MELBOURNE | Keralas Ways is a cooking show and documentary series created by chefs Mischa Tropp and Laura Neville. The show is designed to celebrate the unique food and culture of Kerala, India. This project is still in its infancy and to introduce the public to the highly diverse flavours of Kerala, Tropp and Neville have created a progressive 8 course Seafood and Coconut degustation. The dinners will run over 4 days, with all proceeds from the dinners and a separate crowd funding being used to get this fascinating project off the ground.
The City Lane was invited to try 4 courses from the Kerala’s Ways 8 course degustation menu and we were keen to see what the flavours of this part of India were all about.
Meen Fry
The first dish was Meen Fry – deep fried whiting served with a coriander sauce . This dish was my favourite course of the evening. The fried whiting was crispy without being greasy while the coriander sauce was light and fragrant. I also appreciated the way this dish was presented, it was served on a common plate with the person across from you. The idea is to encourage even one to interact with one another adding to the overall ambiance of the evening.
Fish Head
From the very vague menu description I was hoping that we were served whole fish heads which would challenge most western palettes. However sadly this was not the case, instead a dainty fish dish was presented. Understandably, whole fish heads would not be appealing to the masses but in my opinion you can’t call a fish head a fish head if there isn’t a whole fish head on the plate. Despite the slight misrepresentation by its description this was a pleasant dish however not a show stopper.
Squid Curry
The last savoury course of the evening was a flavourful twist on a squid curry. The squid was stuffed with a spicy rice mixture placed on a bed of squid ink and sprinkled with toasted rice. The dish had a spectacular balance of flavour with an unexpected level of heat which made it very enjoyable.
Fudge & Tea
The Fudge & Tea was a lovely refreshing way to finish off our mini degustation. The dish was comprised of a solid looking coconut fudge and a cup of brewed oolong tea. The coconut fudge was really surprising as it looked like a solid biscuit however as soon as I bit into the creamy coconut mass it fell a part in my mouth. It was a very thoughtful way to conclude the evening.
I have to all give a special mention to the waitstaff, the servers were incredibly attentive and knowledgeable. One of the waiter’s informed us that in fact all of the waitstaff were friends and family of Tropp and Neville . They all really believe in what these 2 chefs are trying to achieve and wanted to help out however they could.
Our evening at Keralas Ways Dinner Series was highly enjoyable. If you are interested in checking out Keralas Ways Dinner Series or donating to their crowd funding project check out this link.
Keralas Ways Dinner Series
When: Fri 11 September to Mon 14 September
Cost: $85.00 + Booking Fee
Where: The Baron Said. 83 Kerr Street, Fitzroy 3056