Venpalavattom
Fish Pollichathu
Fish marinated in red masala, wrapped in banana leaf and baked until the leaf chars and the masala clings. Prefer it crisp? Ask for porichathu, shallow-fried instead. Market price.
Fish pollichathu in banana leaf, moilee with appam, baby squid with Wayanad green pepper. Kerala seafood and nadan curries at both our Trivandrum restaurants.
If you're looking for a fish restaurant in Trivandrum that treats seafood the Kerala way, start here. Our Kerala kitchen, printed as Vibhav on the Kowdiar menu, cooks the dishes Thiruvananthapuram families grew up on: fish wrapped in banana leaf and roasted in masala, fish moilee in coconut milk, and baby squid tossed with crushed green pepper from Wayanad. The spice is layered, never loud, and the curries lean on coconut, shallots and curry leaf.
You'll find the spread at both our restaurants, in Kowdiar and in Venpalavattom, with appam, Kerala porotta and Kerala fish curry meals alongside. Come for one dish. The table usually fills up with five.
Six dishes that show what our Kerala kitchen does best. Seafood marked market price is priced by size on the day.
Fish marinated in red masala, wrapped in banana leaf and baked until the leaf chars and the masala clings. Prefer it crisp? Ask for porichathu, shallow-fried instead. Market price.
A gentle, turmeric-yellow fish stew simmered in coconut milk. Order appam on the side: it's the pairing Kerala dinners are built on. Market price.
Baby squid sautéed with aromatic green pepper from Wayanad. It's sharp, fragrant and quick-fired so the squid stays tender. Also made with prawns.
Grilled fish finished with thick coconut milk and a kick of bird's eye chilli. Bird's eye chilli makes it the hottest dish on this list. ₹480 at both branches.
A pan-fried fisherman's platter for the table, and the easiest way to try several kinds of seafood in one order.
House-made mango curry with seer fish or prawns: tangy, a little tropical and made for rice. Market price at both branches.
Prices are from our current menus and can change. See every dish on our Imperial Kitchen menu.
Kerala seafood depends on two things: the fish, and patience with the masala. Our cooks let curries such as moilee and mango curry simmer slowly so the gravy thickens on its own, and they grill fish on a flat iron tawa the way coastal homes do.
Beyond seafood, the same kitchen turns out nadan favourites: Beef Kalam Curry, Nadan Mutton Roast and Kuttanadan Chicken Curry at both branches, Syrian Chicken Roast at Kowdiar and Beef Coconut Fry at Venpalavattom. In past years, seafood festivals such as our Coastal Feast have brought seasonal catches to the table for a few weeks at a time.
Both restaurants serve Kerala curries and seafood, and each menu has its own specials.
Near Kowdiar Palace, with valet parking. Kowdiar-only seafood includes Treasure of the Sea, Thai Grilled Prawns, Koonthal Thenga Kothu, Meen Shappu Curry, Fish Chatti Curry served in its earthen pot, and Jaffna Seafood Fried Rice.
Visit Kowdiar →Near Lulu Mall and KIMSHEALTH, with ample parking. If you want a seafood restaurant near Lulu Mall, come here for Fish Pollichathu, Fish Moilee, tawa-grilled pearl spot and pomfret, and the Panfried Seafood Platter for sharing.
Visit Venpalavattom →What to order, where to find it and how to get it home. Anything else, call Kowdiar on 0471 2311 789 or Venpalavattom on +91 77361 61222.
At Venpalavattom, start with Fish Moilee and appam, then add Wayanadan Pachakurumulaku Koonthal or the Fish Pollichathu. At Kowdiar, try Cheeramulaku Tawa Fish or Koonthal Thenga Kothu, and the Treasure of the Sea platter (₹1,840) lets the table try several seafood dishes at once.
Both. Our menus carry Kuttanadan Chicken Curry, Beef Kalam Curry, Nadan Mutton Roast and Malabari Mutton Curry, with appam and Kerala porotta. Kowdiar adds Syrian Chicken Roast and Grandma's Beef Roast. At Venpalavattom, breakfast brings puttu, idiyappam, appam and chicken stew.
Imperial Kitchen Venpalavattom is at Grand Avenue, Favourite Homes, on the Pettah–Venpalavattom Road, a short drive from Lulu Mall and close to KIMSHEALTH. It serves our Kerala and seafood menu from 7 AM to 11 PM daily, with ample parking.
Imperial Prawns Biriyani is on our Venpalavattom menu at ₹480. At Kowdiar, try the Jaffna Seafood Fried Rice (₹360) or a Kerala fish curry meal. For a large biriyani order, call the branch a few hours ahead.
A meal for two usually comes to around ₹1,000, and seafood runs a little higher than chicken. Koonthal Thenga Kothu is ₹440 and Cheeramulaku Tawa Fish ₹480, while fish curries such as moilee and mango curry, and whole fish such as pearl spot, pomfret and pollichathu, are priced by size on the day.
Yes. Both branches deliver through Swiggy and Zomato, and you can call either restaurant for takeaway. Curries like moilee and mango curry travel well. Pollichathu and tawa-grilled fish are best eaten fresh at the table.
Hungry for more? Try our Arabic grills and alfaham or Chinese, Thai and Japanese dishes, or browse all our cuisines. Planning a function? Ask about sadhya and Kerala catering.