Kayees Rahmathullah Hotel Review
We have fond memories of driving down to Fort Kochi where we would spend the morning taking a nice walk along the Chinese Nets, looking at all the fresh catch of the day, watching the cats play and the trees sway. Whoa, that rhyme was totally unintended! What was always intentional however, was a visit to the Kayees Rahmathulla Restaurant. The street was so narrow, we would park a few ticks away and walk to the restaurant, sometimes having to wait a few minutes, before getting seated. We did not need a menu: the order was always biryani. After washing our hands in the dingy little bathroom, we would go back to our seat where the hot, steaming plate of biryani would be waiting for us to devour. The little meme I made below summarizes it for many of us:
I am sure at least some of you reading can relate.
If you’re on the lookout for the best biryani in town, you cannot go wrong with Kayees. Originally a small but well known restaurant at Fort Kochi, they have added another branch at MG Road near Marine Drive. The original restaurant at Fort Kochi is more of a house converted to a hotel.
The town branch in a modern building is more spacious and offers better parking facility. The turnover is tremendous at both places, especially at lunchtime. The service is also good; the food is brought to the table quickly. The town branch naturally is a bit more expensive but the taste is largely the same.
We have fond memories of driving down to Fort Kochi where we would spend the morning taking a nice walk along the Chinese Nets, looking at all the fresh catch of the day, watching the cats play and the trees sway. Whoa, that rhyme was totally unintended! What was always intentional however, was a visit to the Kayees Rahmathulla Restaurant. The street was so narrow, we would park a few ticks away and walk to the restaurant, sometimes having to wait a few minutes, before getting seated. We did not need a menu: the order was always biryani. After washing our hands in the dingy little bathroom, we would go back to our seat where the hot, steaming plate of biryani would be waiting for us to devour. The little meme I made below summarizes it for many of us:
If you’re on the lookout for the best biryani in town, you cannot go wrong with Kayees. Originally a small but well known restaurant at Fort Kochi, they have added another branch at MG Road near Marine Drive. The original restaurant at Fort Kochi is more of a house converted to a hotel.
The town branch in a modern building is more spacious and offers better parking facility. The turnover is tremendous at both places, especially at lunchtime. The service is also good; the food is brought to the table quickly. The town branch naturally is a bit more expensive but the taste is largely the same.
Biryani
Biryani is their main specialty, and is sought after by
majority of the people who go there. The preparation style is unique and is
cannot wholly be attributed to any specific region’s style though it apparently has a
slight influence of Malabar biryani. They offer both chicken, mutton as well as prawns and fish biryanis.
The spices they use make all the difference as it has a taste found nowhere else. We noticed that it is seasoned with spices like star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and also feature pineapple, cashew, raisin etc. Despite the presence of all these spices, it does not taste overwhelmingly spicy, so even people with relatively sensitive palates can enjoy the same. Just make sure you do not bite into any of the whole spices distributed in the biryani!
Vanaspati [a type of hydrogenated vegetable oil] seems to be the main fat used in its preparation and that makes it special, as the rice is cooked to just the right consistency. The pieces also taste great since they are marinated very well.
The spices they use make all the difference as it has a taste found nowhere else. We noticed that it is seasoned with spices like star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and also feature pineapple, cashew, raisin etc. Despite the presence of all these spices, it does not taste overwhelmingly spicy, so even people with relatively sensitive palates can enjoy the same. Just make sure you do not bite into any of the whole spices distributed in the biryani!
Vanaspati [a type of hydrogenated vegetable oil] seems to be the main fat used in its preparation and that makes it special, as the rice is cooked to just the right consistency. The pieces also taste great since they are marinated very well.
The accompaniments are usually papad(am), onion raita [chopped anions in curd] and a pickle/chutney.
Speaking of which, the black date chutney they give is something you should try: it has a marvellously sweet and tangy taste that goes great with the richness of the biryani. They sometimes give lime pickle instead though.
If you are getting a takeaway, keep in mind that their biryani contain pineapple and thus, spoils in no time, sometimes in a matter of hours especially considering Kerala's generally hot and humid climate. Although I don't think the biryani would stick around for long anyway!
Speaking of which, the black date chutney they give is something you should try: it has a marvellously sweet and tangy taste that goes great with the richness of the biryani. They sometimes give lime pickle instead though.
If you are getting a takeaway, keep in mind that their biryani contain pineapple and thus, spoils in no time, sometimes in a matter of hours especially considering Kerala's generally hot and humid climate. Although I don't think the biryani would stick around for long anyway!
Other Menu Items
Other available dishes include mutton fry, ghee rice, fried fish, porotta, fish curry with rice and so on. We seldom try any of them since the
biryani is what we keep coming for. The mutton fry was okay, something you could
find anyplace with nice spices but average quality pieces. The fried fish was
good; it was well seasoned and cooked perfectly.
Now on to the main problem. The only grouse is that many a time, the pieces in the biryani tend to be a tad undercooked and chewy. A few minutes in the pressure cooker will sort that out if you take a parcel but if you plan to dine in, there is not much you can do if you get unlucky… This seems to happen because they get a lot of orders at peak lunchtime and have to cook vast amounts to meet the demand. This variability boils down to a lack of strict quality control but it does come out fine at other times.
Type of Cuisine: Biryani, mostly South Indian non-vegetarian
Location(s)
Original:
Town Branch:
Taxes: Included in price, no fat tax applicable.
Phone Number: Fort Kochi: +91 484 2221234, 2226080
Town: +91 484 2354321
Now on to the main problem. The only grouse is that many a time, the pieces in the biryani tend to be a tad undercooked and chewy. A few minutes in the pressure cooker will sort that out if you take a parcel but if you plan to dine in, there is not much you can do if you get unlucky… This seems to happen because they get a lot of orders at peak lunchtime and have to cook vast amounts to meet the demand. This variability boils down to a lack of strict quality control but it does come out fine at other times.
It pains us to see an institution like Kayees, a restaurant that has been open for a very, very long time now, fumble so often. We sincerely hope that they take a breather, slow themselves down and bring the quality back to its former glory.
Type of Cuisine: Biryani, mostly South Indian non-vegetarian
Location(s)
Original:
New Road, Mattanchery, Fort Kochi.
Town Branch:
Durbar Hall Road, Ernakulam South.
Parking: The town branch has its own parking area. The original branch does not have any dedicated parking area but its not difficult to find someplace nearby.
Ambience: Just about average, can get crowded and busy in the original branch. The town branch is normal.
Service: Pretty quick, if you are on time.
Potential Shortcomings:
What we liked/Recommended for:
- Unique, great tasting biryani [when made right].
- Other options for those who are not so crazy for rice too.
- Several occasions where the meat was too tough/undercooked; losing its old spark quite often due to poor QC.
- Addition of pineapple in the biryani significantly reduces its shelf-stability.
Taxes: Included in price, no fat tax applicable.
Phone Number: Fort Kochi: +91 484 2221234, 2226080
Town: +91 484 2354321
So if you wish to go and try out their biryani, a word of advice would be to get there as early as possible since they run out of it every day at
lunchtime, usually before 2:00PM. That definitely says something about how
popular it is!
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