Comments on: Cardamom Hill: Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves

By: Wilson7248

Wilson7248 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:30:00 +0000

Foodie Buddha-

I am as well another Keralite. I was deeply offended by your critique, not because you didn’t like the food, but because you assume that all Indian food food should taste the same way. India is a country with over 13 states, each with very distinct food. Even within Kerala, the food is different depending on religion and region. For instance , I grew up hearing my parents commenting on the people from south Kerala cooking their food “wrong”:) It’s as if i went into an Italian restaurant and said their food sucks because they didn’t just serve spaghetti and meatballs. The reason why Ms. Asha called what we call cutlets, “Croguettes”, is so people don’t expect a piece of meat when they order. Keralites also use less spices in amount than other Indians, but more variety, for instance, instead of 10 teaspoons of coriander, we might use 4, but also add cumin, star anise, cardamom, etc etc etc. Also, your comment on Kerala Christians murdering Hindus and Muslims?, based on what? Maybe you should check how many Christians are murdered in India, as well as how many Hindus and Muslims murder each other, or just stick to commenting on food…

By: Foodie Buddha

Foodie Buddha — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Hi Mariamma,
I’m quite familiar with the foundation of Cardamom Hill’s cuisine though I would generally defer to a Malayalee. Still, to say Thoran can’t have too much coconut seems disingenuous. To elaborate, thoran with too much coconut is like pizza with too much cheese. It’s a technical flaw.

I am very sorry if you felt I was attacking Kerala culture with my comments about Tharavadus. When I said “Barf at the puffery,” I was trying to say that Cardamom Hill was using lots of fluff words that don’t really mean anything, a reality not uncommon in restaurant PR.

Take care,
FB

By: Mariamma

Mariamma — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:12:00 +0000

I enjoyed this honest write up but this Malayalee is cracking up over the commentary that the thoran had too much coconut and that tharavadus don’t make up part of the Kerala architecture. Your Bangalorean friend might have led you astray there.

I was actually hoping you would have impressions of the Kerala Fried Chicken which I can assure you is not really part of traditional Kerala food, though Gomez keeps pushing this lore somehow.

By: djm5x9

djm5x9 — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:12:00 +0000

You know, sometimes constructive observations go a long way to making a very good chef and their newly opened restaurant great. It would be an injustice if everyone told chef she was great and she find out the truth when the building is shuttered . . .

By: Yek401

Yek401 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

I had a similar poor experience in that first week. And after reading the glowing review from Cliff Bostock (he was recognized at the restaurant), I was glad this one was written to balance things out.

By: Foodie Buddha

Foodie Buddha — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Hi Matt -
For the first three years of the blog, I basically did that in the
header. Another Atlanta blog started copying my format so i was forced
to change how I title my review posts.First impression posts have always been dropped in their own category and they always include relevant information – aka how long they’ve been open, etc.. etc..To offset the change in the title, I have made sure to include the
qualification in the tag line for the summary section of eat post. Granted, I liked the old format better – but I don’t think there is anything unclear in this post (or any of my other posts for that matter) that would confuse the reader into thinking that I’m misrepresenting the situation.

By: matt freedman

matt freedman — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:40:00 +0000

Maybe you shoulda put the “Cardamom Hill First Impressions” header at the top? A lot of people seem to think this is a straight-up review.

I’m just sayin, is all.

By: An American

An American — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:20:00 +0000

Even though I don’t share your opinion, I am thankful you shared your opinion.

By: Foodie Buddha

Foodie Buddha — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:50:00 +0000

previous comment edited for formatting.

By: vh1riotruck

vh1riotruck — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Hello mtvlagunacar!

It’s ME! Your cousin brother vh1riotruck from the murky
backwaters of Kerala, India! Aunt Rosa
says hello and thanks for sending the Cheetos – everything she touches turns to
orange!

It is so serendipitous to see
you posting on my favorite Atlanta, GA USA food blog. What a small world huh brother? Anyways, as you know I am one of the premier party
and wedding planners within the entire state of Kerala and I would like to
impart some of my wisdom on cutlets to the masses as I have been wedding
planning for about 2 years and 8 months now.
Cutlets are EVERYTHING when it comes to weddings (nay – life) in Kerala! Doesn’t matter the wedding – Christian,
Hindu, Muslim, Nuwaubian, or even Buddhist.
You know and I know what it boils down to is that weddings in Kerala
MUST have cutlets otherwise the bride is running off with the groom’s barber –
it’s as simple as that. Cutlets have
become such a hit that instead of throwing flowers at the bride and groom some
families prefer to throw cutlets at them.  No really – it’s true. When it comes to
parties trust me on this, I almost ruined a party on one of the houseboats
because I forgot the cutlets!
Booze –
check.
Hash – check.
Hookers – check.
Cutlets….cutlets…cu…FUCK!!!
Good thing I had the sensibility and
fortitude to have stashed four cutlets in my chuddies from the wedding I was
coming from earlier.

Anyways, doooooooooooon’t listen
to this Foodie Buddha – what does he know?
He has never had the pleasure of Aunt Rosa’s southern U.S. fried chicken
straight from the gullies of Kochi, or has had the taste of her braised ribs
from the villages of Karuvatta, or her New England clam cakes straight from the
docks of Thiruvananthapuram. Next time I
visit you in the U.S. my brother, we shall fine dine and have cutlets and fried
chicken at Cardamom Hill while we stare off in the distance and reminisce about
the good old days in Kerala! Hallelujah
and praise Jesus Christ our saviour. In the name of the
father, son and holy spirit. Amen.

Yours truly,

vh1riotruck

PS – Aunt Maria has amoebic dysentery – she ate some bad cutlets. Please kindly send some money.