Thyme well spent!

KOCHI: The culinary landscape of Kochi has witnessed a paradigm shift in the last few years. Palates have discovered continental and Asian — from sweet potato pies to sushi. However, most of these favours aren’t common yet. Highly-priced food, that looks more like luxurious edible art, has been out of reach for many Kochiites. Acknowledging this and the deep desire to make something of the lockdown, 24-year-old Manasa Benny George commenced ‘Once Upon A Thyme’, which promises food of the highest quality and flavour, affordable and enhanced with thyme as a primary ingredient.

Manasa’s menu is sure to leave you spoiled for choice — roast beef with brown sauce, mashed potatoes and sauted vegetables, cheesy chicken sausage and salami bake. The food is gourmet at its finest and stays true to her brand’s name — you have a twig of thyme beautifully incorporated in your order. 

Regardless of your love for or choice of meat, her authentic Coorg pork curry served with burnt garlic rice and butter sauteed vegetables, and bao (a yeast-leavened bun) with teriyaki chicken filling and spicy sriracha sauce, are sure to win your heart. A riot of flavours, even those rarely found in Kochi, will make you ask for more.

Cooked to perfection, the pork curry is soft, slightly tangy and blends with the strong garlic flavour of the rice. The prawns in bechamel sauce served with baked spaghetti are perfect for a date night, while the Boston bake, which comprises spinach, corn and mushroom blended in cheese, is light, delicious soul food for a movie night. 

“I was back home in Kochi during the lockdown with plenty of free time on hand. My mother, sister and I have always relished cooking and considered a grab-and-go concept in our store in Jawahar Nagar, Kadavanthra. However, we realised that food would be more appealing if served fresh when required. Ninety-per-cent of our customers pre-order their meals,” says the final-year law student.

‘Once Upon A Thyme’ was adamant to make fine food affordable. “We wanted to share some of our tried and tested recipes that are highly cherished within the family. Simultaneously, we experiment with new flavours. While the primary focus has been homemade gourmet meal boxes, we’ve also created Indian recipes such as vindaloos. Our winners include baos and the Sunday breakfast, a recent addition. Customers keep returning for more,” beams Manasa.

Indubitably, dessert makes everything better and ‘Once Upon A Thyme’ elevates its culinary craft with a selection of the sweet accompaniments. Apart from the classic caramel custard to pannacotta, Manasa’s labour of love and passion is largely evident from her moist tres leches, a sponge cake soaked in a peculiar mix of milk prepped three ways. Light and sweet, the cake spells bliss, an ‘everything will be alright in the end’.You can place your orders on @onceuponathymekochi on Instagram. The meal boxes are priced between `270 to `500. Desserts start at `80.