Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram turns out to be the seafood hub of the city

Late night Vizhinjam’s ‘Restaurant Row’ is a sea of ​​activity as the salty air mingles with the mouth-watering aroma of fried seafood, which is accompanied by merry conversation. The seafood restaurants on Vizhinjam Harbor Road are filled with customers from all walks of life, most of whom have traveled from the city and beyond to dine on the best of fresh seafood from boats. Not only is Vizhinjam the best place to bargain for the catch of the day, but it has also become the city’s answer to San Francisco’s Pier 39!

Vizhinjam’s self-styled ‘restaurant brawl’ in question is located on a cobbled road behind the Muhiuddin Juma Masjid Dargah Sharif, and boasts of several joints serving only seafood, with only a few juice centers here and there. And it’s only a handful of restaurants along the main Harbor Road, making it the seafood hub of the city.

“We only serve fresh fish caught from Vizhinjam port or Poonthura, Kannanthura, Adimalthura and other nearby ports,” claims Ashraf Mohammed Haneefa, owner of Al Ustad Hotel.

Mussel Fries from Salmon Seafood Restaurant | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

As if to illustrate his point, a fisherman brings a bag full of fat Hamour The fish (grouper) that he has just caught. “It’s usually found near reefs and rocks in the harbor,” says Ashraf, inviting us to view the rest of the day’s catch kept on ice in the restaurant’s storeroom. is fat ponarameen (butter fish), hamor, kalavared and white snapper, Avoli (pomfret), neymen (seer fish), bangle (tuna), prawns, squid and oysters… all marinated and ready to cook.

Vizhinjam Family Restaurant | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

It’s almost a single story up and down Restaurant Row. Each location has a store room full of seafood, prepackaged and ready to go. “We all have tie-ups with local fishermen and whatever they catch, they bring to us. So the menu changes everyday depending on what’s available. Customers can choose whatever they want and we cook it only after receiving the order. Right now, we have a lot of Hammer, always a hot favorite with customers; Customers usually get one or two for the table,” say the young Issudin Mohammed Ilyas and Nazir Khan, who run the Salmon restaurant, which they opened eight months ago to rave reviews.

Prawn fry from Al Ustad Hotel | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

‘It’s also clam season, so we’re getting plenty of catches,’ he said. sticker (Mussels) every day,” says Riyas Khan of Asmak Seafood, the newest addition on the block, opened five months ago and the only one besides Al Ustad that has an upper deck with an uninterrupted view of the sea.

Salmon Seafood Restaurant | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

It all started around 25 years ago at Ustad Hotel. till the movie Ustad HotelStarring DQ, released in 2012, it was just a nameless shanty that served food to fishermen who came to the shore in the early hours of the morning. Over the years the restaurant has become a favorite of foodies for its distinctive ‘vizhinjam’ fried fish.

Ashraf Mohammed Hanifa, owner of Al Ustad Hotel | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

Today, the original Ustad Hotel is on the main road in (slightly) fancier new digs and in its place in the row is the Al Ustad Hotel, now run by members of the same family. Likewise, almost all restaurants are family-run businesses and many of the owners are ‘Gulf’-returnees from the same fishing village.

Issudin Mohammed Ilyas and Nazir Khan of Salmon Seafood Restaurant | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

The menu is almost the same everywhere. It is fried or grilled fish marinated in a spicy paste of chilli powder, turmeric and salt. The stand out ingredient is the fried topping – the famous ‘Vizhinjam style’ seasoning of tomatoes, red chilli flakes, shallots, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, cumin and fennel etc., all of which together pack a delectable punch. There is also fish curry, either a simple curry or a coconut-based one, as well as various accompaniments such as appam, idiyappam, porota and pathiri.

Agate tea is served in all seafood restaurants. Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

There are some variations here and there. Some restaurants have turned up the heat of the spice while in others it is very mild. Some people downplay more pungent ingredients like anise. For example, Al-Ustad has no frills Meen Mutta (Fish Roe) The grilled fish of fries and salmon has a loyal following among foodies, while Asmak has Chef Pillai’s signature fish nirvana – fish fried in coconut milk. Vizhinjam Family Restaurant is the only restaurant in Qatar to have chicken on its menu. In most restaurants, you can customize the marinade, especially when it comes to grilled or barbecued fish.

Riyas Khan of Assam Seafood | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

“We get more than 100 customers a day,” said Sudhir S., a staff member at Malik, one of the small restaurants. They say. This number can get much higher on the weekend, when there’s such a rush of customers that you’ll often end up waiting in line to get in. , The restaurants generally open till around 2 in the evening, while some open for lunch as well.

Prawn fry from Ustad Hotel | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar

So, how does one choose which restaurant to go to? Most people who are fond of food start looking for their favorite places. Others follow the trail of the fish they want to eat or follow the crowd or their nose. It’s a very personal preference.

Fish fry from Al Ustad Hotel | Photo Credit: Sreejit R Kumar