I had read about Coorg Cuisinette being the only authentic restaurant when it came to Kodava or Coorgi cuisine, and also seen a Rocky Mayur show on it, with them going gaga about it. It is that programme that piqued my interest in Coorg – after all, any place that had pork as their main diet must be visited.

As it so happens, I happened to be in Madikeri for a meeting and had just enough time to fit in a lunch at this restaurant. Getting to the restaurant is not easy. The address is easy to find sure, but when we reach there at the official restaurant opening time of 12 noon, one scruffy son of the soil asks us to come at 12:30 without bothering to give any explanation. As we hang around outside, some five minutes later the serving staff upstairs at the restaurant signals us to come up. However the gent below does not know this change of plan. Cutting a long story short, we are in after defying the man on the stairs, suitably empowered by the man upstairs. That’s how life operates too, doesn’t it?

The setting inside is a bit pedestrian for my liking though the view outside the window is spectacular. I hurriedly place order for the three of us as we eagerly wait for the food.

Thank God I have had Kodava food before at Bangalore and at a friend’s home, otherwise the food served here would have probably put me off Coorgi cuisine forever, because the food here is most disappointing. The legendary pork pandi curry (Rs 150) is spiced right but the pork is significantly underdone, making it near impossible to eat. Chilly pork (Rs 160) is somewhat directionless in taste and is totally inedible with the hard undercooked pork. When I point this out to the serving staff, he has the temerity to tell me that this is how pork is eaten in Coorg.

                     Chilli pork                                               Kori Roti

My friend’s chicken curry (Rs 150) and koot (vegetable) curry (Rs 100) are typical south Indian curries with nothing Coorg about them.

                  Chicken curry                                         Vegetable curry

Fresh stir fried bamboo shoot (Rs 110) is under seasoned by a cook who does not understand the ingredient. The accompanying rice balls (Rs 40) are hard enough to bean someone, and kori roti (Rs 40) is extra dry.

        Fresh Stir fried Bamboo shoot                              Rice Balls

All in all, Coorg cuisinette is a big disappointment not at all living up to its hype. You are better off sticking to the Coorgi restaurants in Bangalore, unless you get invited to some Coorgi family’s house.

The review was anonymously done after paying for the meal.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.0 | Ambience: 3.5 | Service: 3.0 | Value: 3.5 | Overall: 3.0

Meal for two: Rs.700 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: No

Address: Yelakki Krupa Building, Opp. Head Post Office, Madikeri – 571201. Tel: 9448127358, 9449699864