India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (128 page)

Taj Malabar
It may have hit the list of 100 Best Hotels in Asia, according to
Travel + Leisure
in 2007, but this stalwart of Kochi’s luxury hotel scene really seems to be treading water these days.
Willingdon’s only waterfront hotel, it’s certainly an elegant property, but feels increasingly geared towards business travelers. After the decadent public areas and superb water’s edge location, though, rooms are a real drawback. They’re divided between those in the slightly more generously proportioned one-floor Heritage Wing (where, compared with the boutique hotels in Fort Kochi, there’s not much character these days), and the more compact rooms in the Tower Wing (think ship’s cabin), a modern construction with a smart look, but cubbyhole bathrooms. The only real reason to choose a room here would be to admire the sunset from one of the corner Tower rooms (710 is our pick), but personally we’d rather be enjoying a cruise, cocktail in hand, or watching the scene from the edge of the gorgeous infinity pool.

Willingdon Island, Cochin 682 009.
0484/266-6811
or -8010. Fax 0484/266-8297.
www.tajhotels.com
. [email protected]. 96 units. Rs 14,300 superior double; Rs 15,400 superior sea-view double; Rs 16,500 deluxe sunset-view double; Rs 18,700 heritage wing sea-view double; Rs 22,000–Rs 24,200 suite. Rates exclude 15% tax. Up to 50% discount in low season; rate of the day applicable throughout the year. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
4 restaurants, lounge, bar; airport transfers (Rs 1,848–Rs 2,317); Ayurvedic spa; babysitting; boat cruises and yacht hire; health club; large outdoor pool with Jacuzzi; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 160/1⁄2hr.; Rs 751/day).

Trident Cochin
This dignified business hotel is quiet, tasteful, and replete with modern conveniences plus Kochi’s most polished service. Accommodations surround a pleasant courtyard where you can swim in the pool and dine alfresco. An effort has been made to personalize the public spaces with traditional artifacts and ornaments, and the entrance is dominated by a giant
uruli
cooking pot mounted on old black-and-gold snake-boat prows. Rooms are sleek with lots of blond timber and elegantly compact bathrooms. These are also probably the quietest bedrooms in Kochi—double glazed for the convenience of airline crews that bed down here. All in all, it’s a very slick, professional place, and were it not for its location (neither in the heritage area nor on the waterfront), it would be a top pick. But then the rates—which offer much better value compared to the nearby Taj—would not be so enticing.

Bristow Rd., Willingdon Island, Kochi 682 003, Kerala.
0484/266-9595.
Fax 0484/266-9393.
www.tridenthotels.com
. 85 units. Rs 9,200 superior double; Rs 11,700 deluxe double; Rs 15,600 suite. Rates exclude 15% tax. Ask about special deals, or book online for better rates. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2
restaurants, bar, lounge; airport transfers (Rs 1,800); Ayurveda center; babysitting; concierge; currency exchange; gym; pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV/DVD, clock radio/MP3 docking station, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 125/hr.; Rs 960/day).

WHERE TO DINE

Seafood, always fresh, should be at least one course. Seerfish, a large, meaty white-fleshed fish, is by far the most reliable, as are prawns. And Perhaps the most acclaimed of the seafood joints is
Fort Cochin
(reviewed below), one place that’s definitely worth making a special trip for (in this case, to Willingdon Island). If you’d prefer a more fine-dining atmosphere, the
Rice Boat
(
0484/266-6811;
12:30–2:45pm and 7:30–10:45pm) is the small-but-gorgeous seafood restaurant at the Taj Malabar—floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a curved cane ceiling make the best of its position right on the water’s edge. It’s an excellent place to indulge in some fusion dishes, like rice hoppers (traditional rice “pasta cakes”) served with smoked salmon, tropical fruit, and coconut chutney, or cubes of seerfish cooked with ground coconut and raw mango, and served with
idlyappams.
It’s not cheap by Kerala standards, and seafood is not really in league with the more simple fare served at Fort Cochin, but it’s still darn good!

Wine is a relatively new phenomenon among India’s elite, and Kochi now has its own wine lounge and tapas bar,
Divine
, above the restaurant at The Malabar House (
0484/221-6666;
11am–11pm). Here
where you can sample 12 top Indian vintages and perhaps settle in for a long night with a few bottles of the highly quaffable cabernet sauvignon or the oak-aged Chantilli chardonnay, accompanied by delicious, decadent-sounding bites; try the tiger prawn samosas, or jalapeños stuffed with creamy mushroom. It’s small, but with a
très
trendy look if you prefer designer glamour to harbor views (of which, of course, there are none). As with Malabar House’s own
Malabar Junction
(reviewed below), Kochi’s best eating establishments are for the most part still located in hotels, but there are notable exceptions, including the very unpretentious
Dal Roti
(1/263 Lilly St.;
0484/221-7655
or 97-4645-9244; [email protected]), which is perfect if you’re bored with seafood and South Indian spicing. Owners Ramesh and Kalpana serve delicious North Indian fare in a lovely, casual atmosphere: whitewashed walls and simple pine benches and tables arranged around a terra-cotta Nandi (a sacred Hindu bull). Its simple “village”-style cooking is very good, and wonderful value: sample the delicious
murg mussalam
(whole stuffed chicken) or a meal-size
thali
(platter) and mop up the juices with
alu paratas
(unleavened whole-wheat bread stuffed with potato). If, on the other hand, you
do
want to try traditional Keralite cooking, and combine the experience with a dazzling location on the edge of the water (literally, when the weather’s good, the tables are set up on the jetty), the restaurant at
Hotel Fort House
(
0484/221-7103
)
has a rock-solid reputation. That’s largely thanks to owner Nova Thomas’s Portuguese-influenced dishes (her great-grandmother being of Portuguese descent) like pork
vindaloo
—though we’d definitely opt for the Kerala-style grilled tuna, or the highly recommended seerfish
pollichathu,
wrapped in banana leaf and grilled.