Cochin - An epicurean's delight

Cochin - I decided to take a break from monotonous work & whats a better place than Kerala? My journey has started with Cochin where I would stay three days followed by a homestay in Cherthala - The first thing which hits when u land in Cochin is the temperature - From the cold atmosphere in Delhi, the warm temperature of Cochin is a welcome break :)
Staying in Avenue Regent, a hotel booked by my dear Mallu friend - Also the hotel's claim to fame is that it houses the only lounge bar in Kerala - Still havent seen it though :)
The first stop was at the Santa Cruz Basilica - Its a 500 year old building and it looks like that as well - One of my friends got married here and looking at the place from inside does give you goosebumps :) - I am not getting married !!!!!!!!!!!!
The structure though old has not been kept properly, mebbe keeping it dirty gives the feeling of it being really old. Post this, our cab driver Baby took us to the Chinese fishing nets - As per guide books, this is one of the best tourist destinations and these nets are used only in Cochin and not even in China - Took a stroll around the place and it didnt leave me very impressed - The breeze is great, you can see small ships in front of you and it has all the ingredients for it to be a hit- But only hitch, its really dirty - The muck stares at your face all the time and the water is really really dirty - So overall not so great
Then took a walk around the Fort Kochi and it was great - There were small bylanes, quaint bookshops, cafes and hotels proclaiming to the best in homestay and cultural experience - It was mostly dominated by Firangs and not too many Indians seen there - Guess most Indians who come here end up staying in the town like myself and the Firangs move in to Fort Kochi - Next time I would stay in Fort Kochi, it looks like an experience to be lived
We bumped in the Kashi Art Cafe and enjoyed a nice dish of friend squids there - The service is slow and unhurried and time just passes you by - We were there for some 2 hours and not for a second did anyone feel bored. The firangs staying here order for "special tea" which is then mixed with 7 Up / water and consumed. I suspected it was toddy served in the guise of tea as the place didnt have the license for alcohol.
After our long tea season, we were wandering around when we saw this place called Koder House - I had read about it in my research into places to stay but sadly it was too expensive( 12k), so had dropped it as an option - Koderhouse was the ancestral house of Samuel Koder who was one of the most influential jews in Cochin. We decided to dine at the Menorah, their speciality restaurant - If you go there, take the table by the pool and soak in the ambience - The person serving us was nice & attentive - Think thats true of most of the staff there which makes the experience truly memorable - We had prawn batter fry as starters which we washed down with Diet Coke- Mind you the restaurant serves only wine & beer - The wine is priced very expensive with some 400% mark up over bottle prices so we didnt opt for it
The main course suggested was malabar fish curry with steamed rice - Oh my god, what a meal was that - That was one of the best fish curries I have ever eaten - The taste was subtle yet strong enough to leave you with an indelibe impression.
After our meal, we walked back through Fort Kochi to our car - The place was mostly queit now with few people walking on the streets - Kashi Art Cafe was completly full with people having their special tea.
Time to retire to my bed - Lets see what all is in store tommorow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!