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Fish fantasia

The on going Seafood festival at The Grand Hotel has an interesting mix of several fish cuisnes.

AMONG THE fish tales, one that is really appealing over and over again is Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. If you have read the book you will never forget how the old man chews his fish. And that is raw fish. Without lime or salt. But the effect is vicarious. And everytime you eat fish the feeling comes back along with the smells of the sea. That's another thing about fish, they never lose the flavour of their home, however much you cook it. They carry the salty silver sparkle of the sea or the muddy taste of the rivers all the way to your palate with or without the spices.

So, at the Sea Food Festival at Grand Hotel, to chew the fish slowly and thoroughly was the plan. To savour it bite by bite and let it melt on the tongue was of prime importance. However, attacking the Red Cooked Pomfret slowly was not an easy task. Done in Chinese style the pomfret was batter fried and tossed in red chilly sauce topped with onions and cashewnuts. The nuts made an interesting crunch with the hot chilly fish. It was perfect. If you order this you might have to still an urge to gobble up fish bones and all.

Small is tasty

A small fish the Kozhva is one of the most unassuming of all fishes but when they are skewered on a stick and deep fried it becomes a startling starter and Kozhva peera is as much savoured for its tangy coconut taste as the crisp fried version. But the chef at Grand Hotel K.A. Joseph has another variation to offer at the festival Kozhava vathichathu. The taste of curry leaves and the sour hot Kozhva goes well with white rice and moru curry. But the Podimeen Porichathu or the Kozhava deep-fried has the edge. Anytime. As a starter, as a snack and even accompanying the main course. And it is there for the asking.

Wonderful mix

The most interesting aspect of this Sea Food Festival is that the menu offers a mixture of Continental, Chinese, Indian and Thai. Fish chowder is continental and the only soup on the menu. There is however a variety of starters and very innovative ones at that. Chemeen vada is much like the parrupu vada but diced chemmeen is added. Chemmeen Pappadom Roll like the name suggests has the chemmeen stuffed in pappads. For the main course there is a choice of Tai Ha Hunan a spicy prawn dish, Tandoori Pomfret, Lobster Thermidor, Kung Po Thirutha or even the good old Ayila roasted. And there is nothing suspiciously fishy about this fish tale. It is fishy only in the fish sense and is worth the try.

MINU ITTYIPE

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