Ten Degrees, a precious little find in Kodaikanal!
While doing the customary research before our trip to Kodaikanal, I stumbled upon Ten Degrees online. Almost all the reviews for this restaurant available online mentioned the amazing quality of food served here. Moreover, the fact that this was Chef Anand’s own was reason enough for me to put this restaurant on the top of my must visit list!
Ten Degrees is located in the main square in Kodai, right on top of Muncheez. The place has a nice cheerful décor. Pretty little planters lining the windows and the wooden furniture add to this restaurant’s charm. The handful of amazing clicks framed on the wall convey volumes about this quaint old town. Though the place was small with only a limited number of tables, we were officially in love! And the amazing evening weather with the temperature at 15 degrees only added to the charm.
The menu has some regulars from Chef Anand’s time at Cornucopia. And then some more. He doesn’t stick to a set pattern and the result, a brilliantly curated menu that ranges from sizzlers, burgers, pastas and pizzas to even traditional Kerala fare. After much deliberation, we opted for a stuffed chicken breast, erachi olarthiyathu, naadan kozhi curry and Malabar parottas. Well, you cant expect a malayali to order a full continental meal when there are parottas on the menu, can you! The staff who took the order had difficulty pronouncing the names of the Kerala dishes and for a moment we wondered whether ordering the same was wise or not.
It was already 9 pm by the time we gave our order and the food did take a good 20-25 minutes to arrive. The children were starting to get restless by this time and then the food arrived. Oh boy, where we in for a treat! The chicken breast stuffed with jalapenos and chicken mince and served with a red wine sauce was phenomenal. And the bread that accompanied the same, fresh and soft and pillowy all rolled into one. The erachi olarthiyathu was a mean rendition of the classic, perfectly spiced and wee bit fiery like it should be. The naadan chicken curry was spot on too and went long well with the wheat parottas. And then there were the Malabar parottas. Flaky, soft and light, these were so good that my little girl wanted to have these again the next day! Though we were quite full, I so wanted to have their tender coconut mousse. Alas, they were not yet set and I settled for a chocolate mousse instead. Served in a delicate chocolate shell with a hint of orange liqueur, this one hit all the right notes.
Service was warm and friendly, and the staff were working well as a team. The total bill came to 1450, so the pricing is just right for the quality of food they serve.
There are good restaurants in Kodaikanal and then there’s Ten Degrees. I would heavily recommend this restaurant if you are in a love affair with food!
Ten Degrees
Address: First Floor, PT Road, Off 7 Road Junction, Kodaikanal
Tel: 096593 06633
Cuisine: Indian, Contemporary
