This weekend, I was feeling adventurous, cuisine-wise. So when I heard a new place opened up at the Holiday Inn in Kochi that served both Greek, Persian, and their fusion dishes, I knew I had to try it. With that in mind, I called up two of my friends, both food critics as well as enthusiasts, for company, and decided to check if “Kyra”, the new joint, was worth the hype.
We were greeted with rather interesting decor, red folded designs on the ceiling, calming yet fun music soothing you, and an interesting theme greeting you at high and low seated tables lit by quaint lamps. It balanced the aesthetics right; it was both loud and subtle at the same time, a welcome relief from drab pastels and rectangles that have recently become the norm. The staff ushered us to the centre of the restaurant floor. That way, we could see almost every inch of the space, as well as have our own little bubble, enjoying what was to come.
Right off the bat, Kyra spoils us with choices. In cold platter, they have the Arabic Muttabal and Persian style Kashk-e Bademjan based on brinjal (aubergine), the walnut-based Anatolian dip Muhammara, a levatine salad Tabbouleh, and the Wark Enab (a play on the Ottoman-style Dolma), accompanying the humble hummus.
Being adventurous, we picked Muhammara and Kashk-e Bademjan from this to accompany the Hot Mezze platter we ordered, with Lamb Kibbeh. They also have the Arabian Sambousek, which I have tried earlier. Do check it out if you are into Samosas. They served this platter with a side of soft Turkish pita and some crispy Manakish flatbread. Surprisingly, the only underwhelming thing in the entire spread was the hot hummus.
After loading myself up by tasting everything on this platter, I decided to experiment with a salad! The Apple & Goat Cheese salad called out to me, and I am glad I heeded it. Crunchy slivered almonds paired amazingly with the apple and basil dressing, and the warm hot cheese; twas a party in my mouth!
And this is how we started out feast. After staring at the soup menu for a bit, my company for the evening and I decided to go for drinks instead. There were three of us, and each of us chose a liquor to test their impressive collection of Greco-Persian-inspired cocktails. One picked bourbon, the other tequila, and I picked the humble gin.
Among the six we tested, the Cikolata Affaire (bourbon-based) and the on-fire Nutty Soiree (Gin-based) stood out!
The Walnut baklava that was paired with the sous-vide concoction that was Nutty Soiree was a sure-‘fire’ winner, while the Cikolata Affaire, which chocolated its way into our hearts, demanded seconds. The tequila-based Muhammara Picante was also impressive. Overall, it was experimental, but for a change, in Kochi, the mixology was spot on.
This set us up for the main course. An all-in-all Kebab platter that came in a serving table so long, it had to be set diagonally to our four-pax dinner table. Among them, the Chicken Joojeh Kebab, the Lamb Adana Kebab, the Shish Taouk (baby chicken legs), the Samak Hara Kebab (chilli marinated fish), and Kebab-e-rubian (Persian prawns) were excellent to the point we were hoping we didn’t fill ourselves in the appetiser-starter round.
The portions were not only on point, but they also paired well with an array of classic Greek and Persian dips that elevated the experience. The only miss was the rather plain flatbread and the famous chelo kebab, which was rather dry and soulless—that deserves a better grade of meat, and we hope they fix it soon. There are only a handful of place serving good grade meat in Kerala, despite the high percentage of consumption.
As we finished the sumptuous platter, the three of us were already too satiated... But we had a lot more menu real estate to cover, and decided to pause our adventure here.
And now, it was dessert time! Again, we were spoilt for choice. But the responsible adults that we think we are, we decided to try the Kunafa and the Yoghurt cake another time. Now, there was one standout offering that we couldn’t ignore—Chocolate Tahini Lava Cake.
The dark chocolate cake arrived with molten tahini, crumble, and sesame. And a side of some Turkish saffron pistachio ice cream. Heaven!
As we were digging into our plates of dessert, the table across was celebrating someone’s birthday. The spritey wait staff sang and danced, and it was indeed such a warm experience. After all, fine dining is all about the experience.
Of late, there are many fine dining experiences that promise you the same. But once you reach, you are greeted with bland pastel interiors, soulless dabs of the same European-American mish-mash rehashed into looking good, but flavour refuses to take part in this “reimagination”. And yes, the weird pin-drop silence as if it were a rather pricey lunch break at school.
Kyra was but removed from this standardised experience, as it brought some life into fine dining. And it should. The food is inspired not by peace. The Greco-Persian wars were famous. This conflict led to the Greek victory and then conquests that spanned history, but the initial contact also became the inflexion point, which triggered this massive wave of cultural exchange in the region.
And now, thousands of kilometres later, we are partaking in the culmination of a food culture centuries in the making.
It was more about enjoying the moment. And Greco-Persian cuisine goes well with Kerala cuisine sensibilities. It just works. And you are almost always guaranteed fun when a food culture features spasimo, the traditional plate-smashing ceremony!
Reviewed Establishment: KYRA, Holiday Inn, Kochi
Type: Fine-dining Restaurant and Bar
Cuisine: Greek, Persian, Greco-Persian Fusion