Restaurants

The house (bhavan) of Krishna and his paramour Radha is a vision of high kitsch. The walls are papered with giant photos of sunsets and beach scenes; a dummy of a kathakali dancer in full costume stands in one corner. Temple elephant brass decorations and other Keralite knick-knacks are everywhere. But the reason that Radha Krishna Bhavan has very loyal customers is not the crazy decor, its because the cooking of the South Indian dishes is consistently good, and prices are low. The several varieties of dosa are all tip-top, with thin, crisp batter and well-spiced sambar and fillings. The thorans (dry vegetable stir-fries) are excellent: enough to win over anyone who despised school boiled cabbage and vinegared beetroot. Dishes such as kappa (cassava root) and kadala (black chickpea curry) make a nice change once youve worked your way through the more usual Keralite seafood and vegetable curries. The only food wed advise against ordering is the bog-standard curry house fare: to choose this is to miss the point.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008