Trilogi,
Crowne Plaza, Kochi
Review
& Photographs By Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)
Kerala
Cuisine At Its Creative Best!
"Trilogi" at the Crowne Plaza, Kochi in its new avatar, is
an exclusive restaurant that celebrates a historic culinary re-unification of
the three erstwhile princely states of Travancore in the south, Kochi in the
centre and Malabar to the north, which were merged to make the geographic
entity which we all recognise today as Kerala. What I found most unique about my
experience of Malayali cooking at Trilogi was this innovative interpretation given
to age old classics by the immensely talented and creative team of Executive
Chef Rajeev Menon and South Indian Master Chef Rejimon.
In my casual chat with Chef Rejimon I learnt that he
had invested the better part of the past year criss-crossing Kerala, visiting and
learning from various households, street-side stalls, hotels and individuals
who were renowned for recipes that rank among the best in whatever food they
choose to specialise in. After that eye-opening journey of gastronomic discovery,
Chef Rejimon is now unlocking those priceless secrets into his adaptations of Malayali
staples at Trilogi.
We were privileged to sample a few of his innovative
interpretations. For starters we had our perennial favourite the Travancore- Beef
Dry Fry or BDF as it is popularly called. Those deep fried tenderloin cubes
were tender and succulent rich in a hot marinade of traditional spices. The magic
kick to the taste was impacted by the subtle flavours oozing from those few
unpeeled whole cloves of garlic that were added to the frying. That smart addition
took this dish to a whole different level altogether.
The crunchy Malabar- Seafood Vada Masala is an innovative and fishy twist given to the popular Kerala teatime snack Parippu Vada. Fish, prawns and squid are ground and mixed with fresh masala then deep fried and served with a spicy Kokum topping. Chef Rejimon has also invented a wonderful inter-continental fusion of European cheese on Vietnamese fish marinated in Kerala spices called Travancore- Meen Chuttathu. This is a Basa filet which is marinated in a secret spice-mix and grilled in an oven topped with an assortment of finely chopped vegetables, grated coconut and mozzarella cheese, it tasted simply sublime.
The aromatic Malabar- Seafood Thengapal Soup is a
delicately spiced coconut milk soup with tender morsels of finely chopped seafood.
Here again the Chef added his flair with some finely grated tender coconut
shavings that made this already flavourful soup even more delectable and creamy.
In the mains we thoroughly enjoyed the Chef’s signature
dish Malabar- Idiappam Chemmeen Biryani. You would love to know that this dish had
also won him an award recently for its originality in an all Kerala Chef’s Rice-Dish
Competition. Its laborious and complex construct involves sandwiching a base
and top layer of string-hoppers or Idiappam made from roasted white rice flour mixed
in hot water and a pinch of salt kneaded into smooth dough with a dollop of
ghee which is then finally pushed through a presser which shapes it into multiple
curly noodles of damp rice strings that one can shape as desired, with that complex
mid layer, which will make or break the Biryani. This crucial layer is a wholesome mix of flavours that
envelop the biryani-masala spiced medium-sized shrimps. The secret of getting
this dish to explode in one’s mouth with flavours is the expertise of Chef
Rejimon in ensuring that the Chemmeen remains crunchy when it is served. Over umpteen experiments he has mastered the
timing of exposing the delicate shrimp to a mix of in-pan sautéing and steam-cooking.
The presentation on a egg-shaped smooth round-edged triangular serving plate with that unique round bird’s nest of intertwined thin Pappadam strips
was visually immaculate and tasted divine.
Finally, the dessert which capped off a memorable dinner
was the Kochi- Vazhapoo Ilaneer Payasam, which involves slow-cooking banana flower
with the fluffiest part of the tender coconut in a reduction of coconut milk and jaggery. This
perfectly complements the grated coconut and jaggery stuffed steamed rice pancake
called Kochi- Ela Ada.
Where a majority of chefs are guilty of taking cooking very
literally and overcooking all the ingredients without any method to the madness,
the gifted chefs like Rejimon stand out for their understanding of abstruse
nuances of food especially spices. How it behaves and how much is enough? He
has understood the intricate art of letting each ingredient bloom and be there
for a reason to add texture to the complexity of the flavours he is trying to create.
When one imbibes food from such a creative master-craftsman, in a setting of warm
ambience served by the fabled faultless waiting team of Crowne Plaza, one tastes bliss.
Trilogi is slowly and steadily climbing the popularity
charts, as the word is spreading like wildfire and since this is a dinner
service only restaurant, I understand it gets very busy over the weekends, so one
is best advised to make a reservation to avoid a wait and also block a suitable
table for your numbers in the more intimate inner Kochi section of the
restaurant. Thank you Culinary Team-Crowne Plaza for this delicious and enchanting
Kerala Food experience. We are already looking forward to our next visit to
indulge in the many untried delicacies awaiting discovery.
Trilogi
Crowne Plaza,
Kundanoor Junction,
NH 47 Bypass,
Maradu,
Kochi
Reservations Call - 0484-2865000
