Nostalgia Bites

“Why do you bother to eat anywhere else when you are staying here?” asks the officious auto-driver as we get off at the entrance of the Tea Bungalow. The Tea Bungalow is a charming gingerbread house with a secret garden. It looks like the setting for a Merchant-Ivory film. Their in-house restaurant is called Cafe Du Mahe, after the erstwhile French Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais. The guests are all ancient Europeans seeking a tot of nostalgia with their peroxided wives.

The food is so delicious that we ask Biju, the chef, for his recipe of Oriental Soup, made from split dal (moong) and celery. We try the crespelles, pregnant with a creamy filling, a superb tuna ligh­tly seared with a pineapple and chilli sauce, a mushy risotto and in a burst of greed, settle for the sticky toffee pudding. Since we are, after all, near the famous Chinese fishing nets, we beg for some crabs and the chef indulges us with some typical Kerala style curry n’ rice.

In the morning, the breakfast on the patio, att­e­nded by scarlet passion fruit flowers and sunbirds,  underlines the delightful rounds of tea, jam and toast. Since it was earlier the residence of the Brooke Bond manager, tea time with soft buttery biscuits is ano­ther must for long-term visitors. Nostalgia does not come cheap, however. Expect to pay Rs 2,000 a head, but every delicate mouthful is worth the cream and calories. No liquor is served, but in the way of such situations you can invest in a hip-flask from one of the antiques shop and sip your way to paradise.