Rice Boat - Kettuvallom

This little restuarant is tucked away on the service lane of the WE highway in Bandra East. Chances are that you will miss this place, and stop at the more prominent Maharaja Bar and Restuarant further up the same lane.

The restaurant is very quiet - been there twice and I have seen only one other guest there. The waiters are dressed in the traditional Kerala attire of mundu and jubba. The decor is quite OK. One thing that strikes you when you enter is that the resturant is long and narrow.

I ordered the "Sadya" - a traditional Kerala Thali, which has been customized with a non-vegetarian option. In Kerala, this meal is served during Onam with at least seven different vegetables and condiments, three "payasams" (kheer-type sweet broths which are made up of jaggery, milk+semia, jackfruit, dal, pasta et al), several courses of rice, in a strict order of dal-sambar-buttermilk-rasam (did I get that wrong?)... and Payasams in between. Usually, at Mallu weddings down south, expert waiters serve the food as it is laid down - you will feel as if you are experiencing a moving assembly line. It is quite an experience - don't miss the chance if you ever get one. But non-veg? No!

Back to Rice Boat - here the sadya consists of two appams (spongy hoppers, made of fermented rice batter), some fried fish, fish curry kerala style, chicken stew, one dry veg thoran (sauteed with coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves) sambar, rasam, some banana chips, some jaggery-banana chips, a yellow kerala plantain, kerala-style papad, some chutney and the usual achar condiments. This is not the strict "sadya", but then, we Mumbai-ites can't travel to Kerala all the time.

The food is served on a banana leaf with a glass of butter milk. You have the option of choosing white rice or red rice. It costs Rs 225, which I think is too pricey for what you are getting.

The food was good, close to the Kerala taste, as authentic as you can get. I was disappointed with the fish fry - tiny portions.

There are other typical Kerala dishes available - like Kottayam Duck Curry, lamb roast, fish preparations (some names have awful spellings!). I haven't tried them, so can't really comment on them.

I feel that a good 10-25% reduction in the prices would bring the crowds in.

Incidentally, there is another Rice Boat in Versova. Gotta check that one out...