In 2020 if I ask you to run a household without a refrigerator or ‘zero’ storage … You will laugh at my proposal. If I tell you I have found a restaurant which runs on this model , will you believe me ?

Well I have found a restaurant , actually 2.. Kothanur kitchen & Kothanur kitchen 2.0 .

I was introduced to this place by our dear friend Kalyan Gopalakrishnan.

Initially I went along with my parents . My mom who mostly sticks mostly to Staples and her known dishes tried each of the dishes and appreciated them . She accepted each dish was distinctly different from the rest . My father was in love with the ‘kalaki’ and still asks me to make omelette at home in that style. Next time I took my partner in crime , on his return , as I knew this is the kind of food which he could not have got abroad.

Ashok , the entrepreneur , was associated with human resources in an IT firm before he started this Salem culinary styled restaurants. Initially he put a couple of years just to understand peoples palate and trend. He decided to set up a place where people have food which reminds them of home. Where a person can have breakfast and come back for lunch or have lunch and come back for dinner.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in this rustic looking place , which actually gives a away from the city hoodlum’ feel . I shall have ‘to go back for breakfast or dinner. They also have a special menu on weekends where you can try most of their dishes in one meal . I recommend you to try this meal at below 400 INR which will let you try so many dishes Kari virundu – boti fry, thala mamsa fry, chicken fry, chicken Kebab, fish fry, fish curry, mutton gravy, nati koli gravy, rice , sambar , rasam, Papad , buttermilk !!

By the way, they still use firewood for most of their cooking . The spices are pounded or grinded in traditional way.