Restaurants

The Taj Group of Hotels has tried, with limited success, to transform a dull corporate hotel restaurant into something a bit more stylish, by way of pot plants suspended in front of mirrors, a mural and judiciously placed spotlights. As indicated by the name (Quilon is a backwater town in Kerala), South Indian food is the forte and on the whole we couldn’t fault it – though the typical chilli heat of South Indian cuisine is lacking, possibly in deference to Quilon’s clientele of business people and western hotel guests. Ingredients in particular shone throughout, and were especially bright in the starters of Cochin mixed seafood broth (plump prawns, mussels and juicy chunks of fish), and delectably light fillets of breadcrumbed fish. Best main course was crispy fried stuffed squid, the tender sliced cephalopod curled around a minced prawn and crisp spinach filling. A side of mango curry had juicy chunks of fruit in yoghurt, though too few of the curry leaves and mustard seeds we’d relished on previous visits. Guinea fowl stew was soupy, but creamy and tasty. Staff were polite, but failed to explain what the set lunch entailed (main course plus bread and rice, but not side dishes). Breads, rice and beers all come in a number of interesting varieties, though à la carte prices are high. Quilon's approach clearly appeals to the Michelin Guide inspectors, who awarded it a Michelin star in January 2008.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008