Toddy Shop ; a Gateway to Kerala Culture — Restaurant in England

If I could 0 rate the service I would have! Such a pathetic service they have. 1. The food took ages to arrive. We were 5 and ordered 5 different items but food was supplied one by one with atleast 20-30 mins in between. So it was like biriyani for my husband came first after a hour of ordering and 25 mins after one curry came with half the appam we had ordered and 30 mins after (after continuously enquiring) 2 other curries came but no appam. Kallu never came until after finishing our meal and asked for it. 2. The girl who served on 21st oct was so rude and unfriendly. She dint want to serve anyone. It was t just us but other tables were complaining too. If we ask her anything she would just back answer negatively. We travelled from sheffield after seeing an insta post about kallu shap - we shouldn’t have. A pregnant lady next to our table asked her why appam isn’t served and she just said to them that they weren’t ordering but talking to each other while she was taking the order and hence she brought kappa? To us whatever we asked she just don’t answer… 3. Some of the food items were really good but some of them were too bad like appam wasn’t well done (was sticky with fresh batter inside) and when mentioned they dint do anything - just heard and walked away. Beef roast was just like a normal beef curry and when asked they said it’s semi gravy and my brother showed them it’s very loose gravy he just argued saying that is how a roast is cooked. 4. Menu was completely different to what they have advertised in their website. No prices were displayed but combo meals weren’t served and the lady said they don’t do them but individual handwritten menu (which wasn’t bad- but no price). When we got the bill nothing was similar to the price in their website. 5. We asked for some warm water for our 5 yr old daughter as she was coughing and not feeling well and girl said we don’t give water and walked away turning her head as if we have disturbed her. The man when asked served us bottle water which was cold and when we asked for half a glass of warm water he said they don’t give tap water hot or cold but only bottle water. We were shocked to see that even after seeing my daughter been sick they dint do anything for us. 6. When we left we just went to reception to share our experience and same person was standing there and a long queue of people waiting to complaint! and that’s when we realised that there were only 2 people to serve customers and till . When we said we travelled from Sheffield and the service were unacceptable he listened for a minute and then left the till to serve without responding! Never had such a bad...

A Memorable Meal with Room for Improvement

Let’s start on a high note—because the food was definitely the star of the show. We spent over £100 and left feeling thoroughly satisfied, thanks to the authentic and delicious flavors. The standout dishes for us were the Kappa, Mussels, Sarbath, and beef—absolutely mouthwatering!

However, a few things prevented this from being a truly flawless dining experience.

Crab Roast and Fish Tawa Fry Disappointment Two dishes we were excited to try—crab roast and fish tawa fry—were unavailable. Nowhere on the menu did it mention that crab roast required pre-ordering, and the “availability board” didn’t give us a heads-up either. It was like going to a concert only to find out your favorite artist isn’t performing.

The Curious Case of the Cold Appam Our appams arrived cold, and upon reordering, we were served what seemed suspiciously like a microwaved appam. While I can’t say for sure, it had that telltale texture of a dish that’s seen more reheats than a TV dinner.

Toilet Troubles The facilities were, shall we say, lacking in hospitality. Neither the male nor female toilets had hot water or soap, which was disappointing. It’s hard to feel refreshed when you’re left scrubbing your hands in cold water like a medieval peasant.

The Mystery of the Missing Fish Curry While reviewing the bill at home, we noticed we had been charged for a fish curry that never made it to the table. What’s more, the waiter had confirmed that all our items had been served. Perhaps the curry is still waiting patiently in the kitchen, wondering when it will get its moment to shine.

The Unsung Hero A special shoutout to the sole waitress who managed to serve the entire restaurant on her own. She was brilliant—quick, efficient, and incredibly hard-working—but we couldn’t help feeling sorry that she didn’t have more support. No one should have to be a one-person army, especially during peak hours.

Final Thoughts Overall, it was a good experience, and we truly enjoyed the food. However, there’s plenty of room for improvement in terms of communication, service, and basic amenities. None of this is directed at any individual, but we do hope the owners take this feedback on board. With a few adjustments, they could turn a good dining experience into an exceptional one.

We’ll be back for the food—but next time, we’ll double-check about the crab roast and fish tawa fry!

PS: We went there...

We were in such a excitement but it was totally flop. We order kappa, meen kari, potti fry, frog and quail fry plus one jar kallu. I asked them and the guy told they import from Sri Lanka and palm toddy fromGhana. However the appearance of toddy was bit different. Looks similar like gruel juice something. Very thick not any smell of normal toddy. However when it tasted I felt it was not original and it is fake. I sometimes try with cocunut water and add some sugar and yeast. It was the similar taste. So guys don’t go there to drink the toddy from Sri Lanka, the same you can make at home costing you £1 or £2 . One glass they cgarge £6.00! One jar consists of 4 glass would be £22.00?. The food except potti was below average. You wont get porotta fresh. They heat the frozen porotta!!. What a joke. I bought one bottle toddy for my friends. None of them liked it. I kept it one side and next day you can see some white and black colour something laying down the bottle. For commercial use they won’t get that much of cocunut water. They also not importing original toddy from Sri Lanka. May be importing palm toddy that can’t consider as cocunut toddy what we get back in Kerala. Next option is to mix with the powder and make it. This type toddy is selling in most toddy shops in Kerala. The original toddy from the cocunut tree is not available. These chemical is very dangerous and regular consumption would cause abdominal cancer. My request to the owner of thattukada please don’t cheat public and you have to tell them how do you prepare this toddy and statutory warning as well. You have to display the certificate from the council that you are selling pure toddy. Otherwise don’t make others fool. The frog and quail fry was not up to the mark. It was not properly cooked and the taste was ugly. They I think used deep fry and the meat was not cooked properly. I won’t recommend anyone visit this restaurant in the...