There’s something to be said about connections that are made, over food. James Lewis Libson, who visited Marari Beach Resort with his wife and two boys from London, found the Farm Kitchen particularly fascinating. Here, the ingredients are picked by guests together with the chef in the organic vegetable patch, which grows several leafy vegetables, fruits and herbs of the region.

This is prepared by the guests and chef in a local style at a small, traditionally thatched area near the vegetable patch. “We like eating and we love cooking, so this was a very interesting experience. Also, we realise that the Indian cooking we tried back home was quite different.”

The meal that was brought to the table was a hearty, herby stew, a main course of banana curry, amaranth, mixed beans, fish wrapped in banana leaf, along with rice, and a dessert of coconut milk with hibiscus, freshly made and served hot.

At the 50-Mile Diet restaurant in Spice Village, where fragrant spices grow in abundance, all ingredients are sourced within a 50-mile radius, in an effort to cut down our carbon footprint. Each dish has a unique compelling evocation which is particularly adapted to the place or cultural interaction. The Kerala hotels provide innovative regional variations on the state’s trade-influenced cuisines. In Brunton Boatyard, the cuisine features Jewish and British influences from its trading and colonial past. The Eight Bastion, also in Fort Kochi, has a menu designed to include the distinct Dutch flavours.

Marari Beach Resort’s proximity to the sea and the natural beauty of the fishing village means that the catch of the day, in several delectable avatars, is a star attraction on the menu! Spice Village, set on the fringes of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, showcases influences of the local tribes, while Coconut Lagoon, that also harvests most of its produce (such as the red Kerala rice) within the property, boasts central Tranvancore cuisine, such as coconut milk-based ‘mappas’, and duck specialties of the Kuttanad region. Similarly, aboard Spice Coast Cruises, the food is deeply reminiscent of local and cultural interactions, while in at Chittoor Kottaram, the n ‘sadyas’ (meals) are fit for rajahs.

At wellness resorts Kalari Kovilakom, Kalari Rasayana, SwaSwara and the new Vanavasaa, the food is dosha-specific and typically Sattvik in nature. Your diet is determined by the in-house Vaidya after a detailed consultation. We also serve seafood.

At our hotels in Tamil Nadu, the cuisine is rather specific: while Maison Perumal in Puducherry brings you gourmet Tamil cuisine, Palais de Mahe serves it to you with an international twist, and the café offers fresh, continental salads and sandwiches. Visalam, a home in Chettinad, serves the popular local and distinctive Chettinad cuisine. Everything is prepared gourmet style, with a lot of finesse and flair, by skilled local chefs.

The ‘most romantic getaway in India’ (according to Conde Nast Traveller), Coconut Lagoon, along the banks of the backwaters in Kuttanad, uses its traditional, scenic setting to full advantage, offering a dining experience like other. From paddy hut dining with a great view of the birds, to eating a Curry Lunch on a long table, the experience is atmospheric, connected and wholesome.

Finally, our guests always point out that the food experience is always made more memorable for them by the warm staff, several of whom become their friends.