If you’re a foodie exploring Trivandrum, then Hotel Azad should be on your must-visit list. This two-storied restaurant offers an exceptional dining experience, blending live kitchen theatrics with a diverse menu that caters to all taste buds.
Ambience and Seating
On entering the restaurant, we noticed a live kitchen setup on the ground floor, where chefs were busy crafting specialized dishes. From parathas and appams to Chinese delicacies, curries, desserts, and grilled chicken, each section was a treat to watch. Since the ground floor was fully occupied, we chose to dine on the first floor, which was spacious and provided a great view of Trivandrum’s bustling streets.
Unique Menu & Signature Dishes
Hotel Azad’s menu stood out with its well-categorized options, listing prices and highlighting their signature dishes. Our curiosity led us to order the Azad Biryani, but unfortunately, it was sold out. Instead, we decided to sample all their bread varieties paired with three different curries—a great way to taste multiple flavors while keeping it budget-friendly.
Our Food Experience
After a 15-minute wait, all our dishes arrived together, and we were in for a delightful feast. Bhargav, who initially planned to stick to a green salad, was shocked to receive a plate of just sliced onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, lemons, and chilies—nothing fancy, just fresh greens!
What We Ordered:
- Bread Varieties: Chapatis, appams, nool appams (idiyappams), ari pathiri (rice roti), chicken-stuffed paratha, and wheat paratha.
- Curries: Fish moilee, chicken varutha curry, and chicken maapas.
- Dessert: Tender coconut falooda.
Taste Review:
- Chicken-stuffed paratha: Super soft with delicious chicken stuffing.
- Appam with fish moilee: Appams were fantastic, but the fish moilee was average.
- Chapatis with chicken varutha curry: The perfect combination; chapatis were soft, and the curry was rich and flavorful.
- Nool appams (idiyappams) with fish moilee: A classic Kerala combo, though we usually pair it with coconut milk in Tamil Nadu.
- Ari pathiri with chicken maapas: The rice roti was incredibly thin, soft, and paired beautifully with the mildly flavored coconut-based chicken maapas.
Final Verdict
We wrapped up our meal with a refreshing tender coconut falooda, a must-try while in Kerala. Overall, Hotel Azad proved to be a great family-friendly dining spot, offering a variety of dishes that cater to all age groups. If you’re in Trivandrum, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit!