Not intended to promote any brand particular ,list is purely based on my personal experience and exposure as a foodie.
Trying for a comprehensive list of eat spots in Calicut city.
Calicut is the land of spices and of course it is the unofficial food capital of Kerala. As far as Malabar people(North Kerala ) are concerned, food is not just to satisfy their hunger-belly call,more over they love it and they are expert in inventing and experimenting in new delicacies .People in Calicut are more conscious ,crazy and ready to spend any amount for satisfying food items.It’s the mother land of spice,so they prefer spicy foods more. Here I am listing few hot food destinations in Calicut city
“Calicut halws” has such inconic status among food lovers.People coming to Calicut never go back without tasting this unique Calicut Halwa. Its believed that busy and landmark street shopping destination in calicut SM street (sweet meat) is named after this halwa. The original version is black halwa, made from refined flour, sugar, palm sugar and cooked in coconut oil. This, along with other variations in yellow, orange and red and green (these shades usually owe more to colouring agents than flavors, though mango, orange and pista halwas, some made with refined oil or ghee, are popular), is a great favourite in Kerala.
Kozikode Biriyani:
Thalassery biryani is also known as Malabar biryani or Kozhikode biriyani. The ingredients are chicken, spices and the specialty is the choice of rice named Khyma. Khaima rice is generally mixed with ghee. Although huge amount of spices such as mace, cashew nuts, sultana raisins, fennel-cumin seeds, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, shallot,cloves and cinnamon are used, there is only a small amount of chili (or chili powder) used in the preparation. It is made all along the Malabar area in Kerala from Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thalassery to Kasargod.Thalassery biryani do not use basmati rice. Instead a small-grained thin(not round) fragrant variety of rice known as Khyma or Jeerakasala is used. Thedum method of preparation (sealing the lid with dough(maida) or loin cloth and placing red hot charcoal above the lid) is applied here. This is a Pakki biriyani, the other famed recipe Hyderabadi biryani is a kacchi biryani.
Kozhikode Banana chips:
When you walk through famous SM streat you could see number banan chip shops.Fried banana chips, usually made in the Indian state of Kerala, and known locally as nenthra-kaaya oopperi or upperi, is fried in coconut oil. Both ripe and unripe bananas are used for this variant. Sometimes they are coated with masala or jaggery to form spicy and sweet variants respectively. It is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal called sadya served during weddings and traditional festivals such as Onam.
Kallumakai :
A genetic mapping for the people of North Kerala should throw up some interesting variations. For centuries the spices that grow here have attracted traders and travellers to places like Calicut and Tellichery, where certain other local attractions have ensured they left some genetic legacy behind. But across the cosmopolitan communities that have resulted, I’m convinced that one trait remains constant – a love for mussels that is imprinted on nearly all North Kerala genes.
Famous Eateries in Calicut
1.PARAGON H OTEL(perfect BLEND OF THIYYA AND MAPPILA FOODS) – Famous for (vellappam and Chicken)
60-year-old Paragon restaurant, on Kozhikode’s Kannur Road. Sumesh Govind is the third generation in his family to run Paragon: “We offer you a fusion of Mappila and Thiya styles,” he says. It’s clearly a popular option. Paragon is large; its three levels seat 240, and it’s always full.Paragon has a fancily done up upper restaurant ( Ac) and the wait time on weekends is just about 10 minutes. This is the only place where you will see locals, upper middle class , politicians and foreign tourists wait to sample their food.It is not big in size but big in taste..
Most Famous SPECIALS:Best choice for fish, Especially fried prawns or prawn curry accompanied by vellapam (prawns varuttiyathu which serves the prawns in shells) AND CHICKEN BIRYANI, chicken, fish biriyani,fish curry, fish fry.
LOCATION: Beneath fly over Manachira, CALCIUT.
Paragon
2.SARBATH MUTHALALI : (MILK SARBATH)
Ok So far having food from Paragon, whats next ? . Yes this is the place every one after Paragon.
Baskaran named guy is running this famous milk Sarbath shop near hotel paragon .Even though the shop is small ,the demand for this special Sarbath is over whelming . Recipe is still a secret.He said recently to me personally that he doesn’t think he could continue dishing out this tasty liquid any more like this way, because of government’s new rule to strictly use lemon machine to squeeze lemon. He believes the taste lies in the natural hand squeezing of lemon.
Most Famous SPECIALS: MILK SARBATH.
LOCATION: NEAR PARAGON HOTEL MANACHIRA:
3:RAHMATH HOTEL (Famous for Beef Biriyani )
LOCATION: KP Kesava Menon Road NEAR MATHRUBHUMI.
Most Famous SPECIALS :BEEF BIRIYANI AND beef varattiyathu with porotta .
NB: Cards are not acceptable and no parking facility.
4:ZAINAS HOTEL:
Zain’s is where Kozhikode’s foodies go for their biriyani fix. There’s a good reason why the lane outside the restaurant fills quickly with cars, bikes and people. It isn’t just the biriyani. The dishes Zainabi Noor’s kitchen turns out every day are among the best examples of Mappila cooking you can get anywhere. It’s been over three decades since Zainabi started this restaurant, a pioneering woman entrepreneur. Today, as she surveys her popular realm with a mixture of businesslike efficiency and grandmotherly charm, it’s hard to believe her critics gave the venture a month. Her husband and partner, Noor Mohammed, an Afghan who once played football for Kerala, takes me through the day’s specials, most of which customers can check out in a glass cabinet in the restaurant—a good thing for visitors, since the menu is entirely in Malayalam.
Most Famous SPECIALS: Here you will get puttu with local fish stew, or wheat pathiri, a Kuttichera special, served with kozhi nirthiporichathu, a chicken fry with egg or kada (a small bird) fry. Kuttichira ghee rice is famous, best had with a mellow beef stew prepared in coconut milk. The sweet meats of the Muslims of Kozhikode are legendary. These include chattippathiri, mutta marichathu, muttappathiri, muttamala, mutta surkka — all prepared with eggs.
There’s the wonderfully fragrant prawn and chicken biriyani; kozhi adachitathu (whole chicken stuffed with eggs) which is half-cooked in masala, then fried, before being returned to the masala; the wonderful meen pathiri, a rice-based bread this time, steamed in plantain leaves with a fried fish and savoury stuffing; and, to finish with, unnakai, made from mashed boiled bananas, mixed with eggs, sugar, nuts and raisins before being deep fried, and chattipathiri, a savoury dessert made of refined flour pathiris layered with a mixture of beaten eggs, cardamom and sugar, with cashew, poppy seeds and raisins added.Kozhikodan pazham nirachathu (banana fry with coconut) and sweet coconut samosa or bayakkada (made of banana) are also available in Zains.
LOCATION: CALICUT BEACH.
Zains
5.PILLAI’S SNACKS:
A small vegetarian shop near Calicut railway station. People come often here to taste economical and tasty Dosha.
LOCATION::OPPOSITE KDC BANK, LINK ROAD NEAR APSARA THEATER Near railway staion calicut
LOCATION:: NEAR THALI TEMPLE,PALAYAM ROAD CALICUT :
SPECIALS:: PAYASAM,TYPICAL MALAYALI VEG MEAL.
10: ASHOKA HOTEL
Its a very small hotel near 2nd gate.Best place for people who wish to have typical local foods.
LOCATION: JUST 50M AWAY FROM 2ND GATE.(VERY SMALL IN SIZE BUT VERY RICH IN TASTE)
SPECIALS :UPPUMAVU(!SALT MANGO TREE) AND PAPPADAM.
11: SMALL THATUKADA
LOCATION:INSIDE OASIS COMPLEX,CALICUT.
SPECIAL: CALCIT TAPIOCA(POOLA) AND BEEF.
12:BALA ETTAN’S SHOP
LOCATION:: MOOZHIKAL:
SPECIALS::TASTY MEAL WITH FRESH FISH FRY… CHILLY BEEF
13.AMMA HOTEL :(Famous for meal and fish fry)
You might wonder thinking about the reason behind the mass people gathering here in this small hotel in noon time .It’s very difficult to get a seat there in between 12pm to 2pm.Some critics complain about their high spicy fried stuffs,not at all good for health.But this negative comments never effected their daily Mass entry.
i personally guarantee.….
LOCATION:Near bmh hospital under ERINJIPALAM bridge CALCIUT.
SPECIALS::FRESH HOT FISH FRY WITH local MEAL.
15.Saravana Bhavan
(WORLD FAMOUS TAMIL NADU BASED VEGETARIAN FOOD CHAIN)
LOCATION:Opp Mofusil Bus stand,Rajaji road, Calicut.
