Appams, Curries And The Spice Of Kerala At Hotel Malabar

In the dusty lanes of Sector 39 Gurgaon, this small hole-in-the-wall establishment is serving up fantastic food that’ll remind you of the backwaters of Kerala.

Crab Masala, Mutton Fry

At Hotel Malabar, you can check out any time you like but you’ll never want to leave – especially if sea food and the smell of coconut gets you weak in the knees. The restaurant is actually really easy to spot, and a landmark to remember is Medanta, Medicity.

When we walked in, we noticed that there were only six tables {two of which were occupied}, jugs of water on each table, a white board with the day’s specials and the promise of authenticity.

Hotel Malabar isn’t about the ambience, but as our growling stomachs reminded us, it didn’t need to be.

We ordered the Mutton Fry, Crab Masala and Prawn Curry, along with Porottas and appams {priced at INR 15 and INR 10 respectively, so we may have ordered one appam too many}. Tempted by the menu, we decided to try the Kappa Biryani {a Kerala special} as well, but the manager gently reminded us that that would be too much food. We’ll just have to go back for that.

The Crab Masala was spectacular, spicy with a hint of sweetness. Paired with the flaky Porotta or the fluffy appam, it makes for a fantastic main course. We enjoyed the steaming hot bowl of prawn curry as well but it was the Mutton Fry that had us drooling and going back for more.

They do have a limited beverage menu, but we were informed that there was no fresh lime soda on that day. A bottle of Coke put out the fire from the spices just fine though.

The food is fantastic, the prices are super pocket-friendly and we’re so glad we stumbled upon Hotel Malabar. We’ll be going back soon – even the long drive from Delhi can’t keep us from their appams.