252 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018, United States.

At this spot in Manhattan, New York, you’ll find yourself staring at a portal. Its glass and wood-panelled doors separate two contrastingly opposite regions — the bustling city of New York on the one side and the backwaters of Kerala on the other.

Enter in.

In the case of most portals, it might take a while to reach the other end — blame tricky contraptions — but not this one. In a matter of seconds, you’ll be teleported across 13 km to the enchanting villages of Kerala, specifically its toddy shops, which, aside from the local palm wine, serve menus burgeoning with flavour.

The spread at chef Regi Mathew’s Chatti restaurant (the name ‘Chatti’ borrows from the traditional clay pots central to Kerala’s toddy shops and homes) draws inspiration from this toddy culture of Kerala. It isn’t easy recreating a tradition that has been a part of the state’s culinary fabric for hundreds of years, but our chef is adept at coaxing flavour out of the most unassuming ingredients.

His love language with the spices and masalas of his homeland led him to start Chatti in New York — his way of carrying home with him to a foreign land.

Serving slow-cooked and fresh magic

Disclaimer: You’ll be tempted to try everything on the Chatti menu.

The best part is, you absolutely can, without a trace of guilt.

This is made possible by the ‘touchings’, flavorful small plates that weave a beautiful tale of

© The Better India