Some people eat to live, others live to eat. Foodies fall into the latter group. They spare no expense to get a reservation at the hottest and most obscure food joints, jumping through hoops just for a new culinary experience. Adaminte Chayakada (Adam’s tea stall) is one such foodie hotspot.
The famous snack bar here is so tempting that it is so hard to leave the place: customers find themselves stuck in their chairs, ordering one dish after another.
In this part of Aluva, the twilight spreads with a call to have that mandatory evening tea ritual at Adaminte Chayakada. With a wide variety of Malabari dishes, hot beverages, deep fried snacks, meat rolls, sweets and savories, the food joint throws an enticing feast every evening. The aromas perfectly blend together to grace the ambiance. Unnakkayas, egg polas, stuffed bananas, meen pathiris and all their kith and kin smile from behind the glass doors. But unless you are an early bird, you won’t find a place to sit here during weekends as people come with friends and families in large groups to experience a cup of evening tea in Malabari fashion.
The tea shop is done up in a very traditional manner, with seats covered in printed rugs made of sack and walls filled with graffiti and writings. Another thing that draws a customer’s attention is the catchy display of archaic kitchen utensils and the traditional wooden baskets, trays, and plates made of coconut-shell used for preparing and serving the food. All main course dishes come in discrete Malabari flavors. Adding to one’s amusement is the names of the dishes you get here: 'Veerappan Chicken Fry,' Veerappante Appan Anthappan Chicken Fry,' 'Khalbum Karalum Fry,' and 'Bejaraya Brain Fry,’ to mention just a few.
The ‘chayakkada’ also has a wide range of sea food and rice varieties, all prepared using special spices and masala. The breads come in different shapes and sizes. 'Puyyapla Pathiri,' 'Keymala Parotta’ and 'Velutha Pathiri' are the most popular ones. The tea shop also features an array of north Indian dishes, Persian preparations, and a few south Indian platters. A must-try item on the menu is 'Adaminte Dum Biriyani.’ The vegetable pulao and Rumaali rotis are also loaded with flavor.
From the much-praised Sulaimani, served in a typical hard-glassware, to the 'Albani Kaavas', closing beverages are plenty in here. Although ‘Adaminte Chayakada’ attempts to entice the Kochi folk with some genuine Malabari flavors, the evening food joint at Aluva can’t stand comparison with its parent establishment of the same name in Kozhikode. Yet, if you happen to pass through the busy Eranakulam- Thrissur highway with a burning stomach, do not hesitate to make a refreshment pit stop at this Malabari eatery.
Also read: Travel | This Thrissur street keeps a well-guarded secret to making soft, fluffy appams