CONTACT NUMBER:0495 2720621
14.DEKSHINA THE VEG
LOCATION::MAVOOR ROAD.
SPECIALS::VEG, STUFFS WITH DIFFERENT ICE CREAMS..(SELF SERVICE)
15.PATTAR’S SHOP
LOCATION::NEAR CALCIUT CORPORATION.
SPECIALS:VEG MEALS.
16:AL BAKE ARABIC: (For Arabian Foods)
LOCATION: Alphonsa building,Mavoor road.THE REAL ARABIAN DISHES.FULLY AC. CHEFS WITH WORKING EXPERIENCE IN GULf
SPECIALS : WIDE VARIETY OF ARABIC FOODS..EX: KASBA
For non-Veggies: Try out any dish, most of them are quite palpable. I had something which tasted like ‘luckhnowi Biryani’. The desert is amazing with Ice cream shakes which are worth (Best Pista Flavoured )
For Veggies: . Skip Al-Bake if you intend to stick to a Veggy meal.
17.HOTEL JUST NEAR MATHRUBHUMI BOOK STALL
Location: RAJAJI ROAD.
SPECIALS ::UNLIMITED CHICKEN BIRYANI(FREE RICE).
18. Reena Hotel:
LOCATION: MUKALI NEAR VADAKARA -MAAHI NH.
SPECIALS: TYPICAL CALICUT LOCAL MEAL WITH FRY ITEMS(mussels fry) and Pathal (a ring-shaped rice pathiri).)
19:BALAKRISHNAN’S HOUSE CUM SHOP.(MEAL AND FISH):
I knew this guy personally. We call him Bala Ettan. If you want have enough cash and you want yummy Fish varieties , just dash to this place.
LOCATION: NEAR KADALUNDI KADAVU BRIDGE CALICUT BORDER.
SPECIALS: COCONUT MILK-CRAB FRY,DIFFERENT FISH CURRIES.
20: ANHAR HOTEL:
LOCATION: PALAYAM:
Most Famous SPECIALS:APPAM AND FISH CURRY.
21.SAGAR HOTEL (HAVE 2 BRANCHES )
FAMOUS: GHEE RICE AND CHICKEN.
SPECIALS: Malabar-style chicken or mutton biryani, and beef curry with Malabar Porotta.
Most Famous SPECIALS: MAVOOR ROAD,near the KSRTC Bus Stand. Sagar’s new branch, a little further down the road, is more spacious and comfortable.both in Mavoor road.
For non-Veggies: Ask for ginger chicken and pathri . Alternatively you could substitute pathri with ‘Appam’ in case you have an eclectic taste, Appam is something like baked version of rice cake and has appearance hybrid between idli in the middle of a small dosa. Then try ginger chicken as well. But, by far garlic is the best; ginger comes close. For fish lovers, you’ve plenty of choice. Most of the fish curries are delicious if you do not mind the strong aroma of coconut oil.
For Veggies, Substitute chicken curry with paneer butter masala and/or mushroom masala, and you got your own winner combo!
22: WESTWAY (Attachedbar)
Most Famous SPECIALS :has a restaurant called Tharavad, which offers many Keralite dishes such as kanji (rice-soup), kappa varuthathu (tapioca fried), meen molakittathu (a hot fish curry), and a splendid Kerala meal for lunch with more than 18 dishes served on a banana leaf.
LOCATION: NADAKAVU,chakkorathukulam.
23.HYSON HERITAGE
Its bit expensive hotel. IELTS exams are normally held here.
Most Famous SPECIALS :Offers special dishes such as neriya pathiri, tissue paper-like rice Chappatis and all types of Biryani.
LOCATION: MAVOORD ROAD CALICUT.
24:TOPFORM RESTARUNT: (famous for “FISH BIRIYANI” )
Most Famous SPECIALS: FAMOUS FOR CALICUT BIRIYANI.FAMOUS FOR FISH BIRIYANI .
LOCATION :SM STREET and MOVOOR ROAD.
25.HOTEL DEEVAR : (Famous “Parotta”)
Most Famous SPECIALS: PORATTA and Beef.
LOCATION :Old Railway Over bridge.
CONTACT DETAILS:+91 495 270 0035
26:KFC( Kentuky Fried Chicken)
This prestigious fried chicken group launched in Calicut recently after a big hype.They faced lot of bottlenecks and protests from different political unions questioning problems in their waste disposal system.Later it sort out and now working properly.
