Keralites start salivating even at the mention of the hot, boiled tapioca or 'kaachil' (a kind of yam) or 'chembu' (a kind of tuber) which go with hot and spicy fish curry. What if there is also a measure of toddy with crushed chillies and ginger served in a bamboo stem? The taste buds will be surely over loaded in this case. Grape wine or sweet toddy or toddy served in bamboo stem make an excellent combination with baked pearl spot or clam meat roast. When we think of a typical toddy shop cuisine, the spicy fish curries and the dishes made of an assortment of backwater fishes that are served with the sweet toddy come rushing to our minds. Many toddy shops these days have been upgraded to restaurants and women customers too frequent these outlets.
Greenery all around
Kavalam is a place that is away from the bustle of the city and is draped in greenery and natural beauty. The presence of a tributary of the River Pampa and the associated water bodies make this place even more scenic. The region smells of soil and the place has a lot of rustic charm. Large expanse of paddy fields are punctuated by water bodies in which ducks and other water birds move about. Small country boats ply up and down. At Kavalam, you get to satiate not just your palate but also your heart.
The Rajapuram Toddy Shop at Kavalam serves mouthwatering local cuisine which include boiled 'kaachil' and 'chembu' with spicy fish curry. The Rajapuram Toddy shop can be reached by boat from the wharf near the Lisieux Church at Kavalam, Alappuzha. You can also call the owner of the shop on phone for a boat to ferry you from the boat wharf to the shop. The Rajapuram Shop is located right in the middle of the water body comprising of a large stretch of backwaters and the Kavalam River. The scenery will spellbind you and so will the dishes at the Rajapuram Shop.
The Rajapuram Backwater Shop has been in business for the past 20 years but the taste of the food served there has not diminished even one bit. Strict adherence to the local recipe and the skill of 'Rameshan Chettan' in the kitchen script the shop's success story. 'Rameshan Chettan' takes care of the kitchen and the dishes cooked there. He is ably assisted by his deputies. He is very particular about the recipes and there is never any dilution in quality as vouched by Jayaprakash, the shop owner.
The menu
The dishes served are boiled ‘kachil’, boiled ‘chembu’, boiled tapioca, chapathi, appam, duck roast, rabbit meat, beef roast and beef fry, clam meat, pork, roasted or fried prawns, roasted or fried lobsters, fried or baked pearl spot, squid fry, crab curry and a large array of dishes with the local fish types. Boiled tapioca or ‘chembu’ or ‘kachil’ has many suitable combinations.
The dishes served here are reasonably priced as per the shop owner. Some dishes are priced on the basis of the size or weight. The Rajapuram Backwater Shop is blessed with a spectacular scenery and an excellent cuisine.
