My friend Chef Naren Thimmaiah from the Karavalli at the Gateway Hotel on Residency Road, Bangalore has been invited to participate as a guest chef in the World Gourmet Summit 2005 at Singapore.
For the past years, the event has served as a stage for internationally renowned Chefs and restaurant owners to share new trends in enhancing dining experiences and provide guests with the opportunity to savor some of the best culinary creations from around the world. In its history so far from 1997 only 3 Chefs from India have been invited for this event and now Chef Thimmaiah who has been one of the main architects in designing the cuisine served at the Karavalli restaurant and who has trained in the households of Mangalore and the Malabar Coast in mastering the cuisine has been invited for the summit that is to be held from 23rd April 2004 to 29th April 2004.
The specialty restaurant serving food from south west coast of India has acquired a special niche for itself in the heart of seafood lovers from India and abroad, including my guests who insist on having a meal at Karavalli before they return.
Karavalli serves ethnic west coast cuisine - Mangalore, Karwar, Coorg, Goa and Malabar. Karavalli or the land by the sea, stretches from the rugged coastline of Kerala to the sun drenched beaches of Goa on India’s West Coast. As spectacular and surprising as the countryside is the cuisine of its many communities, which were confined by and large to family kitchens, until Karavalli at Gateway Hotel captured and showcased them. Created from local spices, red chilies, coconut, pepper, fresh fish, meats and vegetables of the coast, the cuisine of the Bunts of Mangalore, the Coorgis, the Malayalis and the Portuguese of Goa are a delight to the senses. Chefs of Karavalli have trained in the Kitchens of traditional homes and still continue to procure ingredients from the original source, like perfectly smoked Kodumpuli from Kerala, Toddy vinegar from Goa and Koondapur coconuts for their firm white flesh. For the final touches of authenticity wood and charcoal fires are still used.
Set under two giant tamarind trees, the restaurant has the cool look of a traditional tiled Mangalorean house, with a lush garden complete with a water cascade which has a bar with a seating capacity of 36 persons, a courtyard rich in foliage and a coastal ambience can seat 34 persons. It also has an air conditioned area which is styled like the living room of the Mangalorean house with wooden flooring and ceiling which can seat 32 persons, but it is the cuisine on offer that comes out the winner.
Hailing from a traditional Coorg family involved in Coffee plantation, Chef Naren Thimmaiah was assigned the kitchen of Karavalli, the coastal cuisine specialty restaurant. He traveled intensively along the Konkan and Malabar coasts often spending days together as understudy to housewives in various traditional households to Master the cuisine of the region.
Other hot selling Mangalorean dishes on the menu are the Kori Kempe (Mangalorean Chilli Chicken)Yetti Ajadina (Prawns in coarse masala), Beeja Manoli upkari (gherkins and tender cashew fry) and Kudu Basale Gassi (Green gram and spinach curry).
Regional delicacies like the Coorg speciality - Coorg fried chicken cooked in a traditional spicy Coog masala, Crab Calicut a specialty from Calicut and the Mangalorean Chicken Curry - Kori Gassi (succulent pieces of chicken cooked in finely ground fresh coconut masala), accompanied by Neer Dosa are only some of the specialties on offer.
Chef Thimmaiah along with 2 chefs from his winning team will be representing the Karavalli in the World Gourmet Summit.
We wish him the best, go Naren go!
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