuttu Curry, Semiya Lakkottappam, one cannot help but wonder about their origins. The Trilogi restaurant at Crowne Plaza, Kochi, has its name derived from the three erstwhile kingdoms of Kerala – Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. And as one can guess, the dishes served at the place are from these regions. However, it is not the common fare that is dished out at Trilogi, which is known for their unique preparations of Kerala cuisine. Seafood Thenga Pal Soup and Idiyappam Chemmeen Biriyani are among the most popular in the menu, with the latter even gaining a fandom among celebrities such as Manju Warrier, Poornima and Indrajith.

Another highlight and success mantra of Trilogi is their constantly updated menu, which changes every year. This ensures that the curiosity is kept alive among the diners to keep coming back and trying out their novel meals. Even the conventional dishes like Theeyal and Aviyal will have a twist from their side.

Idiyappam Chemmeen Biriyani is a hugely popular dish which has firmly cemented its place in the ever changing menu at Trilogi, is influenced by the traditional Malabari dish - Noolputtu Biriyani, where the Noolputtu and spiced prawn mixture is layered like biriyani. At Trilogi, the chefs have improvised by stuffing the prawn mixture inside the idiyappam.

Seafood Thenga Pal Soup: The story behind the creation of this dish goes that once a famous Malayalam director from the film industry stepped into Trilogi and asked for a special and creative seafood soup which he had never tasted before. The chef at Trilogi took it as a challenge and thought of different flavours that go well with seafood. He combined coconut, coriander, and other ingredients with the seafood, thus resulting in the birth of the soup, which gained great appreciation with the director, who ended up recommending it to his friends.

Muringa Kanthari Beef: It is a regional meat preparation from Kanjoor - a place near Angamaly. Kaanthari mulaku and the bark of the drumstick tree are used to make the gravy for this dish. The medicinal values of kaanthari and drumstick help to minimise the cholesterol content in the beef.

Koon Niracha Pathiri: The well-known pathiri from North Malabar, especially Thalassery and Malappuram, is given an exclusive flourish at Trilogi where the master chef moulds the steamed rice dough into parcels filled with peppery mushroom mixture.

Neyyada: It is a sweet pancake with cashewnuts and sultana raisins. This kind of pancake is made in the Malabar region of Kerala. A hot favourite during the month of Ramadan, it is one of the preferred dishes to be had while...

This venue was our final dinner option before we flew back to our residing countries. We were super hyped to try their Teppanyaki set menu which obviously costs $$$$$$$. The hopes were so high given this is Crown Plaza and it's Kochi!.

To our fate, our expectations were crushed by the ignorance and lack of awareness of how a Teppanyaki needs to be prepared. The cherry on top was the gap in communicating we could choose our sauce base as every single item tasted of Soya. The salt level was so high that my niece was so hyper through out the night like a bulb that had the world's energy sucked into it! Also the waiting time for our dishes - too long. We are very patient but with Teppanyaki comes a smooth process of freshly made dishes that are served right away. Waiting time per dish was 15 mins. Also imagine cooking seafood that long, they were stronger than Michelin/Bridgestone tyre.

We obviously communicated our concerns in a kind manner. There is a huge gap in communication plus a huge gap in understanding the basics of Teppanyaki. Please train up your chef as this is a star hotel and let's not ruin standards for yourselves!.

Flip side - desserts were delicious and they offered a 10% discount.

verdict: Teppanyaki - "don't...

I was checking on a few places in Kochi to host a small family gathering when I chanced upon Crowne Plaza. Benny ( the ever charming restaurant manager) took me around at the available options at Crowne Plaza and I zeroed on Trilogi for the traditional style and menu options they were offering. I explained to Benny about what I had in mind about the gathering and I left it to Benny to manage the details. On the special day, to my absolute wonder, the restaurant was arranged in a manner which was outside my wildest dreams. To up the ante,Benny and team kept us searching for words, with their impeçcable service and even more impressive dishes from the starters to the dessert. The Vazhapoo cutlet, Vanchikkaran Meen curry and Vazhapoo payasam were the most favored in our group. The Blueberry White Chocolate cake that we ordered was also mouth watering. The only disappointment were the limited options of beverages being available from the menu. But thats a very tiny dot on one of the best and unforgettable memories in our families, especially it being the celebration of the special day of my younger one. Kudos Benny and team for everything, and highly recommend Trilogi as a must...