LOCATION :MAVOOR ROAD near hyson hotel Calicut.
27.DOMINOS
This is cities main pizza spot.But kfc’s launch effected them a bit ,Because it’s just near to KFC.
Its a Sister concern of paragon hotel.They have a very good home delivery service.Ac and NOn-ac is available.
Location :Nadakavvu,near NH 17.
31.Kings Bay:
Its one of finest restaurant with wide variety of sea foods.Continental, Mexican, Italian, Malabar and mangalorean dishes are available there.
Location :Dinbai House Customs Road ,Calicut Beach, Calicut, Kerala – 673032.
Review from my friend “Sradha” (Regular visitor):
“First of all the ambiance. Warm blend of modernity and ethnicity of Kerala,international cuisine.Master chef from bangalore o so..the best food that iv tried there r the golden fried prawns,salad(oh no forgot the name)and the pan shots for dessert…The prices have recently been reduced to meet Calicut crowd stands“.
Specials:Stuffed Sea Crab,Chicken Ghee roast,grill fishes, Masala fish [Mangalore Style] Pros: Inexpensive, wonderful starters and salads. Cons: SERVICE is not good.
Ojin Foods traces its roots back to 1982 when it was founded by the man with the vision Sri A.K. Kutty Hassan Hajee in Pallithyam. A continuous effort in R&D has resulted in the introduction of new variants of products to cater to the dynamic lifestyle of today’s generation. The favorites include the famous Cream Cake, Plum Cake and Tea Cake. Also available are Biscuits, Dates, groundnut and sweet meats like Jalebi, Halwas, Bengali Laddoos, Mysore Paks, Achappams, mixtures or chiwdas made in coconut oil; nearly about 15 varieties.
34.Garlic Routes:
Location : Between 4TH Gate and YMCA Cross Road, Calicut
35.US pizza
It started recently and i have a wrote a dedicated separate article for us pizza. WHY I LOVE US PIZZA just read and grab the pizza as early as possible.
36.ALIBHAI THATTUKADA
Contact Address : 12/442 A, SOUTH BEACH ROAD, Kozhikode – 673001, Kerala, India.
Ali
37.MGrill (Focus Mall Calicut)
M-grill is the restaurant from the Paragon Group. Offering a fusion of cuisines from the Mediterranean to Malabar,
Food Styles in Mgril: Asian Fusion,Greek and Mediterranean,Indian/Pakistani,Seafood,Thai.
Services: Takes Reservations,Walk-Ins Welcome,Good For Groups
Payment Options :Cash, Visa,Mastercard
38.Sanjeevanam Restaurant
Address: M N’s Avenue,Near 4th Railway Gate,P.T Usha Road,Kozhikode,Kerala,India.
39.Mezban-Asma Tower:
north Indian tasty dishes
Special : Gobi Manchurian
Mezban
40.Dhe Puttu:
What is Puttu?
Puttu is a south Indian dish made by steamcooking layers of powdered rice interspersed with grated coconut. It can be had with vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries or simply with bananas. Eating puttu with Bengal gram or green gram curry is quite popular in Kerala
Owned by : Actors Dileep,kavyaMadhavan ,Nadir Shah
The best puttu offered is punjabi house puttu filled with panner and curry inside.
De Puttu
41.Zam Zam
The very restaurant which attracted the food lovers in trivandrum started their branch in Calicut as well.
Location :Calicut Beach.
Cons: Parking is really big concern.
42. Chickoos Chicken:
Chickoos Chicken started functioning in Calicut city.
43.Rajasthani Thali
If you wanna have tummy full of food with least cost I will suggest you to go to Rajasthani Thali which is near the main bus stand (start going towards the railway station and you can see the restaurant in the second floor on the right side). Trust me you cannot get the type of service anywhere else in entire south India.
44.Jinan Hotel (Famous for late night foods)
Locaiton : opposite to ksrtc bus stand.
45.KOMALA BHAVAN:
46.Punjab di Rasoi:
47.Sea Queen :
48.Downtown:
49.Sravana Bhavan:
50:Waffle Street Calicut
Locaiton : 8/252 G, Silk Street | Beach Complex, Kozhikode 673032, India
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I already got many suggestion and correction mails.I appreciate all who contacted me and let me remind you something ,through your data we get more refined and fool proof list ..And I invite more suggestion,corrections,queries anything through your comments or you can connect with me personally ask@jithumpablog.com.I am here to consult you 24*7.
