Flooring foodies in Ottawa with the taste of Kerala

Foodies flock to Ottawa's Coconut Lagoon restaurant in the droves. It's their favorite haunt. Every bit proud of the turnout is its owner, Thrissur native Joe Thottunkal.

'Coconut Lagoon: Recipes from South Indian Kitchen,' Joe Thottunkal’s first cookery book was published in Kochi recently. He also happens to be a gold medal winner at the Ottawa national food contest. It was one beaming entrepreneur who happily shared his Canadian experiences with Onmanorama.

Inspiration behind the book

Thottunkal has been running his restaurant in Ottawa, Canada, for the last 15 years. He has succeeded in educating and converting a lot of Canadians into flipping over the nuances of Indian food flavors. The idea of such a book took root from his desire to carry the tastes of India to as many westerners as he could. “I have put down a lot of my experiences in the book”, he adds. The book has an introduction by none other than renowned chef Vikas Khanna, a good friend of Joe Thottunkal.

How were the recipes chosen?

The restaurant’s hit dishes ultimately found their way into the book, with most of them being traditional Kerala items. Canadians have a soft feel for food cooked in coconut milk.

Joe’s favorites

Nilgiri chicken and chemmeen ularthu are his favorites. And he loves to experiment.

His home

The Thrissur native had his early education in the Model School and at St Thomas College in Thrissur. His degree in hotel management came from Asan College in Chennai. He adds that chef Damu was his tutor.

He migrated to Canada in 1998 and worked in various hotels for over six years, an experience which got him familiar with the tastes and preferences of Canadians. The year 2004 saw the young man opening his venture. He now runs two restaurants and lives with his family in Ottawa.