The Detour in Thiruvananthapuram is a dining destination for diverse cuisines

At the entrance of The Detour at Venpalavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, five windows, each with a distinct view welcome customers. An orange stairwell on the right, flanked by orange-tinted murals, leads up to a chaat restaurant. On the left is a coffee shop, set against the fountain window. A global fine-dining eatery, a South Indian coastal restaurant and a North Indian joint complete the space.The Detour, a five-restaurant dining destination featuring Choti Choti Baatein, Amorae, Nomada, Kutti Chatti and What The Chaat?!, is the result of a longstanding friendship among its three founders, which began at the St Thomas Residential School, at Mukkolakkal.“Whenever we met, the conversations were about food, and that ultimately resulted in The Detour,” says Sajina John, one of the founders. “This wasn’t planned as a business venture. All of us were working in the corporate sector, and we thought of starting something together. And ultimately, around three years ago, we decided to build a dining destination with different options in the same space,” she adds.The restaurants boast a diverse menu, from pastries such as pain au chocolat and French loaf at Amorae to Kottayam-style prawns and Fort Kochi beef curry at Kutti Chatti. The list also includes birria queso tacos and nigiri salmon served at Nomada, gosht yakhni shorba and galouti kebab at Choti Choti Baatein and multiple chaat varieties from What The Chaat?!.“The goal was to build five restaurants serving different cuisines with different personalities at distinct price points,” says Sajina.She also believes that Thiruvananthapuram was the ideal location for a culinary hotspot, despite Kochi having a more dynamic food culture. “The city has space for thattukada (street food kiosks) and fine dining restaurants. Residents accept new places and look forward to variety. Kochi is a saturated market, while Thiruvananthapuram deserves a space which serves its diverse working demographic.” The Detour, Thiruvananthapuram | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The spacesThe cafe, Amorae, was established to create a homegrown brand with an elegant style. “Multiple international coffee brands have set up camp in the city. So, we wanted to bring in a local label. It is not a coffee shop where people come and work, but a place where customers come as families,” Sajina explains.The menu features matcha beverages, sandwiches, burgers and pastries, among others.Each table at Amorae has a board game, allowing customers to entertain themselves longer. The space has a seating capacity of 39. It ranges from 52 to 57 for the other restaurants. A flatbread dish from Amorae | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The north Indian restaurant, Choti Choti Baatein, attempts to address a gap in the city’s culinary portfolio — serving dishes such as paya shorba, keema pav, dahi ke shami, Awadhi mutton biriyani, kesari phirni and matka kulfi. “We decided to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the North Indian eateries in the city by making the menu more Awadhi and tandoor-focused. All our chefs are from Lucknow too,” says Sajina. A Lucknowi mutton dish from Choti Choti Baatein | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Kutti Chatti, which focuses on seafood, boasts a long lineup of dishes such as crab xacutty, butter pepper garlic prawns and rava-fried fish, among others. “It has been over a month since we opened The Detour, and the only criticism we have received for Kutti Chatti is how some people have found the dishes too spicy or that they are not spicy enough,” says Sajina. “We also want to include more tawa and grilled dishes in the menu as well.” Kutti Chatti with a Lantana Roof | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT What The Chaat?!, serves bhalla papdi chaat, pani puri, mutter dry chaat and chola tikki chaat. “Our chaat is inclined towards Lucknowi flavours as opposed to the popular Delhi chaats,” says Sajina. Chaats from What The Chaat?! | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Nomada began with a dynamic menu that will constantly evolve over regular intervals, says Sajina. “It is based on the concept of how a modern-day nomad goes into different countries and brings back dishes. It will take time to attain that vision.” A seafood platter from Nomada | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The eatery serves dishes such as berry blaze prawn salad, sushi, wild mushroom risotto, Belgian chocolate fondant and apple tarte tatin, among others. Sajina says, “For us, building the restaurants was probably the easiest. But creating an experience that will make people to come back repeatedly — that’s the journey ahead of us.”The Detour is open from 11am to 11pm. Reservations are done via @thedetour.trv.