Caravela @ Velankanni, India

After a day of attending masses, visiting shrines and prayer in the blisteringly hot Indian sun, I treated my grandparents and grand-aunts to lunch at Caravela, a restaurant located in a rather upscale hotel, the Clinton Park Inn along Church Main Road, Velankani - India.

Indeed, I was feeling very picky, and in no mood to eat at a road-side stall. So we sat down at the air-conditioned restaurant to order our food. The waiters were kind, though they were reluctant to turn on lights, and the food took quite a long time to arrive.

The food was well worth the wait however, as the Chicken Biryani worth Rs180 (RM12), was unbelievably delicious. The chickens was tender, and in abundance. The dish also came with boiled egg and frankly, I could not get enough of it. Truly one of the best biryani's I've ever had to date.

Then, we ordered some Butter Paneer worth Rs120 (RM8). The panner was nice and firm, though not rock hard, and was submerged in a tangy butter sauce that worked amazingly with white rice. The only complaint about the dish was that the paneer was scarce.

Our next dish was a Green Vegetable Curry of which I do not know the name (my apologies). The curry was worth Rs90 (RM6). I loved this curry, for the fact that it had an interesting flavor. The curry tasted a lot like…parmesan cheese. Once again, the perfect accompaniment to white rice, and the vegetables were nice and crisp.

The Raita that we had was flavored with saffron powder that permeated the yogurt, yet did not overpower it. These Indians seem to get the perfect balance when it comes to spices. My grand-aunt particularly loved this dish a lot.

For dessert, everyone had some Indian Ice-Cream, two scoops costing Rs60 (RM4). The ice cream, by the brand of Amul, was one of the most creamiest ice-creams I've ever had. I kid you not. India would be one of the last places I'd find ice-cream as creamy as this.

My grandfather had Gulab Jamoon (deep fried ghee balls) with Ice Cream worth Rs80 (RM5). The gulag jamoons were large and contained little sugar syrup (a balance which I simply love). Though the combination of ice-cream and this…just didn't work for me.

I ordered myself a South Indian Coffee worth Rs60 (RM4). This coffee, with the exception of the coffee my grand-aunt makes, was my best coffee to date. It was strong enough to fit my expectations, and for once - I was able to add sugar to it and sweeten it to the level I wanted.

Though slightly overpriced, by local Indian standards, I had no problems paying because it unbelievably cheap by standards in Malaysia. The food was unbelievably yummy and most importantly - authentic. The restaurant setting is the best setting you could possibly get in the dusty town of Velankanni, and the hotel's rooftop garden poses the best possible view you can get of the pilgrimage town. Definitely a 'must visit' if ever you go there.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 9/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic